A few yrs ago I saw a guest on Simply Quilts talk about how she finishes her quilts. She said she breaks them down in to 3 categories. She hand quilts the really special ones that she hopes will stay in the family for yrs to come. She machine quilts the smaller ones and then for the ones that she knows will get a lot of use (and/or abuse) she pays to have them longarm quilted. I now use the same guidelines when I'm deciding on which method to use. It does seem that more people are getting back in to hand quilting which I think is absolutely wonderful. Everything in life does not need to be done "yesterday". Enjoy the journey of making the quilt and you will find that you learn patience and relaxation. As to the hand piecing, it will hold up just as well so long as you take smaller stitches and put tiny knots at the end of the threads.