For many years I did not have a sewing machine. All of my quilting tops were by cutting out the design using a paper bag and pencil and ruler to draw the pattern I wanted, and hand sewed each piece for the design. I know, this sounds a bit old-fashioned, and I'm really not that old...but I loved seeing quilts and self-taught myself how to make my own. All of my quilting was by hand, no frame to quilt with, so I would lay my top, filling and backing onto the floor and sew large stitches to hold the layers together. I'd have to stretch areas as I hand quilted in my lap, but it all worked out great! As the years came my way, I was given a quilting frame from a great-grandmother and eventually purchased a sewing machine for the piecing tops. I still hand quilt with the same frame great grandmother provided me. A person can go to great expense to have all of the necessary tools, or make due with little items like thread,needle,material, and an imagination.