Originally Posted by
Holice
No hand quilting is not dead. For 5 yrs I taught hand quilting at 8 quilting events a year and there were anywhere from 12-20 in each class (do the math) and continue to have full classe when I teach locally. In Sept/Oct I had two classes (Virginia and Atlanta) with 30 students. On the other hand I see few hand quilted items in shows where I judge.
I my opinion, handquilting is still being done, but it is not receiving the attention that machine quilting does in shows. It seems impossible to place a hand quilted piece into a show. So many competition quilts have thread work, micro stippling etc that is doable by hand, but would take years to accomplish. These machine techniques are certainly difficult and artistic, but should not be judged alongside handquilting. Locally they are, and it does not make for a level playing field or promote the method. I also realize that all things come in cycles, so I hope to see a move toward the rewarding of handwork.