Add me to the list of those who do it all by machine. I do not like hand work and only do so as a last resort. For those that do, I think it's great. I never cared for sewing on buttons either, so I used pearl snaps instead. Don't care for doing button holes either... I'm not entering my quilts in shows for competition. I just want to make something that others can enjoy and that I hope will be cherished (and used) after I'm gone.