When I learned to quilt it was hand quilting. I have only done a little machine quilting on a couple of doll quilts, but once I get some confidence with it I would use my dsm for quilts that might get a lot of wear, like every day lap or child's quilt. My daughter asked me to make her one and I'm working on it. I gave her the choice of how it would be quilted and she said hand quilted of course- so I will. I think there is room for both. I agree that in a quilt show hand quilting should be a separate category. I think its use and the receipiant could be part of the determining factor. If someone has little care if it is hand quilted, and would treat it like a store bought blanket than I would do the machine quilting as it goes faster. And I guess I would seriously consider if I would even make them one. But I would gladly hand quilt for someone who would appreciate and care for a hand quilted quilt. But with machine quilting I could get more of the ones I want to make done.