Another hand quilter here. My mother showed me how when I was about 10 or 11. Helped her over the years with a few quilts. Then after she passed away 7 years ago, I started piecing (by machine) I do have a GMFG that I am hand piecing, but I hand quilt almost everything, a charity quilt, I will SID, but hand quilt everything else, table runners, up to King Size quilts in my lap on a 14" hoop. I also hand appliqué some and the quilting is relaxing for me, I quilt some most every evening. Personally, the machine quilting does not appeal to me, that is just my opinion. If I keep right at it every evening, I can hand quilt a king size in about 6 or 7 weeks.