I hope you didn't believe that crazy creep! Anything made by hand can be done any way the maker wants to do it. Personally, I have stitched in the ditch, stitched using patterns and I have sent some to the LAQ. I prefer hand quilted quilts...love, love, love the softness of that look. I use LAQ when I make one for a grandchild because I want that little one to drag it to death and they really do hold together better when they have to be washed so often. Do it your way and if you will take a lesson from me you will never let anyone hurt your feelings like that again. In fact, I would tell that person to go "fly a kite"!