Hogwash. Because of issues with my hands, I cannot take those tiny needles and thread and hand sew much of anything except darn socks over a lightbulb. And those needles are 3 inches long. To say because of medical issues we use machines to make our quilts, and we don't qualify for a higher class of quilting is beyond my comprehension and puts a sour taste in my mouth. Think I'll go sweeten it up a bit with an M&M or two. Will those hoity toities complain about that too? No wonder many of us 'get away' from it all by hoarding ourselves in our quilting dens.
You aren't sensitive at all, and neither am I. Though many try to insist I am and tell me what to think and do and when. They are just bullying us as that is what they know. The ones who decided that machine quilting isn't really quilting or higher class, are perhaps taking into account where quilting came from eons ago. Guess what? Technology isn't going away. And neither is my machine quilting. Looks just fine to me. Hide the machines in the cabinets, put out a few 'golden needles and thimbles', and call it a hand-sewn quilt. I used my hands, knee, and foot to make that quilt. Only the quilt mongers who stir up the petty stuff will complain, and they aren't allowed in our dens anyway. I am not looking for higher class with what I do. In the grand scheme of living, does it really matter? Nuff said, for crying out loud.