Hand piecing and quilting are beautiful, and not areas in which I am skilled. I think machine pieced and quilted are every bit as beautiful and no less art. I have given machine pieced and quilted quilts to a friend for each of her 6 (soon to be 7!) children and she is always telling me how durable they are especially through frequent washings. They may not be heirlooms, but the kids certainly love them, and that is, after all, why I make them, to be used and loved!