I enjoy hand quilting but wish I did a nicer job of it. Practice, practice, practice. Both have a place. I machine quilt the ones for the kids that will not be "respected" for the time I've put into hand quilting. I do not like the machine quilting with its own design. My opinion is that quilting should compliment the piecing or design of the quilt, not ignore it with another design. What really bothers me is a beautifully embroidered quilt that has taken many, many hours and then machine quilted. If you care enough to spend that kind of time on the embroidery, then follow suit and hand quilt it! Sometimes it is easier to hand quilt than to stuff all of that fabric under the presser foot if I'm doing a bed-sized quilt.