I, too, grew up with hand tied quilts. And, bindings....well often, it was the backing brought around to the front, turned under and sewed down. The ladies Missionary Society at church would gather at Mom's because she had the frames and a living room big enough to set them up. I remember them tying 3 or 4 quilts in a couple of hours. And the centers of the quilts were not batting, it was a flannel sheet often pieced to make it big enough. What fun to sit under the quilt and see the needles poke down and back up, and listen to the chatter and laughter. Anyway, my point is that there is more than one way to finish a quilt. Phooey with the quilt police! On a practical note, I have found that the hand or machine quilted quilts tend to hold up better. I think the close stitching reinforces the fabric more on cotton quilts.