I don't believe that hand quilting (which I do) is any less durable than machine quilting. As Manalto says, it's not something the 'has' to be done. I don't necessarily consider my hand quilting an 'art form' although I have been complemented many times on my abilities. I hand quilt because I like to do hand work. It's one of the reasons I started quilting. I like machine sewing as well so machine piecing and then hand quilting satisfy many crafty situations for me.