As with everything it is a personal preference. I personally love machine embroidery, I can no longer do hand work because of arthritis but I can still decorate garments, tea towels, and sometimes even quilt blocks. It all depends on my mood & what is needed. My granddaughters are in basketball & love to have me decorate fleece jackets with baskets ball designs. My youngest daughter just asked me to do an embroidered baby quilt for a fund raising raffle, she needed certain a certain theme. It is just another aspect of sewing, life is short, do what you enjoy, skip what you don't.