Originally Posted by mpspeedy

I know I sound like a broken record but why does everyone assume that they have to machine quilt? Hand quilting has been around for hundreds of years. You don't have to use any electricity, you can watch TV, listen to a book on tape or even share conversations with family or friends while quilting. If it is a small project it is even portable. I always take some quilting along on our vacations. I have quilted on cruise ships and any time we are traveling by car or ground transportation. It has been announced that handsewing or quilting actually lowers your blood pressure. For those of you who have family demands it is a good excuse to sit still as your lap and or hands are full. When I use a sewing machine I tend to sew very fast. My former boss in a Bernina shop used to push the half speed button on my machine when I was doing the custom sewing for her business. I am quick at handquilting also from at least 40 years of experience but it is possible to handquilt a queen size quilt in six weeks or less just working several hours a day. I know in this "do it now" society that we live in that seems like a very long time. While I would like to make every quilt I have ever dreamed of and use up all of my stash before I die I know that will not happen even if I had a long arm and sewed 24 hrs a day. Handquilting allows me to still be sociable, spend time with my family and friends and still make lots of quilts.