I'm with Cathe. Just be honest. If they're trying to be mean, they won't know what to say. If they're not, they'll appreciate your honesty. I honestly don't get the "hand only" quilting snobbery. I think the finished art is the whole point, how you get there is up to the artist. I've been lucky, I guess, that no one has ever been mean to me about my quilts. I don't understand snobbery or mean-spirited criticism. But, judging from the many posts here from others, I know it is out there. Just don't stoop to their level.