The quilt tells me if I will hand or machine quilt. I took a hand quilting class a long time ago and it was well worth the money. I quilt on a hoop, use inbetween needles, and YLI thread which I absolutely love and I invested in a Roxanne thimble. The thimble is pretty pricey but I have yet to find a fabric I cannot push a needle through with it.
I work in payroll and during the months of December and January life is pretty crazy here at work so at night I would go home and hand quilt and it would reduce my stress level almost immediately.