:thumbup:

If you are a writer is it cheating to use a computer instead of a pen? If you are an engineer is it cheating to use a cad program instead of graph paper & a pencil? If you're a mechanic is it cheating to use a computer to diagnos car problems instead of take'n the car apart piece by piece? If you're a scientist is using a computer cheating to do finite math? Law enforcement... to keep track of all those criminals on the street. All your manufacturing processes. Surgeons! On & on!

Is using a sewing machine to piece cheating OR even to quilt with? How many of use a computerized EMBROIDERY machine. Nothing is more precious than something done completely by hand but how many of use choose to use a machine to help us do the things we want to do? Most of us can't even be bothered to walk next door to talk with our neighbor, we call them on the phone, email or text!

Time conservation, cost effectiveness - that is what technology is all about. Because something has been made easier or faster does not mean quality or even pride in workmanship has to be sacrificed.

I have the ability to do both hand guided quilting or computerized. Most of my customers CHOOSE computerized e2e designs because they can get beautifully intricate designs at a reasonable price.

I would NEVER under any circumstance compare the beauty of hand quilting to what I do. Would any of you compare the quality of a hand made piece of furniture to that you bought at furniture store (unless of course that furniture store specialized in hand made furniture :) )

I agree with the others...its not "cheating", it is different skill sets though. Quilts shouldn't be judged side by side that are done using a panto or program..next to one that was free hand free motion quilted....different animals.

I second this thought.
Diane/Wyoming

Whatever works! It is still quilting in my opinion!

"Cheating" implies that person or persons are being victimized. I fail to see how that applies in quilting, unless it involves deliberate theft or intent to mis-lead. How one chooses to make quilts is a personal preference and cheating does not enter into it.

I'm trying to find my rule book so I can check. Is it "cheating" to use EQ to design? I'll look that up too--just as soon as I find the book.

how can you cheat at quilting? i will say that computerized quilting looks great but is hard for those of us still perfecting our FMQ skills. i look at those beautiful quilts and wonder how will i ever master those designs. i'm making my peace with the fact that i won't be as good as a computer and i'll probably never enter a show. still, i know my quilts are used & well loved.

I think of quilts as a work of art. You get to decide what tools to accomplish it. We use the results of computer designs in many ways. If a computer generated design produces a lovely "picture" in a reduced amount of time, what can be wrong with that?

Hand quilting is also a great treasure as well. The hand-quilted pieces I have from relatives are precious.

I'll bet there was a point when someone used a ringer washer instead of a wash board and it was considered "cheating". Anyone want to go back there? :) If you enter a quilt in a show and say it's hand guided and it's reall computerized, I'd consider THAT cheating, but not just using computerized quilting! Wish I had the resources for that!

I must be the biggest cheater in town - NEVER do hand quilting, and I have an embroidery machine...and frankly, my dear, I don't give.......................

I think it takes talent and knowledge to know how to operate computers, accuquilts and other gadgets. It can't do anything till you tell it to.

As many of you here, I don't think it's "cheating", but I don't think computerized quilting should be judged in the same categories as hand quilting or free hand machine quilting in competitions and shows. I agree that it's like cake made from scratch vs cake made from a mix. Both might result in delicious, beautiful cakes and both require effort and skill to get to the end result, but the difference is obvious.

Computerized quilting makes me nervous when I think about something catching on the machine as it moves.

Different strokes for different folks.

Hey Quilter!! I like the idea of the different categories in a quilt show, but I don't consider what YOU do cheating, any more than using my walker is cheating to get around. Wearing glasses is not cheating to see, however I do believe they used to call eyeglasses "cheaters". ha ha....
I happen to know that you are a loving, giving, creative person using modern tools, and you share your time, energy and knowledge with so many of us. So let criticism roll off your back. We love you!!

there is alot more to computerized quilting than just pushing a button. Especially those that design and digitize their own designs.

i wouldn't call it cheating, but i think in my case if the quilting was that perfect, my piecing would look bad!

Very well said for all who do long arm quilting. If you use a computerized program to help you quilt, you still need to load it. I myself have been drawing many into the system to stitch onto quilts and try to match the quilt better. How can you say that is cheating. I also agree with everyone else who says cheating is a nasty word. I would like to know if this one person who said it was cheating does her own quilting? Does she use many of the new things available to quilters to make our quilting so much more fun. I hope we can all agree, that it is different and a lot of us do not do shows. We just want to have fun quilting.

I think it is a great technology that we have given to us. I am the worst person I know at using the term "cheater" quilts and such, but it sounds so bad when someone else says it. As for judging, I think it should be in it's own category.

If you can afford it more power to you......personally I don't do my own quilting...just make thee tops and send them away to get quilted......I would never take credit for the quilting if i was entering a contest.....but thats just me.But if your giving them as gifts that would be different.....

It is just a difference in methods....Not cheating...

I agree with this.

WOW - Ladies - thank you so much for your input! I can see there are all kinds of opinion out there but the majority seem to think computerized quilting should be in a separate judging category. I appreciate your spending your time to give your opinion.

I don't think it matters if it looks OK. For competitions where you are comparing skill levels, it might be best to have a separate judging category where you could compare placement skills and choice of design etc., just as hand quilting and machine quilting are equally valid - just different styles.

It is cheating as much as those purists that insist that machine quilting is cheating and you must do it all by hand. Well, I'll keep my rotary cutter, sewing machine and longarm! It has a totally different skill set from longarm quilting, which has a totally different skill set from quilting on a DSM or hand quilting. Personally, I think all kinds of quilting have a place in the quilting world and I think all quilt shows should have different categories for ribbons that reflect all 4 kinds of quilting.

To be honest, I don't really care how things are catagorized at quilt shows. I'm never going to enter any, I just go to look.
Personally, I love my Viking 630. No computer to break, and anything it makes that is creative, is MY creativity
Cheating? Only to those who are keeping score. I don't sew anything competitively

It's not cheating any more than following a pattern to piece is cheating because you didn't design the block and quilt yourself! It's not a picnic in the park to hoop and embroider - it's a learned skill like every other part of making a quilt. I agree that separate categories in contests are a good idea so apples and oranges are not being compared with each other - LOL!

I don't see how it could called cheating. I would say instead that is different, then say, hand quilting. I like to hand embroidery, should I call those who have an embroidery machine, "cheaters". Or should we call it cheating because we use a frozen dinner instead of cooking from scratch. It's life.

When computerized machines first came out I thought it was "cheating" to use one. BUT, then DH added InteliQuilter to my Gammill and I LOVE it. I wasn't good at freehand so now I can be a lot more artistic. As Shelly, and others have said, you can't just program it and walk off. On a long panto pass I may take time to run to the bathroom or the kitchen to get a drink but I'm never far from the machine. And as stated, a lot of quilts, including my own, need both hands to smooth out the fabric as it stitches. I can get twice as many quilts quilted in a month than before. Not because it is faster but my body can do it longer.

I don't consider it cheating when I embroider on my machine, just bought a QBot and it doesn't seem like cheating either. I am hoping it will keep me from having UFO's everwhere lol. I love making the tops but quilting??? Maybe this will help to enjoy the whole process.

I totally agree, different methods and criteria should be judged separately but I don't considred it cheating unless someone tries to pass something off as hand quilted if it's not.

I agree for judging that the two methods should be separate categories...hand quilting is beautiful and time consuming while machine quilting is beautiful but very quick...both have their own beauties...it depends on what look you are aiming for.

It could be considered cheating if you tried to pass it off as hand made, as in hand pieced and quilted.

Rather have it done than not :) no matter the method, back to freedom of choice, with this craft. :)

Agree in a show should be different category.

That is how I quilt my quilt - computerized long arm - and I love doing it. But it certainly isn't in the same category as hand quilting and should be judged differently. I'd never have gotten all my quilts done if it hadn't been for the computerized machine.

I totally agree. I have tried hand quilting, but ended with my finger tips bloody and decided it was not for me.

There are no quilt police!!!!!

As a judge, yes I think there are/should be different catagories of each type of quilting. Do remember that computerized quilting requires setting up the design, keeping the quilt square, laying the design appropriately, etc. So there is much more than just setting the longarm to stitch a computerized design.

Sandy

My guild has a show every year and we do have a separate category for computerized quilting.

I don't think there is any such thing as cheating. Anything that anyone makes and is excited about is wonderful.