What do you think? I was in my lqs the other day and one of the ladies that works there was binding a quilt . It was really beautiful. I asked her how she got her fmq so even and all. She said she used the quilting machine and led me over to a large machine that was just happily quilting away all on its own. I am a new quilter (about 7 months) and I do it all by machine, and I consider that still being hand made After all we don't cook over an open fire. But somehow programing a machine and turning it on seems like cheating.

If one cuts, sews and quilts it by hand or machine. I think its still homemade. And the idea comes from the soul, so its really homemade. :)

the one thing I will say is that the top still had to be pieced. Would you think that you didn't "make" the quilt if you sent it to a long armer to quilt? Someone still put all the work into making the top and a LOT of people send their tops out to be quilted. I'm not one of them (too cheap) but I don't think it's cheating.

I'm on the fence as to where "cheating" begins.

Then call me a cheater. :D But it does still take talent to find or create the proper design for each block, choose the correct colored thread and placement of the designs for each individual quilt. And the computer still does not replace all the custom work done on those intricate quilts. But the computer does do a wonderful job on End-to-End designs, borders and repeated block designs.

No, because some human had still quilted it. I just think when a machine does it all by itself it's cheating.

Oh, I agree and the computer does do a wonderful job. I guess I should quit being a "quilting snob" :) MY son has a friend whose wife quilt and she does EVERYTHING by hand. Must take her a year or more on one quilt. But she only considers it a "real Quilt" if everything is done by hand. Oh well to each his own, such is the spice of life.

I don't consider it cheating at all. It's just a different method. For many of us, we don't have much of a choice. I've never heard of a machine that quilts on it's own, but if I could have one I would! I work, care for my grandson, run the house,take care of the garden, etc. etc. I have carpal tunnel and hand arthritis. I'm lucky to get the piecing done, never mind the quilting. I send mine to a LAQ - I just can't do them myself.

When I hear someone say it isn't a real quilt or it's cheating if it has been quilted by machine I say: Tell that to the quilt judges that award thousands of dollars and the best quilt ribbons to the quilters that enter not real quilts.

I don't really consider it cheating, but I am more a purest. For me I don't see the point of embroidery machines that you can turn on program and walk away from it, why not just buy the premade embroidery and sew it on around the edges, nor do I see the point in computer programs that will quilt your quilts, even though yes they still have to guide it. But I know the people that do the computerized embroidery and quilting love the computerized stuff, and for them it is great, especially if they do it as a business.

I am actually a computer geek, but for me it is not for sewing. I do love designing my labels on computers, but I am designing them, not using a template.