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.

Maybe that is what it all boils down to. Some people like gadgets and some people don't. Everyone has their own level of "gadget love". I have a friend who won't use a cake mix, but loves her Kitchen Aid mixer. To her it's "cheating" to make a cake from a mix, but not to use a nice mixer.

That makes me happy that the machine will just do it on its own, happily buzzing away. Ehh, let her enjoy her toy. Cheaper than sending to a longarm.

Maybe it is all about the Kitchen Aid, I love mine. But still use brownie mix. For me it is what taste the best. Sorry for getting off topic.

"Cheating" gives a negative connotation. Quicker, easier, perhaps but not cheating. To imply cheating that means rules are being broken. There are no rules, no police. Now if this person was trying to pass off a computerized machines work as hand done or entered in a show under hand quilted, that would be a different story. People who use the word cheating are obviously in the mind set that quilting must be hand done. I have to say, if our great grandmother had machines or the machines we do today, I think 99% of them would have used them!

I know, but hey it gets completed. for me that's a good thing. i have tons of "tops".
i used to say i'd never have one quilted for me. been there, done that. not by a computerized machine yet, but.....

Oh, my! I didn't mean to open a can of worms. HMM wonder where that phrase comes from

Those of us who use knitting machines also get the "cheating" label. Believe me, we may get it done faster, but it's still work to use the machines. We have to move the carriage each row, do the shaping manually and in some cases, do the patterning manually. It's still knitted by you!

I have no problem with any method that gets the result desired. I have a problem with misrepresentation...as long as there is full disclosure and credit given, I'm okay.
Some use terms loosely...handmade and homemade, for example, don't mean the same to me...so, I'd like to hear handguided or computerized. There's no "cheating" involved when there's full accurate disclosure.

I always hand quilt, but not because I consider machine quilting "cheating"--it's because I really love traditional quilts and patterns and--no offense, y'all--I just don't like the overall auto-quilted look of most machine quilting. I certainly appreciate ALL the work--designing, planning, piecing, and quilting (by whatever method)--that goes into every quilt, and I *do* machine-piece often on my old Kenmore. It's just the look of the stitches: I prefer the look of hand quilting.

Having said that, I did just buy and read a copy of Harriet Hargrave's _Heirloom Machine Quilting_ because hey, I'll never live long enough to create all the quilts in my head if I don't find a way to speed up the process somehow!

imho, If you can set a program and walk away or you send it out to be quilted - then you pieced it but you didn't quilt it and the label should reflect that. You shouldn't claim it as your work if you didn't do it.

Cheating or exploring new ways :D:D:D

I wonder what quilters from the past would think about seam rippers, rotary cutters, rulers, stencils and all of the other gadgets that we commonly use now :D:D:D

I have an embroidery machine as I cannot do handwork anymore... I machine quilt for the same reason. I would love a long arm, but not necessarily a computerized one like that quite yet...but maybe in the future when I could no longer use the LA :wink: I will evolve and adapt to be able to keep doing what I love to do :D:D:D

As long as quilting remains popular, does it really matter whether it is all done by hand, or part of it, or none? As long as the interest is still out there, this art form will not die away...and this is a good thing, right? I was drawn into quilting by seeing some of the newer quilts/methods/fabrics...and NOW I have a better appreciation of quilting in it's entirety :D:D:D

Whether you are using a computerized machine that is "doing its own thing" or not, there is still work and knowledge involved in getting it to that point. Same thing with machine embroidery. It's not as simple as hooping fabric, setting the machine to sew a design and walking away, leaving the machine on its own. As a matter of fact, I never leave my embroidery machine unattended while it's doing a design; too many things can go wrong.

I don't think I would like the totally computerized quilting, but I think the word "cheating" may be misplaced. To each his own, I say!

I have an embroidery machine. Is it "Cheating" to use it instead of hand doing it? or instead of guiding the regular sewing machine to do it? NO, it is just another way to do it. Each to their own as to what they like.

Well said, that is exactly how I feel. Just did not know how to put it into words, always afraid I will offend someone. Thank you.

I used a cheater fabric years ago. added borders and hand quilted it all. I still love it. the colors mainly are what got to me. and the cheater cloth wasn't on the grain. the print was off a tiny bit so if you look at that, you could tell it wasn't pieced right away.
i have more but will use those as backings on lap quilts i have planned.

I did my first quilt (in my avatar) totally by hand, piecing and quilting. My second, a wall hanging, I did by machine. I love the hand work but it took me forever to do it and I want to be able to get more done in a shorter time, so I'm learning to use the machine to do them. My goal is to make one every month or six weeks or so to give to a chemo patient.

Baby, if I had the money and the room I would certainly do large, biggy BIG quilts like that. That way I could do the lap quilts by hand. I do not consider that to be cheating.

I've decided there can be no "cheating" if there are no rules being broken.

For a contest, a person must do whatever is required. All done by hand, all done by machine, or whatever the case may be.

For everything else, a person must do whatever is fun for them. If sewing every stitch by hand is fun for you, do it. If playing with all the fancy gadgets is fun for you, do it.

Once things quit being fun, why bother?

I myself prefer that the quilting not be done by computer. I still like and prefer the idea of quilting it by hand-guided machine, on a frame and all. Especially for quilts being shown, I think it should be specified by hand guided machine or computerized. If it gets too "mechanical", we might as well go out and buy a commercially manufactured quilt. I think most people would not object to a computer quilted quilt. But I wouldn't like to tell someone "I quilted it", since it was not my developed skill. I would feel compelled to say "I programmed the computer that quilted it". Just IMHO.

I think many women are plain jealous of others who own these machines and can use them with the skill they do...including computer guided systems. I know I am!! What I'd do for a long arm!

Splitting hairs can keep going...maybe I'm cheating at being a good wife and mother by using a washer. Maybe I should be at the creek bashing clothes with rocks. Women are full of guilt because of the pressures we put on ourselves. Where do you draw the line? "Quilts aren't quilts that aren't all hand done." "Quilts aren't quilts unless you hand quilt them, but piecing on machines is o.k." "It's cheating if you piece and quilt on a machine." Then it's "cheating if the machine work is computerized but a long-arm is fine..." Everyone has an opinion and a preference I guess. It's a hobby and I'm going to try to collect the best and most expensive toys and have a heck of a time playing with them.

Well, all I can say is that this woman isn't welcome at my house.

:lol: :lol:

I don't believe this is true for most. I think it is just a "preference", which is ok.

I think most of us on the board are always excited, supportive and happy and share in the joy when someone gets a new toy. And I mean toy in the nicest way. I call my new external hard drive my new toy.

For me personally I don't care as much for the look of a overall machine quilted quilt as I do for hand quilted, but that is just my preference. It doesn't mean I don't appreciate people that like doing machine quilting on computerized machines. Some people also just plain like the process of hand work. I love piecing on my Bernina, but hand quilt and applique, which I have been doing all day today.

I am a computer geek and have spent many hours on all types of computers, I also know what can go wrong with these machines that is not easily repaired or if it can be repaired the cost that is involved. Which actually I can afford but would rather spend money on other things, but that is also my preference. But like I say that is me and thats ok.

Pam 1966, I love it. :-D :lol:

It amazes me to see these machines. I saw a tutorial and all you do is select the pattern, tell the machine the corners of the block and the machine does everything to size and adjust it to be centered and gougeous.

I guess is not cheating unless there is a competition. It just adds more wood to the fire of the forever discussion of when can quilts be judge together or if a separate categoty must be made. I for one would not want to sit by machine and struggle with my huge quilt and be judge in the same group as someone who just "told" the machine what to do.

Besides the side of competition, as long as the quilt is finished, is fine with me. It opens the door to people with serious health conditions and can not stand for long periods of time or can not hold a needle due to arthritis, to be able to still call a quilt finished.

Hmmm - if you don't quilt your tops, how can you call yourself a quilter? A piecer, a patchworker yes, but a quilter no.

That is the cheating part - those who call themselves quilters, who never actually quilt.

That's not really fair and I have to take exception to your statements. I don't like disagreeing with people, but in this case I have to speak up. Many of us, because of time constraints, or health issues (or both) simply cannot do the quilting. Not that I personally wouldn't like to, but it's near impossible. If that's cheating, then how can one say "I've done the laundry" when the clothes are put into a machine and said machine does all the work? Is that cheating? How can we say we've done the dishes, when in fact, a machine washed them? It goes on and on. I admire and respect those who do their own quilting whether on a machine or by hand. I think those of us who do not/ cannot ought not be judged!

Machine quilting is not cheating and this is comming form someone who hand quilts most of her quilts. I think that there are many different methods out there and hand quilting is one and so is machine quilting. Doing things different ways is what keeps life interesting,

I think that's a bit harsh.

Most people who don't do this don't even know that there are two separate processes- making the quilt tops and then quilting them. They think of it as all lumped into one. I've posted pictures of quilt tops that I've done on Facebook, and later I've talked to someone and they ask about it- when I tell them I'm quilting it they say "Oh, I thought you were done!"

So even if someone NEVER actually does the quilting on a quilt top they've completed, I think it's perfectly okay for them to call themselves quilters.

My statement was meant to be factual, not offensive or judgmental. I apologise to those who are offended. The laundry/dishes analogy is not relevant here, unless you label yourself a dishwasher or laundry worker. It's the label, not the process which is the issue for me.

I am a patchworker. I'm proud to be a patchworker and I aspire to one day being a quilter.

If I ever have someone else do the quilting on my pieced tops, it would not lessen my work on the quilt, but I would not be the quilter of that top. If I was to say I made the quilt, it would be true, if I say I quilted the quilt, it would be untrue.