For myself, the wonderful online instruction from people like Leah Day ,Wendy Butler Burns and Cindy Needham made the quilting process seem like something that I could manage to do myself. I am enjoying it so much that i can't imagine letting someone else have all the fun. Although if there was a spray basting service, I'd be all for it :-) .
It's great that what each of us enjoy is different because it would be boring to go to a quilt show and see a room full of my quilts all quilted and pieced the same as mine.

Well said, Siodach. The internet is changing the quilt world just as it has every other aspect of our lives. But, in this case IMO, it can be beneficial just as it has been in medicine. We quilters, whether purists who never have a machine touch any part of their quilt, or the most modern of us using all the new techniques and technology, create works of comfort and beauty. That is the end purpose of a quilt is it not? To bring beauty, art, to others while also proving warmth and tangible love. Someone has the word PIECEMAKER as part of their tag. With this board, in particular, we talk with others from all walks of life from all over the world. We support one another through trials and joys of life.
We are PEACEMAKERS who bring truth, love and light to everyone we touch; be it up close and in person or far flung.
I enjoy learning of quilting styles and customs from other lands. Our forefathers and foremothers would be amazed at what we are achieving.
So, enough rambling, it is wonderful that everyone is thus far, expressing their musing with acceptance. We celebrate our differences and know in our own heart, th. All aspects from pattern and pattern selection to the application of the binding is a process allowing us to be creative and practical just as our ancestors.
Quilters are overall an accepting lot. We tend to support the newbie---not "eat our young".
Keep up the good work everyone and enjoy your day.

I love every aspect of making a quilt from start to finish.

I'm right there with you. I don't take on anything too complicated for my skill level if it is a quilt for someone else, and I play around with techniques for myself. Some work, some don't. Some I like, some I don't. When I cut the last thread when it is done I get a feeling of satisfaction. I quilt on a DSM and have done some hand quilting when I feel like it.

Coffeecozy-I so agree with you. A basting service would be great as that is the process I don't like so well. Especially if the quilt is larger than a double. I do manage getting it done somehow and am finding tricks that are making it manageable and once it is all basted, I so like the FMG process. It's so relaxing FMGing my quilt and every quilt I do gets better. Am getting comments now like "you did that" and that is so encouraging. I know not everyone feels the same about FMGing and that is why we are all unique and have our own special things we enjoy. Good conversations on this topic.

I haven't been into quilting very long (couple of years) so I can't really say from first-hand experience how much the emphasis has changed. Judging from quilts my grandmothers made, though, it seems to be something quite modern and new. I realize it copies and mimics a lot of hand-quilting patterns, so it's more of a twist on an old technique rather than something brand new in the world.

I don't think it's all that surprising though; I think as technology become available to quilters, there will be rushes of techniques that flow through the quilting community as they become available.

I'm sure when the rotary cutter became a thing, it swept the quilting community like a brushfire. Anybody here still use a cardboard template and a pair of scissors to cut blocks? I remember my grandmother doing that, I bet she would have LOVED a rotary cutter in her day! My grandmothers both did hand embroidery on blocks in quilts they gave me; what would they have done if they'd had embroidery machines at their disposal? How would that have affected their quilt planning?

I wish my grandmothers were still around, I'd love to hear their opinions on FMQ quilting. I think they both would have liked how it looked, but I think only one of them would have wanted to start adding it to her quilts.

For myself...I'm not as concerned about creating a perfect quilt as I am about simply creating something with my hands for someone I love. 99% of my quilts are made for a specific person, and for me, the time I spend working on that quilt and thinking about that person are an integral part of quilting, so sending it off for someone else to quilt is not appealing to me. Maybe if it were a quilt for myself, but those are too valuable for practicing on! LOL

But I sure do like looking at those intricately quilted works of art at the shows. I will probably not ever reach that skill level myself, but that doesn't bother me. It's not necessary for my quilts to be works of art...I call them "hugs trapped in fabric" and there's no judging a hug; you just enjoy them. :)

I think there is more value placed on machine quilting than on the piecing now. I have viewed many quilts here on the board that are beautifully pieced and quilted on a long arm, and it seems to me, the quilting gets more remarks. I have just bought my first long arm and while I will use it on all my quilts, I do not expect to become an fabulous quilter. I personally do not like all the extreme quilting that is done on quilts. I have used plain lines of stitching on my quilts and think they have turned out great. I read blogs of some modern quilters and they do not ever use the fancy feathers and swirls all over their quilts and I find that very refreshing, and they do not use long arms either. I believe the focus on all the heavy quilting will pass and something else will begin, it's life and there is always change.

Thank you so very much for all of your insightful and thoughtful responses to my query. It does seem to be more based on personal preference and individual skill level. And most significantly I gather from this discussion we are a great and open-minded dedicated group of quilters, making it a life mission to bring happiness to our world. Thank you indeed. Keep on quilting.

I love all aspects of quilting, EXCEPT sandwiching the quilts, for some reason that part of the quilting process leads me to procrastinate getting my quilts ready to be quilted. I have even machine quilted 2 king size quilts on my DSM, which was very interesting, but I did it. If only I could find a little quilt fairy who would sandwich my quilts, I'd probably get a lot more quilted. LOL. That said, although some blocks have been around for years, making color and fabric choices can give a whole different look to a block, so something old can be made new again, it's all in how you look at it.

Dclutter said every thing I was going to say so, I will just say "ditto."