Question about quilting in general
 

Having read the extensive responses to the comment about quilting and quilt shows, made me think about quilting in general. Hence, I am starting to wonder has the quilting part of the quilting experience become more in vogue than the piecing part?
Of course that does not mean it is good or bad it just means different. I am wondering if the advances in technology have just naturally lent themselves to this new path? While no one has implied one aspect of the quilting process is better than the other, it does seem that the emphasis is on the quilting process. For example, at a recent quilt show, I counted many more long-arm quilting machine vendors than home sewing machine vendors. Also many more workshops and demonstrations dealt with quilting techniques, etc rather than piecing.
After all as a fairly new quilter, 3 years, the aspect I am struggling the most with is the quilting part. Hence, it does not seem surprising that quilting the quilt top appears more significant than piecing. Though, if I am honest I have been drawn, and still am, to quilting because of the piecing. But I understand as someone on this board previously noted, basic patchwork quilt designs have been around for ages and can only be changed so much, while machine and computerized quilting a quilt top are fairly new and still developing.
What is everyone else thinking about the shift of importance in the quilting experience? Again I am not making a value judgment. There is no need for this to be judgmental. There will always be room for anyone's personal preference. Anyone's choice will always be appreciated on its own merits, still some things become more in vogue than others. So is the same things happening in the quilting world?
Sorry this is so long.

Everyone has their own preferences....some love the piecing and send all their quilts out to be quilted. Some rush through the piecing to get to the quilting to make it a work of art. I have a cousin that loves the piecing and hand quilts all her tops. When she's hand quilting, she talks with God about all the things she can think of and asks for guidance. I ponder with him while I am ripping out seams. It's my quiet time.

Me, I like all of it, the piecing, and machine embroidery, and applique and quilting on my long arm. I would absolutely love to have the computer assist for the long arm, but I don't want to invest several more thousand dollars, so I mostly do pantographs. All of my quilts are loved and that's enough for me. If I make a really special top, I will consider sending it out to a good professional, but I find the price of over $600 for the quilting to be out of my price range right now.

I did notice at the Quilt festival in Houston that there were several new long arm manufacturers there this year. I believe this means there are more people quilting now and they believe there is a market for these new machines. Also, some of the manufacturers who have been around for many years, are really expensive. It's hard to believe that you have to pay anywhere from 15 to 25 thousand dollars for a long arm and it isn't computer assisted.

You still have to have a top to quilt. I don't see a whole lot more whole cloth quilts, so even though some quilts have more quilting, I think there's still a whole lotta piecing going on.
I like the entire process, including shopping & petting the fabric!
The thing I see more of is pictorial art quilts.

Because of being disable, it is difficult for me to do the quilting on larger quilts but that shouldn't stop me from still getting some enjoyment from piecing. But since I do mostly piecing now a day, I STILL consider myself a quilter.

I too love the whole process, from picking the pattern, buying the fabrics, to putting on the binding. I don't hand quilt anymore, unless its a small project. I love to piece, machine and by hand. I still consider myself a Quilter. I have been making quilts since the mid 70's. My children (4) and Grandchildren (10) know all the work that goes into making a quilt and love them. I don't worry about what will happen to the quilt tops that don't get quilted, I know they will get them quilted and love and appreciate them.

I love the whole process. The part I like the best is the designing. I think the quilting can make or break a beautifully pieced top. The advancement in technology has allowed more people to do the quilting which makes it the trend right now. Just like sewing machines made it easier for everyone to enjoy piecing a top! I can't wait to see what happens next!

I must say that the quilting part intimidates me. I know that is because I have not had enough practice especially with FMQ. I do the best I can and send some to an LAer.

But I love the designing (altho fabric selection also intimidates and frustrates me at times.) and piecing parts of the process. I love the math--even when it makes my head ache. I love working with fabric. I have always wanted to paint, but cannot draw worth a darn. Fabric allows me to stretch myself and create that picture--just not on canvas.

I am so happy that quilting has come back into vogue. I am seeing new ideas, new fabrics, innovation in every aspect and it excites me. There will always be the purists and those who never willingly colour inside the lines and I know I can learn something from every single one of them.

To me quilting is a lot like coloring, just like the person in the previous post...there is the design and then filling in the design. Piecing makes the lines, whatever the style, technique or inspiration and the quilting, longarm or hand effort, is designed and executed to highlight the design and artistically marry the top, filling and backing and create a beautiful whole. The problem is always balance and, like life in general, sometimes things get a bit wonky. Critics seem to always feel that that means you have to find something negative. I used to be a writer and one critic bashed his preview copy over the layout and never mentioned the content and it was mostly a book about content and directions...talk about missing the point. I get constructive criticism, but always finding something wrong because that is your calling...maybe you need to chill a bit?
The same thing holds true in quilting. Sometimes less is better, but it seems as though a lot of “ quilting technicians” feel that if there is a space it needs to be “filled” and suddenly a quilt becomes a battlefield between the two camps...maker v quilter. When I look at a quilt or anything that combines various elements to create a whole, I feel it should be harmonious and that does not preclude its being bold, even bodacious and incredibly complex, but when the “coloring” between the lines overpowers the initial design...then maybe this should have been a plain cloth quilt. I am in awe of what people are able to create by hand in stitching and dazzled by what these new longarm machines and their operator’s can produce, but when the background overpowers the foreground...you need to find another person to better interpret your vision.

Yes, I think the advances in technology do have a lot to do with the current popularity of and emphasis on the quilting stage of quiltmaking. The difference I see is that now the sky's the limit where the act of quilting is concerned. Amazingly elaborate quilting, which would be impractical from a hand quilting standpoint, or perhaps even from a DSM machine quilting standpoint, is now within everyone's reach because of the stand up machines. So I think it's natural that some people would gravitate to that as a new skill to acquire, and reach for new levels of artistry, and the impact of that would be seen in the quilt shows.

I think of the quilting stage of quiltmaking as a practical, utilitarian step necessary to turn a top into something that can be used and enjoyed. This is not to say that it can't be beautiful, but in my mind, the quilting is in service to the goal of creating a quilt. Or in other words, I piece a top because I want to end up with a quilt, and the way to get there is to quilt it. I don't piece a top because I want something to practice the art of quilting on.

I just love the look of hand quilting. The thing I like less about machine quilting (and I'm learning to machine quilt myself, because I know I can't finish all the quilts I would like if I stick to hand quilting), is that it doesn't have the lightness of hand quilting. There's twice as much thread being used, and there are no spaces between the stitches, which give such a unique effect. So heavily quilted machine quilted quilts, which are certainly the current trend, don't appeal to me personally the way elaborately hand quilted quilts do, although I am totally in awe of the skill level being demonstrated.