From the perspective of someone totally new to quilts (no family background either), if it wasn't for the newer methods I wouldn't do it at all. One reason is I abhore hand sewing. Hate it. My least favorite part of quilting is binding the gosh darn thing. I don't applique for the same reason (but will look into machine applique at some point in the future). I also couldn't imagine cutting all that fabric straight and square without the use of our friend the rotary cutter.

I agree to a point with IzaQuilter about the feeling of 'cheating' if you sent a quilt out to be long arm quilted; however, my domestic machine can't handle the 16" blocks on my CA King quilt. I'm also new so until my free motion skills get better I'm not going to tackle anything too complicated and ruin a lovely piece.

Sue

I don't think "new" is always better. I enjoy some of the modernized tools like the rotary cutter (instead of using sissors) and I like the flat rulers to use to cut things with.
I also enjoy using my treadle machine and my older Singer sewing machines.

I think it depends on the person and what part of quilting they enjoy.

My mother always ssid "machine quilting really isn't quilting". I love to hand quilt, but I have decided after seeing many of your examples of machine quilting, to learn to machine quilt. I won't tell my Mom. She passed away a few weeks ago so I don't think she will know.

When I was young and my grandmother got her treadle sewing machine she started sewing her quilt tops on her sewing machine.She still quilted them by hand, by choice.I'm pretty sure if rotary cutters had been around then,she would have snapped one up. Did that make her too modernized? All the ladies in her sewing circle started doing this too. The ladies that didn't have a treadle machine yet,well the the ones that did shared theirs. I do think the quilting contest do need to be in separate sections. But I don't think there is no moderniazation. I'll just bet that my granny would be one of the first in line to snap up a microwave oven,she was a "modern" lady,evolving all the time.

I think all of the new gadgets are wonderful for quilters, especially those of us who would never have attempted to make a quilt 'the old way'.

IMHO it is wonderful that the quilting world is exploding with new quilters of young ages all the way to 'seniors'.

warm quilt hugs, sue in CA

My grandmother went to work when she was 14 y.o. to be a live-in caretaker to the children of a man (who became my grandfather) and his eight children.

They married and had 14 children. Yes, he fathered 22 children and all but three of them lived to adulthood.

My GM made quilts by hand and eventually did some piecing on her tredle machine. Her hand quilting was amazing. My mom and my aunt used to sleep under the quilting frame (it was hung above their bed on pullies). To hear my aunt's tell the story if the stitches were larger than 12 to the inch or not straight, her daughters had to take them out and redo them.

A few years ago when I worked as a national educator for Pfaff Sewing Machine Co. men used to make comments about how the embroidery was cheating, etc. I finally started responding, "My grandmother raised 19 children, if she could have done this automatically, I assure you she would have." That usually shut them up!

I have no problem with modern technology. I am employed outside the home and have little spare time. I took a hand piecing class once at the urging of my quilt guru. By the 3rd class she said, "You were right. You're not a 'hand' person. You're more of an instant grafitication type of quilter."

I have severe authritis in my hands and fibromyalgia. Last week I made yo-yo's for the first time because I was able to buy the yo-yo makers to 'hold' the fabric for me. I had great fun, but I won't be making a yo-yo quilt! I'll be embelishing purses and wearable art that are machine made!

Peggy