I find I can be more precise by hand in matching corners, handling curves, etc. Just a lot more control. It takes a lot longer but the results are worth it. Also portable and good for airplane rides which I do a lot of in my work. Great for my mental health :-)

I agree handwork is very therapeutic. Unfortunately, it's anti-therapeutic to my arthritic hands and wrists, and so I have to limit how much I do. But if I want something to take a long, I take the embroidery I'm doing on some of my quilt blocks. For that, I just throw the already hooped piece into a plastic shopping bag along with my folding scissors, a needle, and floss, and I'm off.

EPP is abreviation for English Paper Piecing
and GFG is abreviaton for Grandmothers Fower Garden

I hand pieced a quilt for one of my daughters several years ago while traveling in the big rig with my hubby. I just cut all the pieces and took everything in a tote bag and it was ready to quilt when I got home. She love it.

I recently hand pieced a wall hanging that I started approx 10 years ago. Well it is finished -- all but the binding. I am in the process of hand quilting it too. I picked this up when I was off work for 3 months due to major surgery. I have not been one for handwork because I love sitting at my sewing machine, however, I found hand stitching to be relaxing, a good way to pass a lot time away.
I am going on a Ladies Church retreat next month and plan to have something to hand stitch to take along.

So enjoy the slower pace and see if you like it.
Chris

i love hand piecing ...goes with you everywhere...doctor appts...waiting for someone ....camping... etc...

That's all I used to do. Years ago my sister told me it was worth more when hand quilted. So from start to finish I cut, sewed and quilted. Loved it. But it hurts my wrist too much now. So now I machine sew and quilt. But I still do some hand quilting. I do find myself hurrying more to finish a quilt now that I'm machine sewing it, rather than taking my time hand quilting. And hand or machine, all the quilts are worth more than money.

I absolutely, teetotally MUST have something to do with my hands!!!! So any type of handwork is a blessing to me!! it is much cheaper than traditional therapy!!! Tee Hee

Like Lindagor, I too paper pieced a Grandmother's Garden quilt top, most of it while sitting in the back seat of the car on the way to Penn. while husband and son did the driving.
Some seams are too short to sew on a machine, just think of all the wasted thread from starting and stopping. With needle and thread in hand, the mind needs to concentrate on the job and puts troubles and worries out of sight for a little while. And time heals everything.
Idle hands are the devil's workshop, anyone ever hear that before? Keep on stitiching.
Carol J.

I DID A ENGLISH PAPER PIECE 6 POINTED STAR QUILT - KING SIZE-AND IT WAS SO EASY, GREAT FOR DOING IN HOSPITALS AND AIRPORTS. I Almost always hand quilt my quilts--it's a great sense of accomplishment when you're through.