Thanks!

Thank you! I do the same as you. I machine piece the ones that I know will get a lot of use. But I haven't machine quilted much other than miniatures and baby quilts. Usually hand quilt those too. I need more practice on machine quilting. I get a lot of shoulder pain when I do it from shifting the fabric around under the needle.

I have hand quilted 8 quilts (out of 44) that I have made in the past 8 years. I did a little outline quilting on a 4 patch posy and the others were just following the shape of the blocks and stitching 1/2" from the edge of a shape. I would like to do more intricate stuff but have not had someone show me a good marking technique. Scared to death to try this fancy stuff, though I would love to. I too do not sit in front of a tv empty handed. In the summer I mostly knit and crochet small projects, but come fall, I love to hand quilt...simple as my designs are, I still love it!

Hi, I don't use a big floor frame. I can't get much done and it takes up too much room. Instead, I assemble a couple rows at a time, hand quilt it and then attach the pieces together when all are quilted. its much easier and not so bulky on your lap untill you do the last row and the binding and that don't take that long. Notice the butterflies in rows of 2. Then I attach them.

Pretty flowers. It certainly is a good hobby to have. I used to have a bunch of friends that gossiped for a hobby, and I got bored with them. Best to do something wonderful and productive like we have chosen.

Incredibly beautiful work! Keep doing it, no matter that you don't get praise and credit... future generations will know. Frankly (and I know this is going to alert the quilt police), I think machine quilting has gone too far, just because we can, and many times the quilting patterns either fight with or overpower the piecing or applique work. Overdone is overdone, whatever the medium, and quilting is no exception. I realize I'm swimming against the current here, but c'est la vie. Whole cloth quilting is one thing, but where you have a pieced or appliqued top, that should be the main focus, not the quilting. Ok, I've had my rant now. :lol:

I agree. A lot of the machine quilted ones , I hardly notice the piecing or applique.

I hand quilt because I find it relaxing. But now that I have a new machine I am going to have a go at machine quilting. Hand quilting - machine quilting I admire it all and there are beautiful exquisite quilts done in either method.

Ha ha ha! I think there are a lot of us out there. The big machine companies sponsor everything so of course they are pushing to sell those things and brain wash everyone to think thats the way to go. It is actually if you want to whip them out and make a blanket for everyone, but if you want an heirloom quilt, you need to do it like quilts were meant to be done in the first place. Some of the intricate designs done with the machine that are so artfully done is a different thing. Thats a work of art too, but not in my mind a quilt as we know them. Like this pink cadilac I saw at the Sisters quilt show is a work of art in my mind, not a quilt per say.

I hand quilt all the time. Back in the early 90' I quilted a quilt by the block like you discribed in your thread but I really didnt think I know what I was doing, but according to you it must be a great way to quilt, so I guess even tho I didnt know it at the time it was ok. Here is one of my hand quilted quilts and the quilting is nothing compared to yours. Yours are all absolutely beautiful.