I agree about the relaxation you get from hand quilting, Coletta and I do on average one hand quilted quilt a year. I make a real mess of my index and middle finger under the quilt though - pinpricks and then really hard calouses! The rest of them I quilt on my ordinary machine, in-the-ditch mostly.
I don't think I'd ever send a quilt out to be quilted - no disrespect to those who do, but I would feel like I'd cheated in some way, not finishing it myself. I know this sounds mad but it's just the way I am!