Thanks so much to everyone who offered their thoughts last week on hand quilting versus machine quilting. If you haven’t read the comments, I highly recommend that you take a look.

Hand quilting on my Ducks in a Row quilt.

I loved Melinda’s observation that “it isn’t a quilt until it is quilted,” and PioneerValleyGirl’s comment, “I don’t see how the handpiecing can be wasted, except perhaps by languishing unfinished.” This makes a lot of sense to me! If attempting to hand quilt this means that I might not ever get it done, then machine quilting it probably IS the better choice!

I was just telling some students in my quilting class yesterday that they shouldn’t worry too much about the “rules” — as far as I’m concerned if it’s their quilt they should do what they want. I should take my own advice!

I love that you focused on the importance of this being a joint project between me and my dad. That’s what I’m so excited about too!

Machine quilting on my Zen Quilt.

When my dad finishes the quilt and sends it to me, I’ll have a look at it and decide then what I’m going to do. I’m going to let the design make the decision for me. As Michelle put it, “there are just some things that are done better with machine quilting.” And there are some things that are done better with hand quilting. I will choose a design that complements the piecing. If that requires machine quilting, then it will be machine quilted. If it requires hand quilting, then it will be hand quilted.

I’ll sum up the entire discussion with this quote from Bobbie23nc who said, “I say it’s the love in the stitches that really matters.”

Amen, Bobbie, amen.