Machine vs. Hand Sewing

Part of the reason I have never actually completed anything but baby quilts is that my grandmother taught me that quilts must be sewn entirely by hand.  When you’re talking about a small project, that’s not that big a deal.  I like hand sewing as much as the next girl.  But when it comes to an entire bed-sized quilt, well…I’ve been working on one for about ten years now.

Does anyone have any opinions about this?  Should quilts be sewn by hand?

Hi Kate,
I think it’s more important to complete the project rather than worry about how exactly it’s made. If you are trying to make a family heirloom, then hand-stitching might be nice but not if it’s going to slow you down too much. Maybe you can use a machine for two of the sides and finish the other two by hand?

I can sew a bit my hand, but I’m terrible at machine sewing. However, I can’t even imagine the amount of time and effort it must take to hand sew a full size quilt. If someone did that for me, I’d be afraid to use the thing for fear we’d accidentally damage it!

Hi Kate - I sew using both hand stitching and my sewing machine and I certainly think you should go ahead and use the machine for your quilt. I definitely agree with Dana and Holly on this!

Making a craft should be enjoyable and if you are not enjoying hand sewing the quilt - then do it on the machine. I don’t want to go against your grandmother - but perhaps she truly enjoyed hand sewing her quilts.