By hand or by machine?

I have so enjoyed reading several blogs about the joys and peace that come with hand quilting.  I have to agree.  I started as a hand quilter and I loved that part of the process more than piecing -- until I got a new machine and then I couldn't say the same.  It became about the piecing and production and creativity. 

About the same time, arthritis decided to make handquilting a little more uncomfortable but I have to say that I can't really blame my move to machine quilting only on that.  I have quilted a lot of quilts on my Bernina but the "production" that comes with a longarm cannot be beaten.  To quilt a quilt in a day is still amazing to me and frees up so much more time for piecing!

This quilt is next to the last quilt I hand quilted.  It was for a niece who was graduating from college and was a University of North Carolina fan extraordinaire.  She still lives and breathes them -- especially during March Madness (note block in lower right corner of the top picture). 

I remember this quilt well because I had relocated to Chicago and was living alone downtown while we sold our home and business -- and it is what I turned to during September, 2001 as I watched TV in horror feeling very far away from my family and safety.  So -- quilts bring comforts in many ways and sometimes it's to the person working on them.  That is definitely the case with this one.

So -- I hope you are continuing to piece and quilt and be creative -- and to find comfort in the process, Jan