Although hand stitching creates the overall textures of quilts, it is almost invisible on some vivid, highly patterned fabrics.

The structures are formed by Wilson from computer-mediated scans of lace fragments that are manipulated and re-materialized in lace by hand stitching.

Other work can range from $5 to $65 for "hand stitching of a delicate item," he said.

The reason, he and other proponents say, is hand stitching's looseness, which lends it more give than machine stitching.

I found where the hand stitching was around the lower left hand edge, picked at the thread and pulled it out of the fabric.

Ornamentation on the wall quilt by Elizabeth A. Busch combines painting with machine sewing and tiny hand stitching.

He totally adorns luxurious fabrics, & loves to twist it with unexpected details such as hand stitching and intriguing accents to add dimension & personality to each piece.

And no longer tied to the tradition of hand stitching, they are using the sewing machine for part - and sometimes all - of the work.

More than 30 styles of hand stitching are available ($12.50 to $40), all done by women at his Brooklyn factory.

Some machines even replicate hand stitching, for example Sashiko or running stitch quilting.