Embroidery - hand or machine?

I think the answer is both, because each has it's own beauty and use.  For instance, I bought a home-made cushion cover in a local charity shop purely because I think it is lovely; it is hand-embroidered with little shisha mirrors and satin stitch, back stitch, buttonhole stitch.   The dye from the thread had run when it was washed which I expect is why it was given away because it is so lovely, and the running dye adds to it's charm, making the person who washed it human (or the person who dyed the threads).

Then you've got machine embroidery like these leaves I made last year:

Machine lace leaves 

©Christine Linton

I've always loved hand embroidery and I have found I love it even more now because I can use it as embellishment in new ways; I also learnt to control machcine embroidery much better.  Another textile artist with some very useful information on machine embroidery is Linda Matthews - see this link for using the decorative stitches on your sewing machine and how to get the best effects with them.