Truth be told......I don't measure my sashings or borders. I just sew them on and snip them off at the end.

Oh, I forgot this one! I do this too! They are never short or wavy!!

Ok - I DO have a new one that no one else has mentioned. Although I don't have many visitors, I do allow smoking in my house. The SHAME!!!! of that one. The quilts and fabric do have their separate room, however. I used to be like Miss Meticulous but have relaxed in my old age. I used to want everything perfect. Now I just want things done so I can start the next one. (Kinda compulsive that way - I do finish things) I've been doing this for so long that those little missed points add up to nothing for me and for the most part they are right on anyway. I don't wash the fabric first. I wash the quilt with some vinegar. Works for me. Yes, the bindings are always hand stitched and the quilting is done by hand 98% of the time. The good part ?? We all get to choose how we do it!

When I was selecting fabrics for my first big quilt, the Quilt Police at the LQS informed me most emphatically that I could not mix prints with cream backgrounds with those that were white. I just said "Hmm, really?" , then bought what I wanted. Every scrappy quilt since then has both white and off-white fabrics.

I sure do like this thread I too am guilty of many of these things but I never thought other quilters were. I have never shown any of my work on this board because I thought everyone else pretty much followed the rules. I cannot absolutely cannot completly follow a pattern and am always taking shortcuts got so tired of miscuts that I started using my scissors to cut

I don't prewash, I attach binding with machine stitch on both sides, I sometimes use cotton thread on top with polyester in the bobbin and I dont press my seams open.

I mix fabrics, often placing LQS fabric right next to WalMart fabric.

Was showing my daughter how to hem sleep shorts, this afternoon. "I'm gonna explain the right way to do this, then I'll show you how I do it." She agreed my way is easier/faster, therefore better. :D

I'm another, who seldom changes the needle. If it breaks or bends, it gets changed. For some unexplained reason, this has never caused me any problems.

I guess it's my turn to admit the unruly things I do. I do size my blocks as I go along but never size my finished quilt
before binding. I mix store bought material with cut up pieces from barely used cloths. I never change my needle unless
it starts a clicking sound ,are thread starts to break a-lot. I use surger thread most of the time even though I have
other kinds but there in smaller size so don't use them as much. I do prewash and starch. I smoke my cig.'s while I work ,there's always a ash tray nearby. I do wash all my quilts after they are binded before storing are given away.
I also use sheets for my backings and Blankets for my batting most of the time cause they cost me less.
I pretty much do what I want to do and I have fun doing it..

sheets for backing - yup, yup, yup. I make quilts for the high school grads from my small church. I've known these kids all their lives and seldom have a teen aged boy who I think will take care of his quilt. So I happily make them from fabrics I've collected on sale and back them with sheets. The love is still there, but if the quilt is lost the first week it's gifted - no pain! Well, a little, but I don't usually find out about it anyway.

Edited to say: I took over this joyful chore from a lady who made quilts for the grads for many years. She's over 100 years old now and unable to sew. My kids graduated in 1998 and 2000. Their quilts from her are still in use - both backed with sheets, made with big blocks, no batting (summer quilts), birthed instead of bound - the quilt police who take this lady in if you told! But ... much love went in them and the day the quilts are laid out for gifting it's a Big Deal - then and now.

You have no idea how much this thread has given me (a new quilter) a boost! I'm a bit like MacThayer - a tad obsessive/compulsive too...

I look at everyone's hammered, uneven, unwashed, sheeted, unmeasured, scissor cut, pet haired, smoky, polyester quilts and see them as perfect.
My absolute favourite is BellaBoo and the glued seams - hilarious.
Since I joined this board I'm slowly relaxing and have even stared a new project without finishing the last one and am also guilty of hacking at a lumpy point with a pair of scissors to make it lie flatter. Where will it end? :D

No one has to worry about the quilt police, they are quite busy at my house. I have cut away at lumpy stuff, hammered, starched, ironed and even said a bad word or three to get a quilt done. I smoke outside but I don't always wash my hands when I come back in......shhh.......I have used fabric from every place that sells fabric even some that was bought before we moved to Texas and that was in 1974......I could'nt tear it so i figured it was still good. This is just great, finally I can be myself.

I don't do anything with the Quilt Police because I don't tell them where I live. If they don't know my address, they can't find me!

a friend on another board posted this: how true - "is this going to someone who sews? if not, then she probably won't notice" :D

I have done most of the above. I once made a kit and ruined a bit of the fabric. I needed one or two squares of one of the fabrics and did not have enough. I took some of the larger pieces of scrap and sewed another scrap to the edge., pressed it and then cut the squares out. The sewn on piece was in the seam allowance. It was a bit bulky but I made it work. I use Rotary blades far beyond their useful life. I don't change my needle near enough. I save way to many scraps. I start too many things when I have not finished WIP.

Everything!

I always use clear monofiliment thread on top and an Ecru-colored thread on the bottom of my free-motion quilting. I always pick backing fabric that the Ecru thread will blend with. (If you can't see my stitches, the quilting looks fabulous!) All of my piecing is done with the same neutral beige/grey thread.

Three kinds of threads in the same colors... that's it. I'm too cheap to go out and buy different colored threads to match each color of fabric in the quilt.

You make me feel so much better! The Quilt Police would simply be told where to go, same as the fashion police. I sew to get I want, anyway. I've done most of that stuff once, and will probably keep on doing it. I read somewhere that if a quilt doesn't have a mistake, the devil gets into it.

About hammering seams - tailoring has a tool called a clapper just for that purpose!

Mixing poly with cotton? I've never seen and gingham except for poly/cotton blend. Even from years ago. I'd like gingham for some baby quilts. I've done heirloom and had to use batiste from Hancocks rather than cotton batiste.
You can put those blocks in quilts, too.

This thread is so funny. But, it sure has made me feel that I am not so bad afterall. If, I like it and am ok with a quilt when finished, then ok off to another. I like fast and fun. I HATE to rip, so I will do whatever it takes not to. I am pretty darn good at making it work/fit. Binding by machine, you bet ya. Squaring up blocks? Only if I really have to.
Someday I will learn how to square up a quilt and finish off the end of the binding correctly. I have made many quilts and no one who received one has complained yet. But, if the quilt police show up, I am in big trouble.

Isn't it just fun to buck the system of "you can't"? Those words are music to my ears. More often than not, I can if I want to!

What do I do that would bring the Quilt Police? Easy. I offer them room and board for free...except here they're called the Quality Control Department.

They live in my studio, are strictly barred from the rest of the house, and every so often I bring them something to stamp "Rejected" on. I take those items back, fix them, and all is well. It makes the QC people feel worthwhile and keeps my feet firmly planted in reality. I wouldn't ever want to quilt without them. :)

I toss my clipped threads on the floor and just sweep them all up when I'm done, or when the floor looks like it's covered with a thread rug.
My first few quilts had pieces that were in themselves pieced because I had cut them too short. And my seams or points don't ALWAYS match.
And I've not mastered the art of always pressing seams to the 'dark' side and having the seams alternate when putting pieces together.

Phyllis
QuiltingGrannie
Quilter's Pantry

I HOPE THEY ARE NOT WATCHING/SCANNING THIS POST.
I do everything my way.
Do not follow ANY rules.
J J

I think I've done all of these things at least once. Some I didn't realize were no-nos. Best thing I've found to keep the quilt police away is keeping my door locked. LOL. :)

You name it I have done all of it. My GD loves every one I give to her. And so does the rest of the family. So I guess I will continue in the same mode. joyce j

ANY & ALL of the above, but most of all - I quilt "FOR ME". I don't care if anyone else likes it, loves it or wants it. And I NEVER lose sleep over my quilting (unless I'm up sewing). I have always taken parts from one quilt and used on other quilts. I will make a quilt the size I want, so my math on a block is only SO/SO. Yet it always works out, because I will use the same measurements through. So the size of my blocks may not be just so, but it works and I have ALWAYS thought about our Grandmothers and Great Grandmothers - what did they know about measurements? They eyeballed each quilt - most of the time using ONLY what they had on hand - they couldn't run down to the LFS or LQS. So I'm more of a make do quilter.

My friend Claudia says: If you can't see it while passing by on a galloping horse then no one will ever notice it either!

I have probably committed everything that anyone has mentioned. After more than 40 years of quilting the most important thing for me is that the project is completed. No quilt is of use if it is only half finished. If I were to make perfection I would probably have a had time parting with it. I make at least 20 simple child sized quilts for our local Linus Chapter each month. I don't think the children care if they are perfect it just gives them something to hold on to while they are going through one of the most scarey times in their life.

I love this thread. Just remember, in all of our "imperfectness", we create beautiful quilts. Those ladies during the civil war didn't worry about not doing something perfect and look how we cherish their work and it is priceless today!!

What a great thread. Sometimes I get concerned when I see the perfect quilts on display. BUT, I have decided that they are beautiful to look at and mine are beautiful too. Made with love and fun. Good enough for me.

Just made me giggle..I do that too!

Yes, me too!! I've been so intimidated by thinking all of you did such beautiful error free quilts!! Thank you, thank you! My husband even thanks you!! He is tired of me pointing out every little flaw when he says the quilt is beautiful.

I actually saw Fons & Porter do this on one of their shows a few years ago!

my SIL told me many years ago that the goal of quilting was completion not always perfection. I have held earnestly to that idea.

What a great BIL! My appreciation and thanks for his service as well as the countless others. Thank you all...

Not one of my quilts are perfect, they reflect me and how I am.....
this is a great site.
http://lavieenrosie.typepad.com/lavi...ect-quilt.html

Thanks for this link! It really puts things into perspective, doesn't it? Nothing I make is perfect. I strive to at least make it look good. My MIL is the most pickiest, critical person I know BUT. . . everything I have ever gifted her gets Oohs and Ahhs and she just keeps telling me over and over, "you do such beautiful work". She proudly shows off everything to all of her local friends (who can be on the snobby side too). She mails pictures to her sister and her friends that live out of state. I can always see my flaws but that is because I know they are there and that I just didn't feel like ripping out that crooked seam or I didn't want to fix it so I didn't lose my points. I know that no matter how flawed I see my projects, someone else just sees it for what it is: a beautifully made item made by me especially for them!

Glad to know I'm in good company. At one time or another, probably done one of just about any of the above. Biggest one is attaching binding by machine, followed by "tugging" to get seams to match:o

WOW, I better watch out for them then because I do about all of these. Some of my squares that I have cut are not exact, but close to it and I figure during the Civil War they didn't have rotary cutter and the things that we have now to make things SO much easier.
I roll my squares of 24 and that way when I get to them the seams are already folded down without ironing. I always cut towards myself and my one finger is still paying for that. lol I have not had bowed strips yet, crossing my fingers.
I am glad that I seem this post.

I cut all 1,700+ pieces of the Double Wedding Ring quilt I am working on now with scissors. Using very patterned and bright colored fabrics. Do I hear knocking on my door? If so, I will hand them a broom and a dish rag. They can clean house while I go about sewing and having fun MY WAY!
Oh and bindings...I love to sew on bindings. Maybe I should start a binding business. LOL

As a newbie here, I feel right at home. I have been very close to getting a quilting ticket MANY times. A few years ago I joined an online quilting challenge. We were to choose a technique we had never done before. I chose the curved seams of the drunkards path. I am also a "match-y match-y girl" as in all my fabrics have to be perfectly color matched. The fabrics I received as part of the challenge were horrible. No two fabrics would ever have crossed my doorstep and no two even were close to "going together". But I did the challenge...doing the best I could. A small wall hanging using the 45 five in squares and it turned out beautiful. I am proud of my seams and putting together these horrid fabrics. Now, if I like the fabric I get it. Binding sewn to the back by hand? Show me the stone where that rule is carved in.
Sew on with pride oh happy quilters, perfection or not....we are making the heirlooms of the future.
Leave donuts by the front door, the quilt police will not get past them!