i try to follow the basic 'rules' for making a quilt. but if the rules get broken, i don't worry about it. none of my giftees are quilters, so they appreciate whatever they get.

My first rule for myself is to have fun. I quilt for the satisfaction of completing something beautiful. I don't think I have ever made or seen an ugly quilt. In January, I made a new rule for my self: "Don't start an new quilt until I get my UFO's Sandwiched, quilted and binding put on." How is that working out for me? Not! I love the piecing process, and on two occasions, I felt the need to make quilts for someone else. One for my cousin who was diagnosed with cancer and one for a baby shower. My UFO's still remain unfinished. I think this happens with most quilters.

My first rule for myself is to have fun. I quilt for the satisfaction of completing something beautiful. I don't think I have ever made or seen an ugly quilt. In January, I made a new rule for my self: "Don't start an new quilt until I get my UFO's Sandwiched, quilted and binding put on." How is that working out for me? Not! I love the piecing process, and on two occasions, I felt the need to make quilts for someone else. One for my cousin who was diagnosed with cancer and one for a baby shower. My UFO's still remain unfinished. I think this happens with most quilters.

Rule No 1 that I never break: I always close my rotary cutter after each cut. I never cut with the rotary cutter without a safety device for my fingers.

I wear shoes in my sewing room and when I'm sewing. I will not sew over pins. I don't pull my thread from the machine from the top, always from the needle. I won't use old bobbins. I guess these are my only do or don't sew at all rules I have for myself. Other rules are made up as I go or broken.

Have fun and don't sweat the small stuff.

I'm with you, BellaBoo! I observe nearly all of these, especially the safety stuff. However, I use my own standards for what is acceptable. I just finished machine quilting a queen size quilt for my bed - first time I've ever machine quilted a large quilt myself. I used my new HQ Sweet Sixteen and it's what I call "doodle quilted." I doodled freemotion, with something of a plan, but neither the designs nor the stitich sizes are totally consistent. I am really happy with it, and plan to enter it in a local display, but I will opt NOT to receive the jury notes as I'm sure they will have lots to say about how I could "improve" my next quilt. I know what is not perfect, but I'm accepting my own work. No, not work, PLAY!I plan to post a pic when I can figure out how to get a decent picture of it. It's too big to hang anywhere.

I do not always get a square block so I just twist and turn and stretch until I get it right

I have been thinking about this a lot, and I think I have very few rules. My main one seems to finish one quilt before I start another. I am pretty successful at that, and I KNOW that doesn't seem to be the rule of many quilters. I never have any UFO's though. :)

(I think this started back when I started teaching...45 years ago. I didn't have much money, and I made my own clothes. Teachers only get paid once a month, and my self-imposed rule was if I bought fabric, I had to have it sewn into a blouse, skirt, dress, or slacks by the next payday, otherwise I should have waited to buy it. The idea of any kind of a stash was foreign to me....not now though....I have learned the art of stashing. :) )

Dina

No rules for me - I just sew quilts I think I will like and usually end up giving them away. Very seldom do I quilt a request - I'm such a mood crafter. Having fun is the most important thing to me.

Rules?? What are those?? I just enjoy what I am doing, and couldn't care less what anyone else, including the quilt police have to say. So far no one has turned down a quilt I have made them!;)