Just had to tease you about the dowdy word!! I'll just keep on living in my jeans & tshirts, don't care what anyone thinks! Guess once ya hit 55-60 you don't care what anyone thinks!!
:lol: :lol: :lol:

To me, the one rule that is supreme is the 1/4" seam allowance. Most all quilt patterns call for the 1/4" seam allowance, and I like my blocks to fit together, so I am very vigilant about this one -- especially in a quilt that uses more than one block pattern, like a sampler. If you are quilting with only one style of block, by all means fudge on the seam allowance, they'll all turn out the same size, and it will be great. I am one of those "pointy" quilters, as Kaye Wood calls us, and to me there is nothing more satisfying than to have all my points pointy, and my seams straight. I know I am a little OCD about this, but I have found that quilting is a happy place for my Obsessive-Compulsiveness.

I know my 1/4 " seams run a little bigger than they should (certainly not scant) and I don't worry about it on any of my quilts. However, if I am doing a swap, I REALLY try to do it a more scant 1/4" seam so noo one hates me when they are trying to make my block fit the others!

all i can do is hope that if the quilt police arrive at my house and inspect things, that they will put me under "house arrest", so i would be forced to stay at home and improve my errant ways. break my heart--make me stay here and play with the fabric until i get it "right". please?? pretty please???? and when can i expect you? i'll bring out the worst of the worst, just for you!!!


i am soooo looking forward to being busted...

I always say there is'nt a rule that can't be broken.

Boy, this question takes me back to my first "sorta" quilt. I didn't even know it was considered a quilt until I saw instructions for one recently. I had 2 small children and very few resources, but my mother had given me a bunch of double-knit fabrics. I took a twin flat sheet, sewed one block at a time to the sheet and as I added a new block, would stuff the last with poly fill for pillows. It wasn't the prettiest quilt I have ever seen, but boy did it last. That quilt was used for all kinds of things over the years and I just parted with it a year or so ago, after about 30 years. I think now they are called "puff quilts." And my first 9-patch was made with 1/2" seams because I hadn't read about the 1/4" seam. It's the one in my avatar and was a gift for my 2nd son. He and his wife were thrilled with it and no one is the wiser that I made up each step as I worked on it. Even the binding went on beautifully and it was a large queen size - just kept laying it on the bed until I got the size I was happy with. lol

Yep! I think it's that magic age that grants us freedom. LOL

Never adhere to the 1/4' rule.

Years ago my mother gave me cut squares from 4 to 12 inches that were hers and my grandmothers. Not knowing what to do with them, I seperated into size and then into alike materials. I had never made a quilt before but I jumped in with both feet. First I had to recut almost every square. Then took them all to the spare room bed and began putting them together in some sort of order. I ended up with 17 lap quilts. I quilted them by just running straight stitching here and there. I found thick blankets and flannel sheets at the Salvation Army. When done I took them to two different nursing homes. That year I also had an abundant amount of yarn so made 14 lap afghans. When I delivered them to the nursing homes, they were very greatful. I got cards from the Administration of the homes and thanked me. I found no Quilting Police outside my door when I got home. I really enjoyed the project.
Rita

I figure its my quilt/project...my house my machine my money that paid for it...ITS MY RULES...unless its a commissioned piece or something I want to enter in a show and it be judged. And its good practice to make everything as if it were going to be judged...just to not learn bad habits. BUT its to each his/her own truthfully