judykay

Fantastic reply, I LOVE it.

Toni C

Humm never good about rules but have made myself a couple. I always wash, I want everything to be shrunk before I use it and no color bleed surprises. I use starch as I like stiff material to piece with. Buy material wherever I like it.I like to piece on my treadle machine but also have an embroidery machine combo.Am kind of a gadget girl so I do like new things but I have to justify them to myself LOL have appliqued but am kind on anal about not seeing my stitches so I don't do it often.Done PP but haven't used the blocks in anything.Love the tips on here. I try them to see if they work for me,if they do,Whoopee if not, must be I'm not understanding what they are explaining. If someone asks me how to do something I say this is how I do it,but you may find a better way.I have never like being told what to do especially if I haven't asked. So in return I don't police anybody either.

Toni C

Same here
The words "easier" and "quicker" are ones I respond to when looking at a different or new method to do something. I love having choices and learning new things

bearisgray

Looks like many of the members (that responded, anyway) are independent thinkers - - - - - - and flexible enough to use/do/try what seems appropriate for the project/task at hand.

Good for us!!!

galvestonangel

I agree, everyone should do it their way. I do think everyone should keep an open mind to new or old ideas. I have been sewing off and on for 60 years and quilting off and on for 30 years. When I joined this board I learned so much. The best hints that I use are to starch my fabric (I always wash), Sharon Schambers method of sandwiching a quilt (I always hated that task), and if I do my best, it is good enough. I do like to buy good fabric, not necessarily at the LQS, sometimes on sale, because I put a lot of work into a quilt and I want it to last for awhile. I do not like JoAnns but Hobby Lobby and Walmart do carry fairly decent fabric. I buy most on line. All of us can't be award wiinning quilters, I was/am a perfectionist so sometimes that is really hard.

Donna in Mo

Guess it just depends on the circumstances at the time. I do whatever works at the time with the fabric I have available.

laffygiraffe

I do things differently with every quilt. I have even - gasp- machine-quilted a cople of items. Some of my favorite quilts have all the above in one quilt.
I usually wash and iron and starch my fabrics right before I use them. To me, it is like starting with a fresh piece of white paper in a typewriter. (Remember those?)
I also like binding on the bias, but it is not a hard or fast rule. Fabric does not lend itself to hard or fast anything. Generally speaking fabric arts are soft and slow but that is why I appreciate them so much.
I prefer to hand-quilt because I make gifts for family members and I love hand-quilted items myself (unless it is "Walmart quilting" by Indonesian 9 yo boys. Then it saddens me that they have to work instead of going to school.)Each person makes these decisions for a variety of reasons and there is no right or wrong way to do it.

Prettiptibbs

I am with you there!

purplefiend

I always wash my fabrics because I have allergies to the chemicals in the fabrics and all the perfume that they accumulate in the stores. I don't use sizing or starch, its an unnecessary step in my opinion. Some blocks just need steam pressing. I'm not a fan of paper piecing, but will do it if there's no other way to accomplish it.
I've been quilting for 25 years and have learned lots of things in that time frame.
I buy fabrics from Joann's,Hobby Lobby and LQS, but only good fabrics, not the sort that feels harsh.
My machines vary from TOL machines to treadles. More often than not most of my quilts are pieced with one of my treadle machines, I like the simplicity of them and the great stitch quality. I don't like poor quality machines, its not fun to sew if the machine won't behave. My quilts are made entirely by machine, straight grain binding.
For my larger quilts I'll rent a LA machine so I can quilt them myself.

KLO

I have made a few McKenna Ryan quilts and had someone mention that they did not think that "fusing" a design was "quilting". Well, I suppose it isn't but after the fusing is done, the piece is "quilted". I was a bit taken aback by the statement. Like others, I also feel that you need to do whatever you want to get the results that you are going for on a piece. If it's what you like, if it's what you want, if it gives you the result you like, then go for it!!! Isn't that why there are 27 (even more) flavors of ice cream?