Nanda

Who said there are rules? Only rules are when you enter a quilt to show!!! other then that...any thing goes...That's the great thing about quilting...you can do what ever you want..make it how ever you want...bend the rules ...one thing I do is spray baste... In my huge barn we have a giant table that cabinets were built on...I can lay a Queen flat sheet on it and it hangs over..clamp down...open doors and windows...and spray my quilts..i have never had a problem..and when done..I wash...every teacher has there way they like to quilt...i have even seen some that say you have to use a special thread...lol...I dont think so...in our guild we have national speakers every month...everyone has a special way they quilt.., build, thread they use, rulers they tell us we have to have!!! templets we have to have!! now i will tell you I do have lots of rullers...i love rullers...and really dont know how to use them all..someday i will learn...lol

Sew Krazy Girl

I use 2 rulers to measure and then cut my fabric. I'm right handed and this works better for me. Guess I make my own rules. Hey, whatever works, right?

Aunt Sue

Ditto!

Pieceful Quilter

My motto exactly!

I remember when I started quilting, and I was on my second project. I told my sister what I didn't like about the pattern, so I was just going to make a few changes here and there. She about had a cow - told me if I changed it I would ruin it, I would never be able to figure it out with the new dimensions, I shouldn't be so independent minded (aka stubborn) about not sticking to a pattern, I had too many colors, I could NOT mix corduroy and flannel with quilter's cotton, (I liked the colors and since I didn't "know" they could not be mixed I didn't see the problem!) and so on and so forth.

Fast forward a couple of years... that quilt has been on my son's bed for over two years now. He has taken it (without my permission!) camping and to the beach and out to our backyard fire pit. It has "homework" ink stains on it - ARGHHHHH. It has been washed and dried countless times. The mixed fabrics are just fine, and my son still says he thinks it is the best quilt he has ever seen! When I asked him if he was ready for a new quilt he just stared at me as if I was nuts. He told me the quilt he had was so special to him he would never give it up until it fell apart!!!

GOD BLESS THE RULE BREAKERS!!!

ruthrec

Rules? Didn't know there were any rules...I just cut and sew. I am grateful that I have a good sense of balance and some color "smarts" (what looks good and what doesn't.) Also, I have a good sense of what fabrics look good for a particular person/group/personality. I also read, read, read...and watch videos (you tube) and subscribe to this forum.:)) Sometimes I use a pattern but ALWAYS change it up some.

bearisgray

I do follow "my" rules/guidelines that are important to me for the look/product that I want - silly little things like having the blocks end up the expected size, seams line up, the top lays flat, no pleats in the backing, etc.

Usually by having tried to do some "shortcut" that just made more work for myself in the longer run.

The "rule" I hardly ever follow:

To use starch or sizing on the fabric before cutting it. (Except when working with a lot of bias cut pieces)

I have this idea that fabric should be robust and stable enough to not need it.

roxie623

Rules? I didn't know there were any rules.

Wunder-Mar

I don't prewash.

There was a period of several years when many of the quilt managize I subscribed to only had one or two projects I liked, and many times even selecting ONE of real interest was pushing the boundaries. I copied those items in PDF format, and gave the INTACT magazines to our Freebies table at guild meetings. I do not share these patterns I copied. I didn't see any reason to cut up a magazine for a project or two, OR hto ang onto something solely to keep it intact while taking up valuable shelf space.

Annya

I also do not shut my rotary cutter but I put it on the shelf beside the sewing table so I can't cut my self not all the time though.

pollyjvan9

I have been rethinking this post. When I first read it I thought the same as many did - "What, there are rules!". However, I am working on a very simple pieced block for a BOM and had to unsew it two times. It made me realize that when we ignore the "rules" - such as cutting accurately, using a consistent width seam, pressing correctly - we do pay the price in lost time taking blocks apart.

I quilt for fun (not profit) so I am not a fanatic about my quilts being perfect, and I often change patterns to make them more "Polly Friendly", but there are some things you just cannot ignore.

I hope everyone keeps quilting at whatever level you are on, learn the rules and ignore them when you want, enjoy the process.