tammyg

I agree with you Genden....I like lots of fabric and buy a good deal if I find it at good prices and always love it when other quilters want to share thire stash with me....I'm a happy scrap quilter and since I moved a few months ago from Tn to Tx, and had to leave the most of my fabric I am feeling lost....but I'm sure before long I will get my stash back at ceiling level...lol..... It really depends on what each one likes....

tessagin

This is so true. So many methods that work for so many but not for all.

tessagin

I don't cut scraps. I have scraps but if I have a fat quarter size piece it stays that way until I need it but in a smaller size. I save the bigger piece. Just because it looks like an "L" shaped piece doesn't mean it needs to be smaller. Which size are you going to use out of it? the more square, rectangle (long or short). You just may need that whole piece for an applique.

willferg

I know just how you feel. When I first started quilting, I never said no to fabric or any quilty thing. My quilting mentor told me she only bought fabric for specific projects, and she unloaded a lot of scraps on me (which I loved, don't get me wrong). I understand people who say you can't have too much fabric, because that was me once.

Now I am further along in my journey, and I have so much fabric that it paralyzes me at times. I have given lots away and felt freer. My goal now is to stop myself from saying, "I could do something with that fabric some day," and setting it aside. Now, I want to say, "I love that fabric and it will be perfect for this project!" I already have enough fabric I love to last a long time, so I want to move away from "some day" stuff.

And scraps, I put in a box and offer up for free here on the board. Some people don't have access to fabric as easily as others, and they love scrappy, so it's a match made in heaven and makes me feel good.

luvspaper

There are no don'ts except don't have your finger too close to your machine needle! It really can hurt!

That said, do what works for you! Someday I know I won't have the budget that I do now, I am stocking up on fabric, but when I first started out, I stuck to one quilt at a time. Just because it worked then doesn't mean it always has to stay the same!

Don't let anyone else tell you what and how to do something -- find the way that works well for you!

bearisgray

There are a couple of "always" that I do try to remember -

1) always make sure the rotary cutter blade is retracted when setting the cutter down
2) always make sure the iron is cool or unplugged when leaving the room

Okay - I will change them into "don't"

Don't leave the rotary cutter blade exposed when setting the cutter down.
Don't leave the iron on when leaving the room.

JulieR

I think my quilting dos/don'ts correspond to my dos and don'ts for all areas of my life.

- Try not to get hung up on being perfect! Precision is important, but not if it is stopping you from moving forward.

- Ditto on expensive equipment, fabric, etc. Sometimes you don't need the top dollar thing - sometimes you don't need that thing at all. Other times it is worth the investment to buy the best quality you can afford.

- Remember that you are not in competition with Quilter Jones.

- Pick projects you love, and only do those. If you don't love it, stop doing it. Sometimes that means you're working on a quilt you don't particularly care for that's a gift for a PERSON you love - that's okay - but if you're only lukewarm about the quilt AND the person, just buy them a gift basket and go on to the next project.

MaryTG

[QUOTE=bearisgray;7231907]There are a couple of "always" that I do try to remember -

1) always make sure the rotary cutter blade is retracted when setting the cutter down
2) always make sure the iron is cool or unplugged when leaving the room

These are two things I agree with wholeheartedly; otherwise, I go with the idea that there are no quilting police and no laws to enforce. You can't put 3 quilters in a room and get a majority answer as to what those rules would be anyway (the more quilters together, the more diverse opinions).

For some reason, I am getting a note telling me that the message is too short--to use at least 10 characters. I am so far above that I don't know what is causing that to show up.

RST

One of my few "don't" rules for myself is -- don't stock up on random, very specific colors of thread and don't be beguiled by the assorted color thread packs. I buy large spools of threads in basic, neutral colors when it is on sale. And if I need a specific color for a project, then I will buy for that project, carefully choosing color and type of thread that will be most appropriate. But I really don't want to mess with the gazillion smaller spools which often aren't quite enough to finish, or that are just the right color but not the best type or weight for the application.

I also don't buy patterns or books unless I intend to make that quilt very soon. Chances are quite high that it will go down in price, not up. And if I don't intend to make that quilt soon, I probably will never make it, because there will be something else that is much more appealing to me later.

I'm another who does not cut scraps smaller. I will remove unusable strands and maybe square up the scrap, and I will press it before storing in a zip lock bag of like colors.

Here's what works for me: I have a bin in which all my zip lock bags of scraps live. When I have too many scraps to fit in there (no stuffing and squashing), I either have to make something with the scraps or get rid of them. Some of my most favorite projects have been from these forced scrap reduction frenzies. See my avatar quilt. I have a pinterest board of very scrap friendly projects in case I run out of spontaneous ideas. I've become kind of known for trademark gift sunglasses cases and zip pouches that are made with a ton of scraps. I've also made wall hangings, table runners, pillows, entire full sized quilts.

HouseDragon

Don't limit yourself. Challenge yourself to learn something new. Take a class from a LQS or online.

Don't let someone guilt you into making them something for free or a ridiculously low price. I swear "takers" are out there lurking and just waiting to jump on a new quilter who hasn't learned how to say "NO!" yet.

Don't let the quilt police tell you you are doing something incorrectly. There are as many ways to do things as there are quilters but don't limit yourself to one way: try a new technique out to see if you like it. You might be surprised.

Don't trust that the pattern is correct. Make a sample block before you start cutting the fabric needed for the pattern. Wait for a sale and buy a yard or so each of five or six colours/designs. Make your samples from these dedicated fabrics: ultimately you'll have a coordinated sampler quilt. BTW, don't worry about block sizes: sash the blocks to fit or put the blocks together as a "puzzle".

Don't buy the exact amount of fabric called for in a pattern. Buy a bit extra "just in case". Leftovers can go into scrappy quilts.

Don't worry about the time spent reading threads on the QB: it's time well spent!!!!!