toverly

My only rule for myself is, If I don't like it, I don't have to finish it. When meetings were taking place, the free table at Guild was a great place to make things disappear. I never knew who took it and I never saw it again. It applies to fabric, blocks and ufos.

sandy l

I think that is a rule that I have been following along, and just never realized it. Oh yeah, and never listen to the Quilt Police.

SusieQOH

My biggest thing is I won't work with cheap fabric. Cheap as in poor quality, not as in good deal. If I couldn't afford it I would buy secondhand but refuse to buy cheap.
My second biggest thing is I refuse to work on something that I don't like. Maybe it started out well but along the way if I'm not enjoying it, it goes to Goodwill.

maminstl

I can't think of one single rule - lots of things I "usually" do, but always an exception. Not exactly set in stone, but I never wash quilt fabric - always wash garment fabric.

Snooze2978

I don't wash any of my fabrics but will starch them heavily, hang to dry and then press. If they're going to bleed, they'll bleed in my starch tub. When I press them, the heat should help to shrink them somewhat in my opinion. I mist them before I press. Have found out the hard way, do not bother trying to wash or starch the pre-cuts as they will distort terribly. I no longer will buy pre-cuts for that reason. Am trying to use up what pre-cuts I have in patterns asking for a cut just smaller than the pre-cut so I can cut the edge off.

Also no one but no one uses my rotary cutters. I have them marked for what they are used for.

juliasb

I have 2 all the time must do rules when it comes to quilting no matter what hurry or mind thought I am in and I try to impress the importance of these to all new quilters I teach. I just hope they do these. The first one Pressing, pressing and pressing!! Every seam every piece of fabric before, during and after. I can't stress it enough. Number 2 is to square up each piece, when finished, and before going to the next piece.squaring up each piece with give you a nice finished block that is accurate, especially with HST's. These two things insure a perfect block.

Onebyone

My no exception rule is rotary safety. There is slim to none chance of a bad cut while cutting fabric if a safety device is used every time. It has become automatic to me now, I won't cut without a safety just like I automatically put on the seat belt when I get in a vehicle. One rule is enough in my sewing room. More then that it becomes following rules instead of fun.

mkc

I don't have too many rules, but here goes the "my practices" list:

Always wash and press fabrics before cutting (except jelly rolls, layer cakes). I serge the raw edges before washing.
No sewing over pins
Always unplug any iron and shut off any sewing machine if I leave the room, even for a minute (because you never know if a distraction will occur while you're away)
All machines plugged into a surge protector (and when I get my longarm, a pure sine UPS)
Only one project on the cutting table at a time (so I don't accidentally mix up fabrics).
Measure twice, cut once. When unsure, measure again before cutting.
New needles for each quilt-sized project, both for piecing and for quilting.
Clean out the bobbin area and oil the wick before starting a new piecing project or starting the first quilting on a project.
Fabric scissors stored in a cutting table drawer when I'm not in the room (so someone doesn't use them for paper).
If I make a mistake and have been working for a while, it's time to stop for the day.

LynnBBQ

I started out as a "fly by the seat of my pants" quilter, and stayed that way for many years. I have thousands of un-matched seams and chopped-off points to prove it! Over the past several years I've become more aware and careful, and my projects show it. I have only come up with a few rules:
Always close the rotary cutter. Emergency room visits are expensive!
Always turn off and unplug the machine when walking away.
Never sew over a pin.
Press between each step of piecing.
When I'm not having fun, put it away for now. (This rule does not apply to basting the quilt. Ugh!! Basting will never ever be fun.)
If I am laying out fabric for a new quilt and one looks like it just does not "belong," get rid of it now. It will continue to nag me and eat my brain and I will eventually hate it in the finished quilt. Just trust my gut and get rid of it now!

dunster

I'm afraid I routinely break many of the rules others have set for themselves, and I'm not at all ashamed of it. (Perhaps I should be?)

I only buy pressure sensitive rotary cutters, so they close on their own.
I fall out of love with almost every quilt somewhere during the construction process, but if I discontinued work on it I wouldn't have the chance to fall back in love again. Sometimes that happens before the quilt is finished, sometimes a year later, but it has always happened.
I have sewn over pins many times, and seldom had a bad result. I don't try to do so, but it happens.
I only unplug the machines when I'm expecting a thunderstorm, or when I will be away for an extended period of time. I try to remember to at least turn them off, but sometimes I forget.
I leave it to the auto-shut-off feature of the iron most of the time.
I prefer to keep my workspace neat, but it often isn't. While sewing, I have no problem throwing loose threads and tiny scraps on the floor. They get picked up eventually.
Points are supposed to match, and I try to see that they do, but a little deviation is acceptable.

I do pre-wash, except for pre-cuts, and I do press seams. I do check the size of the units as the block/quilt progresses and adjust my seam allowance as necessary. And if I find that I'm making too many mistakes, I stop for the day.