Welcome to Improv Mondays, a weekly series exploring improvisation in quilt making.
The topic of rules is HUGE. Traditional sewing epitomizes feminine obedience. When I was growing up, home economic was required and there were rules that had to be followed. As quilt makers we face sewing rules, pressing rules, rules of technique, design rules, color rules, the rules of improv, internalized & socialized rules, rules on how to use our tools… in other words RULES RULE!
As modern quilters we are ready to redefine the role of rules in our work. So let’s break it down and start. List THE RULES you hate, you love, you ignore, or can’t avoid, that block you, release you, or drive you crazy.
- Do I care which direction my seams are pressed? NO!
- Do my quilts have to hang flat? YES!
- Adding neutrals will pop the bright colors. I’m afraid to let go of that one.
- Avoid inset seams. I give this one to students all the time but I break it frequently.
I came across this wonderful post by Sujata Shah @ the Root Connection describing her personal navigation through the huge sea of rules she faced as a quilt maker and a creative human being. The image above is a detail of Sujata’s quilt.
It occurs to me that writing a “rules memoir”, putting my list of rules into a personal historical context, is a good next step for negotiating the rules that I quilt by.
What are the highlights, bottoms, and turning points of my development as a quilt maker? What rules do I follow? Where and how did I learn them? When do I break them? Discard them? Keep them? Reinvent them? What are the consequences? Where is it all leading?
This week I will write my memoir of rules. This isn’t going to be easy, but I challenge you to do the same. If you have a blog I encourage you to post your rules memoir and we can share links next week.
Im a dressmaker and usually develop patterns to make garments, sometime improvise by draping the fabric the dummy etc. But my latest interest in making use of the little lovely scraps of fabrics i have been squirreling for years is all about breaking the rules!
This is a great start, loving the styles, no straight lines! Will post pictures as soon as i got the ball rolling.
Btw, how about the rule about different thicknesses if you are making a “sofa cuddle blanket” ??
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I first read Quiltdivajulie’s post on her blog then came here and have read Sujata’s post as well. Having a fairly long quilting history, I’ve got to spend some time puzzling out my thoughts and feelings on the matter; will let you know when they appear on my blog.
well you know i have no rules.
That’s awesome Jude! You really do work off the grid! Could you elaborate a little or share a link that will point people to your philosophy?
The Rule that jumped to my mind –the one I have clung to for myself– is that I have to finish everything eventually. This is played out in holding on to many partially completed projects, workshop products, “mindless” sewing, orphan blocks, etc.
A friend amazed me by saying that she never thought she had to finish workshop projects because she went to the workshop to learn a technique, not make a product! O my, it registered, but I still have trouble purging my UFO list of items that no longer interest me. “Waste not, want not”, “You could make something with this” says my Guilt Mind, so strongly that I can’t let go. I feel tremendous RELIEF when I can send some of these items in an IBOL box to Iraq or Afghanistan. Finally a way to purge my storage bins without “wasting” anything.
I really need to break this rule more often.
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I never seem to remember in which direction I need to press my seams, plus I am such a self taught quilter that I have very few ‘classic’ rules.
I am blessed by a number of friends who do not quilt, so they just admire my work, my choice of colours etc. They have no idea that there are quilting ruels!
It’s an interesting perspective, being part of the the ever thinning herd who were forced to take Home Ec. I wanted to take auto shop so badly, but that was also unheard of so I participated in semester’s worth of sewing rules. The final project was a straight, lined skirt with a waistband, kickpleat, zipper – all manner of pesky details. Mine was perfectly crafted in fine, green wool, a perfect size 4. I was a size 14.
It made a great lampshade….Let the rule breaking begin.
Like Sujata, I have found the quilter’s of Gee’s Bend to be very inspiring. I have posted my very short list of rules on my blog. Thanks for the challenge! I’m loving Improv Mondays.
Hi Sherri, i just posted how i quilt improvisational, how i make my quilts. I hope this help anxious begginers to relax and really enjoy the time they spend making quilts.
There is so much misunderstanding on teaching!.
Do the corners of my finished quilt have to be square? Ugh. Love & hate this one.
Rules? What rules? There are skills, which I choose to use or not use, depending on the quilt. Luckily, I’ve been making quilts for a short enough period of time that I haven’t caught the fear of “quilt police.” I think those cops are decreasing in number, at least in my world.
Glad to hear about the demise of the quilt police!
I’ve written my “manifesto” on rules … will post it on my blog later this week with a link back to your post. GREAT topic!!
I have to admit I cringed when I first read “rules,” as that is such a big can o worms. However, I love, love, love that you recognized that we all accept, reject, and interpret the rules in a personal manner. I have a few that I adhere to and a few I could not care less about and I know that my choices are not necessarily the same an some one else’s. Thank you.
You got it!
Thanks for acknowledging the notion that we all pick and choose our own rules– we decide which rules we’re willing to break and which we aren’t. And yet, we are extremely rigid about the rules that we do follow. I guess we are most faithful to the self-imposed rules…
Right on!