I hate rules.
Let me clarify. I hate rules in which I see no purpose.
This has been a trait of mine since I was a kid. I remember in 9th grade Chemistry, my teacher, Mr. Henderson, a 60 year old body-building enthusiast that creeped out all the girls in the class, had this rule that if you didn't have your name on your paper, you'd lose 5 points.
Now, this is a totally reasonable rule. I used to teach third grade, and it would drive me crazy when students didn't put their name on work, especially at the beginning of the year, before I learned everyone's handwriting. I get it.
But at the beginning of every class, Mr. Henderson would go around and check that everyone did their homework. We'd pull our homework out, put it on our desk, and he'd give you a 100 if you completed all the questions, and a 0 if you didn't bring it.
One morning he came to my desk and wrote a 95 at the top of my paper in red ink.
"Mr. Henderson, I completed all the questions."
"Yes, but you didn't write your name at the top of your paper."
"But it's on my desk. I'm sitting in front of it. We aren't turning it in, it is clearly my homework."
"Yes, but the rule is that you lose 5 points if you don't include your name."
"That makes sense if we're turning in the work, but is irrelevant if we're sitting in front of it the whole time you see it."
"Sorry, that's the rule."
"But that doesn't make any sense."
It went on like this for entirely too long.
Now, me a ninth-grade student shouldn't have been arguing with my teacher, at least not as long as I did, but this memory has stuck with me.
Rules that make no sense in certain contexts drive me insane.
I feel this way about most "rules" we have in the quilting world.
The rebellious 14 year old girl with waist length blond hair and braces, wants to break
Every
Last
One!
Pablo Picasso famously said, "Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist."
I love this quote. I believe it so firmly, I'd like to tattoo it on my arm. (Not literally, but you get my drift.)
This is what defines an artist.
They are a master at their craft. They know all the "rules", and more importantly, they know when they are relevant, and when it would be a brilliant idea to break them.
I'd like to invite you on a journey to become just that-- an artist.
To master your craft. Learn the proper way to do different techniques. Learn the "rules". But also learn how to break them in such a way that is surprising, brilliant, and definitive of your unique style.
If you’d like to join a community of quilters from around the world who are doing just that, I think you’d love Meander. Learn more about Meander, here.
So let's raise our figurative glasses and toast to breaking the rules.
What's your favorite quilt "rule" to break? What drives you crazy?
20 comments
You are speaking to me about rules! I don’t have specific ones I can think of, but my mantra when it comes to quilt making is that anything goes. There are no rules and I can do whatever I want. In life it is a bit different. I get rules. I don’t always agree with them, but I’ll abide by them or push it to the very edge of acceptable! I must say that I don’t always learn the proper way to do something though. I usually see, think about it and then do it however it works for me! Great post!!
All of them. :) I share my love of modern quilting with kiddos through 4-H and Girl Scouts. I recently helped out at an event where there were a lot of traditional quilters and just overhearing some of their “rules” made me cringe. “You can’t put those reds together.” “That project is too ambitious for you.” “You really should have pressed that better.” Maybe I’m overly sensitive, but I’m a firm believer in NOT discouraging them from doing what they want to do. What is the worst that can happen? I’m a pretty successful self-taught quilter that probably does everything the wrong way, but it works for me!
The rule that I quit following years ago is hand basting every little piece of an applique design onto the background before stitching them down. Roxanne’s Glue Baste-It changed that tiresome step for me. I quickly discovered that it held the pieces in place better than hand basting. Now I use my light box and place one or two at a time on the background as needed. I’m not so particular that every piece is placed perfectly, either. For me applique is more creative and forgiving than in the past. It always turns out beautiful!
“Always press to the DARK SIDE” Balderdash! I press OPEN, there, I commit. OPEN OPEN OPEN. Even to the extent of being scolded, that my quilts will burst open and waste my time and money. 28 years later, still have my first quilt-has NEVER split, EVER. BECAUSE…I FMQ on my domestic machine – it has made it 20% easier to quilt, it just lays flatter and has much less bulk at EACH seam. The Rebel has spoken. Glad we have friends!
Pressing to the dark side.