Sewing Rules...

I've noticed in reading forum posts and people's blogs that sewists out there seem to have "rules" that they follow in their sewing. So I thought I would explore my own rules, and how important they are to me.

Janimé's Rules for Sewing:

#1 Keep a small stash
Given adequate space and $s, this one would go by the wayside. But, I don't have a lot of space to work with. And I don't have a big budget either. It would be so, so easy to just go crazy over beautiful fabric and never get around to using it.

Been there, done that. I have some crochet thread that's been around for 15 to 20 years. I thought about ditching that stuff in favor of fabric until I read that crochet thread could be used in the serger.

But this rule, and others, helps me ensure that I spend my money wisely and actually get wearable garments out of the deal.

Current stash yardage? Approximately 35 yards.

#2 No UFOs
I have enough of these from other craft endeavors. But it also goes with the first rule. Part of what I want to accomplish is to have stuff I can wear. You can't really wear UFOs.

Current UFO count? Two. Sort of. Both are jackets that I made up muslins for and neither worked out on the first attempt. I want to work on the basics more before I tackle either pattern again.

#3 Must have patterns for fabric and vice versa
Seeing a trend here? I neither want patterns nor fabric hanging around waiting for inspiration from me. That doesn't mean I won't ever get one without the other. But so far, I've pretty much had something definite in mind when purchasing either.

#4 One project at a time
This is one way in which I keep myself from having UFOs hanging about. But it's not a strict rule. There is value in thinking ahead to the next project (or projects) and having a few items in the pipepline. My sewing time is limited though and I don't want to lose focus by trying to bounce between too many things.

I have helped myself out by putting a project plan together that holds my current and future projects. (I'm using Microsoft Project for that). This is probably overkill for most people, but it helps me stay very focused on what steps I need to take next, while allowing me the flexibility to get future projects lined up.

So what are your favorite sewing rules?