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I have tried to play standing up and it was a disaster. However, I think the sound of the violin was better.
A soloist stands and everyone else sits but I can hear the soloist versus a 40 (?) piece orchestra ?
What is your choice ?
Regulars
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I do both also but yes, I agree, standing does seem to sound better
There is no shame in playing twinkle, youre playing Mozart
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Although still very much a beginner, my preference is to stand for "actual performance". During practice, I'll sit, figure out the tune, play with different "action" and timings (yes, I know, the sheet tells me what and (largely) how I should play - but I'm not quite up-to-speed on sight-reading yet and anyway - I just enjoy experimenting, improvising, and generally breaking / exploring the rules! ).
Then, when I've "got it" ( haha ) I like to play standing-up. I find - well - depending on the piece - it's nice to "move around a bit" and "groove to the music". I also find that doing so has generally helped (unconsciously) with my general balance of the violin - and also it somehow seems to help with expression - it becomes a "whole body thing" - man and instrument in perfect harmony (not necessarily in the musical sense, yet)....
I can't really find the words to explain that. OK I'll try - most of the things I play right now are tunes I know, and they tend to be Scottish fiddle. I work on those simply because I know them well and I can largely discard the sheet and concentrate on fingering/intonation, bow control and generally "getting to know this new musical instrument" . For instance, in a slow waltz, I find myself kind of "waltzing on the spot" along with what I'm playing. In doing this of course, other "rules" are broken - like the strings aren't always "parallel to the floor" - and if I'm playing a few notes in a "falling sequence" I'll dip my whole upper body forward with the violin ending up pointing downwards at 45 degrees! And then on the rising sequence, I'll restore my position to the "normal". That must have sounded weird.....
And yes - there are other pieces of course that simply don't lend themselves to such acrobatics - and I'll just stand in a well balanced position.
Anyway - that's what I find - I'm happy sitting or standing - but for "final takes" ( or indeed a live performance were I to do one, either solo or in a group ) I would prefer to stand !
It's interesting that you say that when you stand, it sounds better - in what way, I wonder? Are you subconsciously experiencing what I (tried) to describe - are you somehow imparting improved "expression" into the piece with the improved overall "freedom of movement" of your body? I don't know... just bouncing thoughts around!
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh - 
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
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I also do both. Most of my gigs are done while sitting down but I stand for a lot of my personal practice. If I'm tired I'll sit...
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
Regulars
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When sitting I seem to be more focused. When standing I have a tendency to jump around a lot. I do both sit and stand. Seems when I am trying to concentrate on learning a particular technique I more often sit.
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StoneDog said
.... I have a tendency to jump around a lot.....
Aha ! So that's how to do the notorious and elusive vibrato then ! (or maybe even trem depending on the degree and rapidity of jumping... ) 
Bill adds that his "list of things to experiment with"
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh -
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
Members
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I usually stand when I play violin/fiddle, since I move and walk around a bit when I play. I find it helps for avoiding tensing up, and it just seems to me that it helps the flow of the music some.
I do have one exercise that requires playing seated though. You sit in an armchair, rest your left elbow on the arm-rest, so that you aren't really using any effort to hold up the instrument. Then play a song or two while leaving your bow hand upper arm resting against your body, so you bow using only a bit of forearm and mostly wrist and fingers. It was suggested to me to break the habit of the bow hand being too rigid and having too much of a "death grip" on the bow. I think it does help a bit for that.
But usually prefer to play violin/fiddle standing and more often walking around. Standing still while playing, I don't think I'm real good at. It just feels too unnatural to me to stay in one place for any length of time when playing.
"This young wine may have a lot of tannins now, but in 5 or 10 years it is going to be spectacular, despite the fact that right now it tastes like crude oil. You know this is how it is supposed to taste at this stage of development." ~ Itzhak Perlman
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I do both, too, though I prefer to stand and often walk around while playing. I especially like to walk around when running through tunes from memory. It seems to help me focus mentally if I give the rest of my body something else to do while it's waiting. 
When I sit, I prefer to sit on a high stool so that my bowing arm can move freely without running into my leg on E string notes.
When the work's all done and the sun's settin' low,
I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow.
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Usually I stand when playing. I haven`t a high stool. So, when I sit, I prefer to sit on a table ))
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Just between me and all of you, and I don't advise this, I've been known to practice while watching tv too. 
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
There are special things I learn on this forum that I've never seen anywhere else!
But I did read another report about piano practicing. It was about a virtuoso (Rubenstein?) who had to have a handy fresh box of chocolates on the piano when he practiced. I like this approach. Good excuse for some chocolate peanut butter eggs.
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Fiddlerman said
Just between me and all of you, and I don't advise this, I've been known to practice while watching tv too.
lol, did this a lot when I first started, but only played during commercials..kind of an extension of my regular practice
There is no shame in playing twinkle, youre playing Mozart
LOL, Pierre, it's the only way I practice, is while watching TV,, the ball game, movies, news, etc..
I always sit in my recliner, although I don't recline while playing, I sit on the edge of the chair.
Because I have a case of, ' bursitis' in my left shoulder, normally rest my left elbow on my left knee and my right forearm on my right knee, it gives me more flexibility in my right wrist and neither one hinder's my playing. ( from what I can tell)
I brought this up in the chat box last evening that for some reason my violin seems to sound better at 2:00 or 3:00 am in the morning.
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Fiddlestix said
I brought this up in the chat box last evening that for some reason my violin seems to sound better at 2:00 or 3:00 am in the morning.
Your neighbours were OK with that?))
P.S. My neighbours dislike any music, even classical, after 22:00. I`m confused by their strict approach to it 
My neighbor's sleep with cpap (breathing) machine's on at night, they can't hear anything and there's 30' between my house and their's and both home's have 6" insulated wall's.
They can't even hear me if they're on the deck.
I can fiddle away. 
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I prefer to play standing up. I seem to keep in proper position. I'm also able to play my E string better when I stand.
Patience is necessary to learn the violin: But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.-James 1:4
When I get discouraged: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.-Philippians 4:13
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