At what point does an idea turn into a work in progress turn into an unfinished object?
Just curious ...

when you run out of fabric...
When you lost interest....
when life just gets in the way..

When you get so frustrated with it that you want to toss it in the trash, but you've put too much time and effort into it to waste it entirely...and after all UFOs do get finished eventually.

I'm thinking an idea turns into a WIP once the fabric cutting is started. It turns into a UFO when you quit working on it and start on something else.

Gee, I have two projects I can't seem to get back to, a quilt that needs mending, and I just started a new wall hanging today. I hate going back to projects once I leave them for a long period of time because I just lose total interest. Today I felt like doing a quick project, but it turned out that I started a wall hanging since my display wall is bare after pulling down the Christmas wall hanging. Going for a 45x55, but for now I just hung a queen log cabin top I haven't had $$$ to get quilted yet. My wall looked too bare and the log cabin (did I mention it's scrappy!) is just so colorful, it makes the wall look good.

It becomes a UFO when my DH makes me clean all the bits of fabric off the kitchen table and put it away - once it is no longer in-my-face, I stop obsessing, and then forget about it!

A WIP is something that you work on, a UFO has been tucked away for an extended period of time, and may or may not get finished.
I have a few WIP's that get worked on regularly, even though they are over two years old. I have one UFO I started and has sat for almost 4 years now in a box in the closet LOL :D:D:D

For me its when a new project seems more interesting!!

IDEA: the fabric might or might not be purchased but
isn't cut yet
WIP: something actually being worked on even if sporatically
UFO: started, unfinished, set aside and not being worked on
LIW: (lady in waiting) Top finished, not quilted yet.

That's my personal way of listing the things here. I'm sure other's have their own ways.

To me they are all WIP's. I don't care if they haven't been worked on in a year or more it is still a WIP.