Iceblossom

Maybe this just should be titled "UFOs"

I used to be really really good about starting and finishing each project before moving on to the next. Sadly, that ended years ago... I mostly work with scrap quilts and it can mean quite a bit of time between getting the idea and getting enough fabrics to make it work. I do keep project boxes and I've found I have to write notes to myself so I know where I am in the process. So here's my list of what is in progress.

I have about 12 completed tops that need to be quilted down. No, I don't want to count them to know exactly!

A few years ago I realized all my own quilts were falling apart so I decided that I would make some for myself. The end goal is to have a different themed one for each month of the year. January is planned and the fabrics collected, will be sort of a sampler of 12 lone star blocks made with snowflake fabrics. February (Valentines) is completely done. March's top is pieced, a triple Irish Chain in black, green and white. April is pieced, very bright "Easter Baskets" pieced basket blocks with Easter egg fabric in the middle -- I'm having a hard time deciding how to quilt it. May is done, "Mayflower" out of different florals, the block is sort of like Winding Ways but without the curve and all the blocks have a white background. June is "travel", I'm still collecting postcard sized pieces which will be very simple Attic Window blocks and black sashing so it looks sort of like the old scrapbooks. July (red white and blue stars) is done, long story but I bought another set of fabric and may remake it. August is in progress, a farm/harvest theme. Very different than what I usually do, there will be a few paper pieced blocks and then pieces of crops and farm animals. I have the barn block done and the fabrics collected, not very good at the paper piecing and doing/redoing the others. September is my birthday month so my choice (didn't want to do back to school), a Houndstooth of assorted browns with a tan background. October was the first done, a Halloween Puss in the Corner with cats in costumes for the large center block. November is in progress, will be a Grandmother's Fan. A fussy cut turkey fabric in the "pie" section, the blades will be fall colors from olive to brick red with gold and mostly browns. I think I'm about done cutting but need to sit down and count what I have. December's top is pieced (an original ribbon block variation with solid green and red and a white with red cardinals and green holly leaves) but I decided not worthy and couch sized/not bed sized, so I have fabrics collected for a string variation.

Project box: Cross-stitched Squares. I found a set of 12 large (16") 1970s era squares at the Goodwill. They are finished but were the preprinted designs, unfortunately the fabric is cheap and flimsy and I am going to layer them and prequilt with maybe a piece of flannel a bit to stabilize. Pieced sashing is made. Should go fast once I stabilize the blocks.

Project box: Grandmother's Flower Garden all hand sewn I got at the goodwill for $6! Tiny little hexes (3/4" per side) but it's HUGE, almost king sized. I think the size just sort of ran away and got too big for the original maker to finish. It has some issues... block rows range from 9-11 units, will be taking off the 9 row (fortunately an outside edge) and a couple of the other blocks, it will still be a very large queen when I do that. Have a backing for it, and I think a quilting design. Will be quite the challenge for me to finish.

I just picked up a completed top from the thrift store for $2.99, will quilt it down and give to my friend's quilt guild children's corner. It's crib sized and about 45" wide so just too big for one width of fabric. Yesterday I pulled out 4 different possible backs, will take them to friend's small group on Tuesday and get feedback on which one to use. Will be fast and quick all over flower stipple to quilt down.

I'm about to go back into the sewing room. It is such a disaster area I might find other projects I don't remember, but as I organize I will be putting together fabrics to make a retirement quilt for my friend the teacher that just retired. It will be simple, 10" squares with for each letter of the alphabet (A is for Apple, Z is for zebra, etc) the letter will be quilted into each block. I have a nice "kid" fabric and other pencil/crayon/alphabet fabrics for borders and such.

So what do you have going on??

Moira in N.E. England

Your sewing room must be bigger than my house!

I do not have a lot of space so I generally work on one project at a time - but I often find that I’m planning my next quilt before I finish the one I’m working on.

This afternoon I finished the top for a small HST charity quilt. While having a break I delved into ‘one fabric wonder’ ideas on Pinterest. (I think I’ve got the name of the method right). I’ve got a fat quarter of a fabric I think wold be suitable so I’m going to try making a few hexagons and see how I get on.

Iceblossom

My sewing room is just crammed full I'm working at getting it better organized again, but it's just a small bedroom (10x12??). I can open the door and have the width of the door to walk through to the end. Otherwise to get to some stuff I have to pull the stacks of boxes out or move the wheeled storage shelves.

When I'm not so ashamed of it I will post a picture. The sad thing is I have already given away roughly 8 full black plastic bags of yardage/non-quilting stuff. I've been quilting since the 70s so it's decades of accumulation.

RedGarnet222

Yes I work on more than one when I get tired of a long project. It helps me to get revived to begin again.

tallchick

I work on one project at a time, however, I am guilty of letting tops accumulate and I have no excuse, since I do have a long arm. I have finished quilting a few, so far one a week for the last 4 weeks, and I have 3 more to go finish my backlog. Once that’s done I’m going to sort through my fabrics and organize my room a little better.

It sounds like you have a wonderful array of projects going and I would really love to see what you have in the works as they sound wonderful and I love to see what everyone is working on, it’s great for inspiration as well! A quilt for every month, what a wonderful idea!

At the end of the day, all that matters is what makes us happy, who cares if we have 2 UFOs or 222, enjoy what you do.

toverly

I try really really hard to at least complete a top before moving on to something else. It doesn't always work because something comes along that just demands to be done. Sandwiching quilts is my roadblock. So I have 4 or 5 tops to quilt. I usually sandwich 2-3 at a time then quickly quilt to get back to piecing. Of course sometimes, if I'm not too excited about it, I donate the top to my Guild's community quilts and it goes on to someone else.

Watson

I usually have 3 or so projects on the go at a time. One big, long term one and a couple of smaller ones.

Doesn't matter what you have going as long as you are having a good time.

Watson

Cari-in-Oly

I always have more than one thing going. I get bored easily.

Cari

Redtop

I ALWAYS have 2-3 ongoing projects. I have finished piecing 3 of those the last month for winter quilting. I have at least 12 (usually more)UFO's at a time and additional 6 tops that needs to be quilted. I hand quilt all my tops so it will take awhile, but I love every minutes of sewing time. I can sit at the quilting frame and dream away a whole afternoon. The 2-3 ongoing project---well that's not what I consider UFO's. UFO's sit on shelf for months (or years) without being looked at. I have at least 12 of those projects that haven't had a stitch added for longer than I like to admit. That's the tops I'm trying to finish and NOT start anything new. Bonnie Hunter had a leader and ender that caught I eye. With shelves full of scraps I need a scrappy something to use some of them and Bonnie's leader and ender would be prefect (please tell I'm not allowed to start another quilt).

wesing

We are always working on more than one. Right now, we have a niece's HS graduation quilt half put together on the design wall (all the blocks are made). She graduated last year. I have one QOV in the works. I have also started some blocks for a swap with my Guy Quilters group (due next month). I have my Lone Star medallion quilt that is a long term project. We have a Christmas quilt for our daughter's bed in the works. We have three twin size Halloween quilts in the works - one for my daughter, my wife, and me. Those are all the projects we have sewed on. We also have a few that some cutting has been done, but they don't count yet.