luvstoquilt

I "kitted" several quilts last year but I just made one at a time. It was a lot of fun to just go get a new kit! This year I am determined to get my UFO's finished...I found 3 I didn't even remember. I am afraid if I tried your suggestion I would sew them together all wrong!

QuiltNama

I cut several quilts out at one time, organize them in the see through 9" x 13" plastic cake containers with a copy of the pattern, and sew on them when I get 15 mins. at a time or longer. I purchase the containers at walmart (they come in 2 paks) and stack on one another so do not take up a lot of room. If I do one top at a time, have a tendency to get bored with it, so this way can work on whatever strikes my fancy for that day. Usually will complete them all about the same time and can move on to another group. Most important thing....keep a copy of the patten with the top! Ask me about that one.LOL

mooshie

Wow! Thanks for all the replies. I'm glad I'm not the only one to think of this. I'm glad it's worked out for some of you.
Last night I cut 3 tops (except for sashings which I usually cut after the blocks are done), and another one is from precuts, so that's 4 ready to go. I just need to decide on a pattern for the last one and cut it and I'll have 5 freshly cut, one WIP (work in progress), and a few to quilt. :-) These may get done yet!

cricket_iscute

I make a lot of quilts for homeless families (425 since 1996) and always have a lot of projects going at one time, and I sometimes do get into marathons where I will cut for 40 hours in one week, piece for 30 hours in a week, quilt for 25 or 30 hours in a week, etc. I generally don't stop what I set out to do until I reach the end, but might do some each day, not do it without taking breaks.

What would prompt a marathon might be a fabric donation, where new-to-me fabrics need to be washed and cut, or where I'm making a quilt in a class and need to cut pieces (35 hours of cutting with a rotary cutter for a Bonnie Hunter mystery), or when a cable station does a marathon of shows I like and I piece while watching. Sometimes friends might sew with me and we get on a roll. Recently, a friend had a deadline and we both pushed the quilting/binding for eight hours until done. It could also be prompted by lousy weather when I'd rather be inside. It is always nice to have pre-cut strips waiting for me when I need them.

I have different stations set up for quilting, piecing, serging (I also make clothes), pressing, cutting, etc. However, I do need to alternate between jobs so my muscles don't get sore. I always want to have another project to turn to, that is ready for me to do, when I finish one. If I have a couple different types of projects ready, say binding, or quilting, or piecing, then I can choose what I feel like doing. That might be something to keep in mind.

Currently, this is what I am actively working on:

1 quilt to be bound
3 quilts sandwiched, pin basted, and ready to be quilted
7 quilts and backs waiting to be sandwiched
1 quilt cut out and ready to start piecing
1 set of blocks done QAYG style and needing sashing; I have to find the right fabric
Another 5 sets of blocks ready to be made into tops
One set of blocks waiting to be put into a top; I just made the back
Another set of blocks set into groups and waiting for their turn on the design wall
A number of inactive projects or those waiting in the wings. I have a whole shelf of those.

Is that 20 quilts I'm actively doing at the current time? They will get done. Having more projects in the pipeline keeps me interested. I also have several in the design stage.

I finished ten (10) quilts in the past month. Most of these were adult size. I used various patterns.

If you keep your stuff organized so you can find it later, and you also be sure to take breaks so you don't get hurt or sore, you should be okay. If you are like me, you won't want to cut out too many in advance in case you change your mind about the pattern before you get to it. Go for it!

jcrow

Golly dog Gal! Won't you get confused during the process? I'm making twelve blocks at the same time for one quilt and have to keep checking to make sure I have the right blocks together!!! You go for it! You have to be a young 'un! When I was young, I could have probably done a few at once. I vote for you! Impress me and give us the good results!!!

tildiemae

I usually cut several quilts at one time but have learned to label everything very well because when I go back to sewing them, 'sometimes' I can't figure out what goes where!!!!

Cindy60545

Hey, I'm in the same boat as cricket! I have several (?) in varying stages.
QOV on the longarm now, on final approach, then trim, bind.
a customer baby quilt to do on LA, 3 of mine waiting to go on.
a QOV - blocks done, need to put together, do borders, quilt, binf
2 scrappy cribs on design wall in various stages of assembly
Santa on other design wall, 3 bargello borders sewn, 4th on DSM now, then border it, quilt it, bind it.
Coloring a crib sized wholecloth - Irena Bluhm style
Designing a wholecloth wall hanging
Still working on GFG.
Oh! And a couple UFO's if I get bored!!

Lstew2212

For my self, I usually have about three project going on at one time. When I get stuck or bored with one I move onto another one. I usually come back to all my projects. Currently I have one that needs to be quilted, one that needs to be sandwiched and a few that I need to make into quilt tops (all the piecing done). I am working on the BOM from craftsy, so I have piecing to do there. My downfall is finding new patterns I want to start, I always see something I want to make for the future.

janiesews

I like to "Marathon" cut, then place each individually in large zip-lock bags-marked well and with pattern. I keep them separate and work on them 1 at a time. I am also afraid I would get them mixed together. But I like to have the cutting done-it makes me feel like it is about 1/2 done with the cutting done. If I run across a good sale I may pick up the backing fabric and always put it with the "kit" I plan to use it on.

mhollifiel

I only piece tops for my guild's Project Linus blankets so, yes, I do marathon cutting. I basically inventory my stash every January (February this year!), select "companion" pieces and make up medium to large sets from the stash. My raised 6' two mat cutting table is on the screened in porch so I save cutting until spring and fall when the weather is really nice. I have a smaller mat on my big sewing table but just cut strips into units and only rarely need to use that one for cutting up fabric.
I do marathon cutting where I get 10" squares, 4 1/2" strips and 2 1/2" strips from these companion fabric sets. Odd leftovers are cut into 1 1/2" strips. I use the initial or end cut strips (uneven waste) to tie these cuts stacked together for later marathon strip piecing, etc. I mostly do Wicked Easy quilts and Potato Chip or just checkerboard. I have a tub of 2 1/2" strips for jelly roll race style quilts and a huge pile of 1 1/2" strips for scrap strip piecing when that mood strikes. The 10" has really been a useful cut since I can further cut it if needed. These cuts do about all I need for my piecing!
This works well for me. I finished piecing 75 tops for our PL projects in the last 6 months of 2012, took a long cycle trip to Alaska and kept up with our two crab pots' production as well as regular cooking and a wee bit of cleaning! (I clean house every three months whether it needs it or not!)
Since I have lots of cut squares and strips on hand to work with, I spend the really cold, really hot, and rainy or inclement weather sewing tops and I am never bored with it.