Well, long ago I subscribed to the idea that "If the top's done, it's a quilt." I love the process much better than the product-- deciding on the pattern, picking out the fabrics, and watching everything change as the blocks/sections come together. Half way through a top, I'm thinking of the next project! I've made very few quilts I can't part with; my favorite usually is the next one :)

WOW!!! You sure are disciplined!!! :wink: I think I currrently have about 5 UFOs, but at least 4 of them will be finished by the end of November -- three are Christmas gifts so I have to finish them!!! :oops:

[quote=moonwolf23]Problem is teh 1500 miles between us.
:|

I hand quilted all my quilts until about 8 years ago, when I received an injury to my right shoulder now I'm not able to do any hand quilting so they are taken to my best friend and machine quilted. Don't beat yourself up.I have one I started quilting just before the injury and it is still wating. :D :thumbup:

I often wonder why so many feel that the binding part of the quilt is so difficult. I like that part the best. I stick with the simple 2.5 inch folded in half (not even on the bias). What I really love about it is that once that is sewed on, I'm free to leave my machine and hand stitch at my leisure. The thought of having a finished project pushes me to pick up the stitching often, until I'm done. Then I get to take a picture!

If you go on youtube, there are really great videos on how to do the bindings. I know they helped me a lot.

This year my guild challenged members to finish one easy and one more difficult UFO each month. We then show them at our monthly "drag and brag". I have a longarm machine and quilt for myself and others. I have finished my two projects each month and during "drag and brag" noticed I have also finished other peoples UFO's. :) At least they are done!! By the way, our guild members are fun, caring and a joy to be associated with.

Pat, what is the name of the block?? I know I've seen it but can not remember.. I need to use some scraps>>>!!

my bad habit, is letting the pain get to me so much, that I put off finishing a project tell the last minute, I need to learn to deal with the pain I have, so I can enjoy it more, because I am loving learning and creating the quilts I make, but some times the stress of a tome line and pain don't mix well. God bless.

Same here, to both your initial question here..about finding them..(I've got several peaking out at me as I noted today)

Yes, putting them aside to quilt when the mood hits is what happens to me also, especially if the quilt top isn't made with anyone specifically in mind.

Another bad habit of mine is under estimating the time it takes to cut all the pieces and then put a top together. I always think of making 'last minute' gifts for family and realize that the clock is ticking and I have to work very hard to get it done in time. I get big ideas without realizing how little time I actually have! Hopefuly I will get more organized for Christmas!

Ladies, if you have extra quilt tops laying around, why not send them to Jan in Va. She is collecting quilts to send to some lonely soldiers in Afganistan. She will take the tops and have them quilted and finished. Her SIL has more than 100 men under his command and has asked for a little color to boost the men's morale. If you can help, please contact her. Support our troops.[/quote]

I do Quilt of Valor for the troops and let me tell you, it is one of the most wonderful, satisfying quilting gifts you can give, so please send those UFOs to Jan. It will help the men and women we so very much depend on.

[quote=justme2]I love making quilt tops,from K size to miniatures.The whole process from planning,cutting & piecing is fun,but not finishing them.Can't hand sew & my machine "quilting"is a joke :-)
So my worst problem is piling up quilt tops.Once it's done, I'm off to next one....& so it goes.
How do others handle that? What is your solution? Do you have a bad quilting habit.


Well, I am one of the outnumbered on here because I absolutely have to finish what I started or it drives me crazy. I love the process from designing my pattern, cutting, piecing, quilting and binding. I do think about my next project but know I have to complete the one I'm working on before I begin again. So maybe that's my bad habit.....start to finish or nothing else.

To all with unfinished quilts: Have you considered trying some of the
ladies on the Long Arm Quilters list? Personally, I have done some
"freebies" of lap/baby quilt size as an incentive for possible paying/future
orders. Perhaps others on the LAQ list have incentives to help you
realize the beauty of a finished quilt.

I am the same way. I make tops and then on to the next one. I am trying really hard right now to quilt the ones that I have done. This takes a lot discipline for me.

I'm real bad at finishing too. My mother always tells me that I need to stop buying craft materials and use what I have or finish something I started. I have some UFOs that are 10 years or more old. Just last January, I cut out the material for three quilts but I have not started actually sewing the tops yet because I got bored. Oh well...

I guess I am too good at finishing projects or too good at "switching horses midstream".

I got my longarm in June and had no completed tops with backs to put on the machine until this weekend! I had one top 90% done that just needed an outer border. But then I didn't have enough fabric for backing so went on a stash raid and made the backing out of orphan blocks, some leftovers from the top and yardage. So I finally got my first quilt on it and am just getting started with longarming it.

I have another top almost done but then nothing in que except fabric picked out for the next 4 projects.

I also must have hand work to do while watching TV. So I do have one that I am handquilting that has been a WIP for over 2 years now.

As most of you have already stated - there is no "bad quilting habit" just have to find your system.
For myself, I too love making the tops but I have also learned that once I can no longer close the top on the tub I store them in it's time to sandwich and quilt them.
I always start with the smaller ones, getting warmed up for the larger ones and to be honest I've only quilted up to a queen size quilt.
Quilting is my second love, my first is designing and handsewing stuffed animals. So needless to say, I filter lots of animals in between the quilts I make.
If I had to confess to a bad habit, it's the fact that I can leave all my stuff sprawled out in my craft room and when I need to leave it all, I just close the door. I do clean it once a month but in between - boy is my face red and it does explain why I use "Covered in Threads" when signing off on things. ;0)

It is not 'cheating' to let someone else quilt them. I once took a class from a teacher who said, "When I have finished a quilt top my relationship with that piece is over. I have already designed the next one in my head and am anxious to move on. Someone else can quilt it!"

Furthermore, she stated that by the time the quilt is ready for borders she's ready to move on and has to force herself to finish. I tend to fall into this category. I currently have 2-3 quilts that need borders and I've lost count how many need quilting! LOL
Peggy in Fla

I love making quilts and I have been known to have quite a few tops waiting to be quilted, but I know that I will never be able to do them all. My solution has been to quilt and/or tie most of my smaller projects, but I have found someone who does a wonderful job of machine quilting and I will send up to four at a time for her to do and she sends them back to me to finish up with the binding. Took me a long time to get over the guilt of not quilting myself, but I think this solution suits me very well.

I always knew when to vacuum the sewing room ... it was when I found threads/scraps/etc on the landing of the stairs halfway between sewing room on 2nd floor and entrance foyer on 1st floor. As long as you couldn't see if from the front door ... it was fine by me!

Peg in FL

i have one quilt from a shop hop last september on my design wall, and put the quilt from the october shop hop right over it... that one is just about done, so i can go back to looking at the first one...

i always have 5-6-7-8 working, and that doesn't count all the needlepoint & counted cross stitch i've got going...

my girls have already claimed some of the fabrics in my stash!

I know myself pretty well so I only do what I feel that I can do well. I have no need for large quilts and I don't like to make them. So, I make small quilts, smaller than lap size generally. This lets me do what I love and I don't get bored with the fabric, the pattern or the process. I can generally quilt the small quilts on my conventional Bernina. I don't go nutz (usually) but with the small size quilts, I can spend extra time quilting in a special way & even embellishing it if I care to.

I don't think that's a bad habit at all. I love making tops, but I love finishing them even more. We all have our specialties. I learned how to machine quilt so I could finally see my tops finished. I don't have time to hand quilt my projects and get them into my loved ones' hands.

After I learned to machine quilt I started doing it for others. It brings them so much joy to see their projects finished that I started a business. I'd be more than happy to help if you decide that's the way you want to go.

JuneBug Quilting - 978-833-0312

lucky lucky lucky me, I have a sister who has a longarm, she does alot of free quilting for her guild in arizona. If it wasn't for her, I would quilt quilting because of cost.For exchange for her quilting, I make her quilt tops.elise

That's great that you work together like that!! You are lucky!!!

I feel so much better. I have never suffered so much guilt as when I started quilting. I have 5 projects in various stages and I know before I finish them I will see something else I can't wait to start.[ I love all phases, just get bored with too much of the same thing.
I just finished a king size garden trellis because I was afraid my kids would find it "unfinished" in a box long after I am gone. LOL . Thanks, I am encouraged and glad I opened my mail this morning.

Gayle
quote=Dragonfly Nana]I used to think I HAD to finish one project before I could start another one - now I know better!
Like others I can get "tired" of the large ones by the time the top is done.
I hav found that if I mix some small projects in between the top making and the sandwiching/quilting of large projects I can enjoy all of the processes more.
Doll Quilt or Table Runner swaps are a great thing for the above.[/quote]

I found one of these quilts this weekend at a garage sale. Someone had taken a finished top, slapped a blanket in between and used a sheet as backing not even removing the hems. Folded over the sheet to the front & used stitches about 3" long to secure. It must have been used outside. Anyway I bought it for $2 (that's right TWO). Soaked it in vinegar & water. Noticed the blanket in the sandwich had dark patches showing. Took the quilt apart and found a beautiful friendship quilt All hand stitched & signatures hand embroidered

And how funny it is that some of us buy those old quilt tops and go ahead with them at great speed, to sandwich, quilt and bind them while leaving our own UFOs unfinished. Are we crazy or what!!?? :lol:

LOL! Not crazy....I think of it as I do food. What I cook doesn't taste 10% as good as if someone else cooks it!
Then to, maybe we're finishing the "unfinished" because we know how someone must have felt making them! Call it 'being the finishing angle'.

[quote=Momsmurf! Call it 'being the finishing angle'.[/quote]

That's a nice way to think about it :) When I go to thrift stores and I see piles of crocheted doilies and needlework, I think about all the hours and love that some lady poured into her project. I found one lap size quilt that was finished and I snatched it up but I haven't been lucky enough to find any more.

I think I like the idea of being a "Finish Angel."
Now if only I could be my OWN finish angel!!
:lol:

my BAD habit is piecing -------I DON'T , gives me the willies, but love all else except p'haps the actual putting binding on.
Adore hand quilting, so relaxing, hate maching ---------that's me really bad!!!!

worst habit is right along with everyone else...finishing thats why i am working on wall hangings seems they actually get done and second worse habit has got to be leaving rotary cutter open i know shame on me i will learn some day!

Anyone who has UFO's that would like to donate them to a good cause can send them to Quilts of Valor and we will finish them. We make quilts in all colors and patterns as thank you's for our wounded Veterans returning from Iraq & Afghanistan. Minimum size is only 50x60 and no bigger than twin...if it isn't that size yet, we can add borders. We can also use orphan blocks to construct quilt tops. Contact me by email and I'll give you the address. [email protected] thanks, Barbara

I have no answer from you, I suffer from the same problem. I tell folks I am just a 'topper', not a quilter.

After finishing up a quilt top I take it to my longarm quilter.
I don't quilt so I am able to start on my next quilt top.