Drowning in unfinished projects
 

Hi all,
Hope some of you can help me out. I have some time to sew before I go back to school but am feeling overwhelmed with how many projects are lurking around my sewing space. Argh, finding it hard to pick and this is frustrating me. Please give me your thoughts. If you are a 'finish one project before you move on' quilter, it's too late to change me now. :)

just pick one and get busy procrastation wastes alot of time at least for me ...my problem is my work area is too small but come Feb we are going to expand that area and hopefully that will make me better organized.

I sure hope you (WE!) get some helpful advice here....I need the answer to this question too....I'm NOT a finish one project before you move on quilter either (and almost certainly never will be)...sorry I couldn't help but maybe misery loves company...:o

Hi lots todo. Try numbering your projects. Maybe start with the one you are most excited to finish and go from there. Doing the one you are more motivated to work on may give you a kick start. Enjoy your sewing time. I too plan to quilt before returning to school.

I don't like to waste money and when I have UFOs laying around, I see dollars sitting there that weren't spent wisely. I don't buy for the next project until I'm finished w/ the current project. I also find that generally speaking, my taste changes like the blowing wind. Down the road, I may not like my original plan, so it sits unfinished, and then I just see money that I could spend on something else.

I'm not necessarily a 'finish what you start' person. Sometimes that's just necessary. I usually have a couple of projects going at once but all in various stages. This way, if I feel like doing some piecing I can do that...quilting, I can work on that...planning, etc. But that's about it.

most of my UFOs sit there because i'm frustrated in knowing how to finish them. some sit there because life got in the way before they could be finished.

when i hit that wall i don't waste my meager brain cells trying to figure out which one i would like to do.
after all, if i hadn't lost interest in it the project would be complete already. LOL

i look for the one that requires the least work left to do.
the satisfaction of getting that one done will often keep me inspired to get another one out of the way.
i just keep picking the ones with the least left to do until i have worked off enough "guilt" to not feel silly if i start another new one.

i do have the impossible dream that someday the inspiration will last long enough to clear the pile.

as if.

LOL LOL LOL

i would pick the smallest and easiest to accomplish. that way, once it's done, you get that rush of "yeah! i finished it!"

that's my story and i'm sticking to it <g>

make a list on what needs to be done on each quilt. Finish of the ones closest to the end first. like binding, borders, etc. If you can't finish a project, at least move it to the next stage.

I agree with Patrice, pick the one with the least amount of work and finish that one. Then the next closest one to being completed and so forth.... Once you get one or two done, it won't look as unsurmountable.

I have the same thing going on. I have done a few. but then more join in the pile. Just pick one and go. Dont look at the big pile, just one at a time "one day at a time"
How do you eat and elephant? One bite at a time! LOL
Have Fun!

I make a to do list, but do not put too many on at once, then I start and work on these until the list is done . It may take awhile but makes me feel good to get a few done.

Dedicate a day to working only on unfinished projects that you wouldn't otherwise prioritize. I do my 'fun' crafting on Saturday, and finish up stuff that has been sitting on Sunday.

But also- really decide if it is worth finishing, if it isn't - give it away or throw it away. Tastes change and there is no obligation to finish everything you start.

Usually I get bored with the quilt I am working on because it is not challenging enough for me or it is too complicated for me. It's always one of the two. And I am afraid of a good challenge, which I shouldn't be because before I knew any better, I was making challenging quilts just fine. Now that I know they are challenging, I shy away and go for easier ones. If they are too easy, I get bored and it doesn't seem to hold my interest. Does that sound like you?

I've been quilting only three years. I've read plenty of comments about UFOs and I keep thinking about what a waste of money it is not to finish something.

Right now I have about 5 unfinished projects, maybe more. Yeah, definitely more. I used to be one of those people who had to finish a product before moving on. Sort of like "Clean your plate before you get dessert". Then I started quilting and and somehow I wanted to do so much more than just one project. I started making a Courthouse Steps Log Cabin quilt and it was coming along really good. But to do that right, you really need a design wall which I do not have or you lay it on the floor or the bed or somewhere. My DH came back home from a trip so that quilt got folded up because I could not put it out where I could see it. Then Connecting Threads had these absolutely beautiful orange/yellow batik charms on sale and I bought them an started a quilt, changing the pattern somewhat. So then I did not have enough fabric to finish it and had to order more. I was reminded that some anniversaries were coming up for my DD and DS so I had to stop and get them done. Then I remembered I had to start on DGS quilt and started that and since it is over 1000 pieces, that got boring and I started on another charm quilt. I am a Snow Bird now and have all these unfinished projects with me now and will start today on finishing them. I will work on my favorite one just to get me going and then after a few days I will start on another. I bought some flannel tablecloths and will use those for my design wall, I can fold it up nice and neat after laying it all out. Do not be upset about all your projects, I think it's wonderful myself to have so many projects, my talent is overflowing. Just pick your favorite one of all and start. These items you are making are for you and should be a pleasure. If not, then give them to the Salvation Army, sell them here, or just give them away. Life is so short, enjoy it, don't feel guilty.

Omg! I have three unfinished quilt projects (one may never get finished, I changed all the decor in the house to completely different color sets). I also have about 4 unfinished crochet projects and countless other 'little projects' that need attention. I too become distracted by the numbers of 'to do's' on my list, so when befuddled, I try to pick on the project that is closest to completion. One quilt is already assembled, needs a backing and batting and the machine quilting I planned, so I'm working on this first (primarily to get rid of it, it's going to charity when it's done because of the change in our homes colors). Saving the crocheting for the evening in front of the TV, working the 'little stuff' in with small chunks of time. Sometimes this strategy works for me, sometimes it doesn't. It's all the advice a self-proclaimed procrastinator can offer!

We had a UFO club one time at our LQS. It worked Great!! Here's how it worked. Make a list of all your UFO's and number them. Let say you have 12. Now take 12 small pieces of paper and write each number on one. Put them in a bag. Every month draw out a number, whatever number you draw, look at your list and thats the one to finish. We had till the next meeting to finish it. If we did not it cost us $5.00. The next meeting we would draw a new number. At the end of the year, everyones money, and there was a lot, would go towards food and goodies for a UFO party. If we finished our UFO for that month the quilt shop gave us a $5.00 rewards card. Lots of UFO's were finished, and lots of fun was had.

I think we've all been there a time or two. I have a few UFOs myself right now.... and I plan to put numbers on 5 of them.... I'm not going to pick which ones, just the top 5 projects. Then, I'm going to have my DH or DS pick a number from 1 to 5. Whichever number they choose will be the one I work on.... no backing out or whining about which one. Just do it..... muddle through if necessary. The goal will be to work on it till done. Then, I'll pick the next one, etc. Sometimes I just have to force myself to work on something but that's okay.

One way I've gotten myself to work on a project that I'm not excited about is to bargain with my time. I tell myself that I will work for 2 hours and then I get 30 minutes to do something I'm really wanting to do. Then, I just repeat the 2 hour, 30 minute cycle till I either get it done or till I've reached the point where I'm excited to get it finished. I find that I'm always more excited to finish the closer to done I get.

Good luck... let us know what works for you.

I agree that you pick a project that is nearest completion--once it is done you can mark it off. Do that with all the others and watch that list disappear. Then and only then get yourself a new project and get it done. Happy New Year.

I'm with PatriceJ and TwoXover. I completed quite a few projects in just about four weeks by doing that. Some were almost finished and so I could do two or three a day which really encouraged me. It is so much fun to see completed quilts stack up where you can see what you have accomplished.

I am one that finishes a quilt, totally before I start another.
If I were you I would pick one UFO and just work on it until it was totally finished and move on to another. If you don't get started you will be wasting precious time and not get a thing done.

Can't help you, cuz I have the same problem :) on the other hand, I couldn't stand having only one project! I walk in my room to straighten up and yet start another project,then one day when i least expect it, I will get busy and get them almost done and start again. Oh what a web we weave.

LOL, you have come to the land of never ending UFO's for advice??????????

I wish I could help myself!

Wow! What a lot of great advice and encouragement. I thank you all for sharing your thoughts with me. We had our last Christmas celebration with family today so I couldn't sew but tomorrow, I'm there! I think I'll set up two stations -one on the featherweight for a placemat project that's supposed to be a gift and a cute snow person wall hanging that someone at the guild keeps asking me if it's finished yet on the other machine. Would feel really good if I could get that up on the wall while we still had snow!
I knew I came to the right place for advice...keep on sewing and smiling!

I have friend that are do one at a time quilters but I just happen to be one of those that took classes, made quilts and then had to make a special one for wedding or like event plus babies and they got put aside. Have been trying to work on them above all else. Have several that are just in block stage. Others with patterns and material and on and on it goes. One closet is full of boxes of this stuff. And I have a fabric stash that would run par with some of the quilt shops I've been in. Have helped others with fabric that is in my stash and plan on having a gigantic garage sale in the late spring of all sorts of sewing stuff. I will never be able to use all that I've acquired in the past 40 years including feed sacks.

My worst enemy to getting things done is a cluttered space. I can't get myself to settle into anything when the sewing room is piled up. Sadly I do sewing and alterations for the public and things often get cluttered and then when I do have time to quilt for me nothing happens.

I have a big problem with UFOs... since I started quilting again in late September here's what's been working for me. I had 94 UFOs as of 10/1. I picked a group of them to work on until the end of the year and have finished 16. I have picked another group to work on for Q1 of 2013. I ignore the rest! Too many is overwhelming... one at a time is not my style. I like to have 5-6 projects going at once as I get easily bored/distracted. I keep track of my progress on my blog and keep busy posting to the UFO Challenge folder :).

When I finish 5 UFOs I treat myself to a new quilt book, fabric, new ruler, etc. When I finish 10 UFOs I get to start a new project. This might sound pretty drastic but it is VERY motivating for me. I figure a focused year or so of undoing what took me 10 years to create is a good trade-off.

I have finished every new project I've started this fall (no new UFOs for this girl!). Really what I'm doing is teaching myself how to finish things! I was very intimidated by sandwiching, quilting and binding and I'm not anymore. I'm looking forward to learning to FMQ in 2013 and my goal is to average a UFO finish each week.

I finish everything...can't stand something unfinished...what would be totally crazy. I agree with the others, pick the one that has the least amount of work and get started.

I donated a ton of UFO's It was freeing! definitely reduced my frustration level.

My personal mantra: "Beethoven, Schubert, and Mozart left work unfinished; and no one denies their genius!"

Jan in VA

first off it's going to take a little (self-discipline)...do not start anything new until you have*lowered the stack* of unfinished projects---
then, instead of spending time going through started projects---pick up the first one- decide---nothing else till this is done...sit down & get it done. You will feel so (empowered) and excited when it's finished! then grab that next one one in site & do that one...in no time the stack will be down below the (overwhelming) level and you will be excited to start something new. many of us go through this...when i reach that point where i just don't know what to do- i know it's time to just take the first one laying in site and get at it-no excuses. (if there is actually an excuse-like need something important---at a standstill then i write a note stating what it is i need to finish it- put the whole thing into a large ziplock-with the note on top & shelve it- then it's not laying around in the (overwhelming ufo's stack) it is put away- and i can move onto the next one. it's always amazing how all of a sudden i can get 6-10 projects finished in a week when i set my mind to getting things done & out of the way :)

Every day since Christmas, I repeat to myself, "no new projects started until all unfinished quilt tops have been quilted and bound" at least 5 times. So far I have gotten 2 quilts done and plan on getting the backing ready for a couple more today. Hopefully this will get me thru the stack, 'cause I really, really, want to start something new:)

I have so many unfinished projects, I had the week off so that was my plan to start working on them projects, and I did I now have seven quilt tops / throws done, it feels really good.
Pam

I am normally a one project at a time person...but sometimes I will do two at a time. I make sure the second quilt is simple like a tumbler or plain square..the second quilt that I make is always from my scraps...it helps me feel like I am digging into my pile of scraps and in my mind a freebie..even though its not really free....since I did pay for the fabric. ; ) I use my second quilt as a leader, ender....it works and its so awesome to have two done at the same time.

I've usually got several UFO's hanging around...for various reasons - I want a particular fabric/color and can't find it, I need a backing, I'm frustrated with it or I just don't like how it's turning out. For the first 2, I make a list and carry a swatch/es everywhere I go until I find what I'm looking for or find an acceptable substitute (I can easily get fixated on "I must have thus and so and nothing else will do" which is so not true. I'm learning to be more flexible!) The last 2 - I find I need a break from it which of course means I start another project! But that break helps my creativity and/or patience so I can usually come up with ideas to make it go better or decide that like it or not, it needs to be finsihed. Finishing smaller projects gets the "go get'em" up and running too...even if I have to start a new small poroject to do it!

I recently read a post suggesting that if we have unfinished projects that no longer hold our interest, we should consider donating them to another person or a thrift shop. We should bag them up and include directions and maybe a little back story. I have several UFOs that I once loved but no longer appeal to me and would not be fun to finish, so I am considering finding someone else to love them. I think it would feel good to find new homes for some of my UFOs and remove the stress of working on something I may never use.
Thinking about it.

I too have a lot of unfinished things going. I have a stack of ideas and some things that did not get finished for Christmas. For some reason I cannot get into it.
Of course, some of this is due to the fact that my youngest son wanted the back room all for himself so he closed in the front porch for me. However, there are still no windows or inside walls. My things are out there but it is hard to find everything I need and there is nothing I like less than having to dig for things.