I saw someone post in another thread about how they normally have 3 different quilts going at once - one that is being pieced, and two that they are quilting (one by machine and one by hand). I've been just working on one thing at a time until completion, maybe I'm just single minded and can't do more than one thing at once. :) Although, I'm getting ready to start on a cathedral window quilt which I think will take me quite a while, so I will probably need at least one other project going at the same time to keep my sanity.

How many things do you normally have going at once?

I didn't go through school long enough to count that high. I only have an Associates degree.

i work on 3 or 4 at at time much like the person you mentioned except i move them along at the same pace.

i cut all the quilts at the same time, then i piece them all, then i quilt them all.

i find my time is more efficient if i work in an assembly line fashion.

LOL

I can count that high, I just don't want too! ;-)

I have several BOM's I'm doing, one that's hand applique, and three or four that are machine pieced. Plus a hexagon quilt that's being hand pieced. And numerous other projects!

What I work on depends on how I'm feeling at that time.... if I want quiet reflective time I do my hand stitching... sometimes inspiration hits and I just go with the flow till it's done, even if it's starting something new when I haven't finished the last one.

I'd love to finish each one before starting the next, but don't want to have to "force" myself to work on something when I dont feel like it.

It depends of the mood I am in. I have a feeling I'm with Kwhite. I don't have enough fingers & toes.

Can I use someone else's fingers and toes to help me count?

I'm a finisher, not a starter, so I usually have one sewing machine project going, and one hand applique piece. The exception might be if I'm participating in a BOM, or a class. I find it a lot harder to start a new project than to finish the existing one. The result is I don't have a lot of UFO's, but then that could also be because I haven't been quilting that long.

Um, seventeen? I'm only kidding, lol, well sort of. I've started close to 30 projects over the past year and a half, and I'd say I have 8 finished. I usually get distracted or too excited about a new project before I finish the current one, and I just can't wait to start it. They're WIPs because they're unfinished, but I can't tell you when I plan on finishing some of those.

I'd say I'm actively working on three projects at the moment.

I am pretty close to finishing up everything I have in the works. Trying to get 6 (maybe more) quilts ready for LAQ, still need borders on two of them. I have another one that needs the center applique finished so I can sew all the parts together. Another one needs the pillow area applique finished and then decide what to do all around it.

Not too many in the works really and they're all getting down to the finish line. I have SEVERAL planned and the fabric for and I am trying to keep myself from doing anything on them until I clear out these.

I usually just do one at a time

When I first started it was one at a time...Now I cannot tell you how many I have in the works. Whether it is a single block, a quilt in various stages, or a wallhanging or whatever.
I am going to try this month of August to get some of these things completed.
Probably would help if I would get off the 'puter!
Kirsten

I have 4 older tops finished up that need quilting and have been around a long time. Two that are heirlooms that are waiting to be quilted that I finished the summer. I have finished and gifted so many I can't count them all though. (Does that count in my favor ...LOL!) Currently I have five in the works at different stages. And three I have bought everything for and waiting for me to make.

My next door neighbor just gave me a partially sewn one from a class she took three years ago she didn't finish. She decided she hated it. I admire her for admitting it and just letting it go. I think we all could take a lesson from her generousity and courage. I am hoping that I can make it alright. She had cut it out completely and stored it in a plastic zip bag kinda wonky and it is a lot of bias edges. We will see ... I think it will be fun to try.

I think that it depends on the person. If it bothers you to have someting waiting for a while. Finish it. I personally enjoy having them around like old friends. :-)

In my defense, I spent the beginning of the year finishing up tons of wip/ufo's. It felt great.

When I first started, I too worked on one at a time but was too anxious to finish up to get to another project. Now I have several going on at a time. 4 are BOMs and one is a monthly banner (see avatar), plus a bunch of Yo Yos for while I watch TV. Then I have a quilt that needs binding and another that has to be assembled. I am a finisher too. The smaller projects help me feel a sense of accomplishment while doing something on the larger ones. Plus, if I am tired of one project, I just go to another.

judee

I was only doing one at a time til I joined this board but now I keep starting something just so I will remember that I want to do it in future. I am going to try not to have more than 2 or 3, kind of worried I might get too many going & never finish any!

i had 6 in the works and called halt. now i have 2 of those completed, one almost done, and the rest waiting their turn. no more until i finish them all.


edit: 7 to start. 3 completed. one almost done. the rest are in line.

Well, Eddie, I am not sure exactly how to answer this. I usually only work on one quilt at a time. BUT---if anything goes wrong along the way, or something happens and I have to put it aside for a while I have a tendency to move on to another project and not finish the first one (or two or three). My problem is more of a UFO thing than a WIP thing. I have so many tops finished and never quilted, or tops that I just need to spend another hour or two with..............I will never live long enough to finish them all...........

I usually have at least 3 going 1 I'm just starting, one for lap quilting when I'm in the mood , and one that I have almost finished. I am bad about getting to the binding stage and laying them aside for awhile.
Of course in between all that I am planning another 3 or 4 in my head, don't know if those count or not!

My sister and I have what we call "the 3 project rule". If we have three projects going, then we can't do anymore until at least one of those is done. Well...that seems great--in theory! I am trying really hard to get down to three projects :shock: ! I have said no to several BOM's that I would have liked to participate in, but there are these UFO's waiting to be done and I am seriously trying to get down to three! And then once I get there, I want to set a budget for myself for my quilting stuff (tools, fabric, etc.) so that I don't go overboard again. I tend to say yes fairly quickly to my family for projects they ask me to do (for example, I just finished a quilt for a raffle for my mom's church, all except the binding and I will do that next week or
so...). Those kinds of things get in the way of finishing my own projects--not that I am complaining--it is all labors of love--and I enjoy the process. Once I am able to get down to the three project rule, I will most likely have a hand applique quilt going, a charity quilt going, and a pieced one for a family member (trying to plan quilts for each grandchild--we're up to 22 grands now and not even half of them have quilts from me yet!)

When I began quilting I would finish one quilt before beginning another project. Then I discovered quilting message boards and found out about UFO's and lost it. Been doing pretty good recently. This past week I finished a baby quilt needed for next moth's baby shower, for once I won't be finishing a quilt the night before I give it. I turned leftover blocks into some smaller quilts. So that leaves only granddaugher's lap quilt that is half done. Oh, forgot of about challenges, one for Guild, 3 for my small groups and several sets of exhange blocks, all in different stages of finishing. That's about 7 projects left to finish. Not too bad considering some of you gals said you can't count high enough to number your UFO's. LOL! May in Jersey.

As far as quilting, I like to work on one project at a time. I'm way too messy in my sewing room to have several things going at once :oops: I do like to have another project planned and ready to start as soon as I'm finished with the current one, though.

I have more projects started than I would like to admit. Like others there are times I tell myself I have to finish X number of projects before I can start a new one, that a great motivation for me.

quilts 1. too confusing lol, but i do have embroidery and cross stitch going to. then i work on whatever my mood tells me

I never thought of pizza boxes. GREAT IDEA. That way they don't get all mixed up. Thanks for the idea :D

I don't really have a usuall number in the works. When I started I finished one, then moved on. Right now I have 2 UFO's, 3 WIP's, and two that need the binding finished. I have to have one done by the 15th of August - binding is halfway done. :D

I have two that need to be quilted, two that are still being pieced, the start of my chicken blocks and the doll quilt which is being quilted also. I guess that makes 3 quilts and a number of blocks.

I'm like most everyone else. Too many to count. Active WIP, those that are out in view, probably 3 or 4. Those WIP that are tucked away in various stages of completion, goodness, lots and lots.

I think I generally have 3-4 at a time which includes my BOM.
I always have 2, for variety or maybe assembly-line fashion like Klue, but what happens is that I decide to make a new special-occasion gift so I add that. I can only start projects with deadlines way in advance so that means I have that one added on for awhile. I try to wait on the next desired project until the deadline one is done. So, I still can't take the time to learn kaleidoscoping until this baby quilt is done (getting close) and then my daughter's 30thBD wallhanging (haven't even planned yet). Then I'll go back to my BOM, my lapquilt for ME and learn kaleidoscope. I'd like to try tote bags for Christmas gifts but I'll have to see if that's when I'll be packing to move. I only have a small window of energy each day.

Well Eddie you said "works in progress" not UFO's so I usually have about 3-5 WIP's Going but I have a dozen or two UFO's. This weekent I plan on finishing 3 WIPS, 2 are done now, just have to finish the hand sewing of the binding one one more.
I usually have several waiting to be quilted, and I usually "sandwich" 3 or 4 at a time so I often have a couple tops waiting to be sandwiched. I have a bunch of block of the month's and quite a few block exchanges that need to be put together. I am not at home so I am not going to count.

I'm glad you posted this topic...it will give me a chance to list and mentally prioritize my projects. :) Several are for Christmas, but I probably would normally have 2-4 going. I like to cut/prep them and put them in large ziploc bags so I can grab something quickly to work on it.

Active projects:
* 1 quilt that I just finished quilting and need to bind
* 1 quilt that is sandwiched and ready to quilt (hopefully tonight)
* 1 quilt that I started piecing (for me!)

Patiently waiting their turn:
* 2 tops that are done, I need to assemble the back, sandwich, quilt and bind.
* 1 quilt that is cut and ready to sew
* 1 quilt that is not cut yet
* 2 Christmas wallhangings for the kids
* 1 quilt that is partially assembled

Still in the dreaming/planning stage:
* Pink/peachy/yellow either log cabin or french braid quilt
* Mariner's Compass - just got the pattern after trying paper piecing!
* I need to make myself some placemats/table runners - someday!

The reason I jump around is due mostly to my setup. I finally squeezed a few sq. ft. into my bedroom for my machine. It's really cramped and I'm wedged between the bed and closet, so there's no room to quilt, but I can piece blocks there without much aggravation. When I get to the point of needing more space, I need to move out to the dining room. It's my only dining spot, so I have to disassemble for meals. I really can only work on the big stuff on the weekends. So, in order to get my "fix", I work on piecing during the week and quilting when I can on the weekends.

It sounds like you are a "product person" and you are more interested in getting your project finished.

I, in comparison, am a "process person" and I am more interested in each step of the process. Sometimes I get bored with the process and the project goes night-night for a day or (week or forever).

There are days I wish I were more single minded and I would get stuff DONE. I stopped count at 15 UFOs - and about 4 of them are out on deck.

Oh Geez um, this is crazy...10-12, I get bored easily I guess! LOL

I kind of throw WIP's and UFO's together, and I have had as many as 24 before. Right now I am working on three. One for my cat, one for hubby for Christmas, and my really big queen sized one for my bed.

The first couple of years I quilted, I worked on one project at a time unless I had another in the works in a class. Now I have one pieced project, at least one applique project, and one hand quilting project going most of the time. Unfortunately, I'm beyond "most of the time" at this particular moment, having started a couple of other small projects earlier this summer that I need to move up on my quilting list of things to do. The real question is how many of my WIP will never be completed. There are 2 in my box right now I'm concerned about....

I've been keeping 3. One in the hand-quilting stage, one in the piecing stage, and one in the planning and fabric prep stage. I try to have another one ready to quilt when the other is finished being quilted. I hate not having a quilting project ready to put in the frame, it is my relaxation.

I like to applique, so I am always working on one applique. Then I have one I am piecing and another ready to piece...makes it more interesting....

When I started quilting about 4 years ago I swore that I would only work on one quilt at a time. Then when i started taking classes the projects didn't always get completed when I got home. I have 2 of those, only blocks, that may get done some day. The big projects I don't ever have more that two going. Right now I only have one quilt from 2 classes. I refuse to start another one until I figure out how to do it. Haven't touched it in months, but I am saving money because I won't buy any more fabric until it is done. (Not that I don't have enough stash for several additional quilts already!)

Right now I'm working on three projects, my brain needs a variety.

I think I have "what mood I'm in works-in-progress". Thank goodness for clean empty pizza boxes. I have about 4 of those with different projects: Garfield applique blocks (my own drawings of the cat), "Sawtooth Cats" pattern, Black & White quilt blooks, Quilt applique pattern design of my own, it's Native American (reflects my Tribe). Then there are crafty sewing projects that go on. Just depends on my mood when I go to my sewing room what I'm going to work on. I think I would go nuts if I didn't have several things going. When I retired from the libraries I thought I would get more organized at home, so far that hasn't happened. Guess because I'm so enjoying the time to sew now, I feel like a little kid with lots of toys (fabrics).

Wow, if I bundle UFO with WIP I have quite a few. I have one handquilting sandwiched but have yet to take needle and thread to it. One top that is completed but I don't like so it has sat in the pile for literally years. Another top I am working on that is about 3/4 done, this one I am really enjoying but haven't been able to sit at my machine to piece for several weeks due to vacations and guests occupying my sewing room which doubles as my guest bedroom. The scraps I am accumulating from this project are being prepped for another quilt and stored in ziploc bags. Then I have at least 3 projects pending where I have bought and prepped the fabric (washed, ironed, folded away with the pattern). A scrappy log cabin that I work on as I have accumulated enough scrap strips in the correct values (was way short of lights for the longest time). Various wall hangings pillows and blocks in various stages of production, from simply cut for peicing or applique to sandwiched just waiting for me to get off my duff and quilt. I tend to store my WIPs in ziploc bags until they get to the point of being a completed top (be it bed size or wall hanging).

Finally I thought I had completed Tumbling Tabbies but the show people say I have to have a solid strip of fabric type hanging sleeve that spans across the top as opposed to the hanging sleeve of 3" wide tabs evenly disbursed across the back that I put on. So I have to do that too.

I suppose I should take that challenge of completing a few before starting anything new. :oops:

FF

I am a newbie, but that does not mean I cannot rack up projects.
Currently working on 6, cannot wait till I am in it for years, wil not have enough fingers and toes.

Sandie
Ink on my fingers, glitter on my face, threads on my shirt, and a smile in my heart.