The major cause of my UFOs
 

I think I have finally discovered the cause for so many of my UFOS. It is not just that I spend too much time on the QB. It is not that I really enjoy the picking the fabric,piecing and seeing how the block comes out. It is not even the layering and basting. It's not even getting the money together for the batting. It is the IRONING. Preparing the backs is what really gets to me. I have been ironing for hours to prepare the back for this QRcode quilt. Now I need to sew it together to make it big enough for the back and then it will need some more ironing. I have an ironing pad that fits my cutting table. However, the table is stacked full of stuff which makes it difficult to get on with it. (Sigh) I need this done for a going away gift, so I better get on with it. Wish me luck.
Kathy

I think your problem is more getting your ironing space cleared off than the actual ironing.

At least, that is my problem.

I'm with you, I hate the ironing part.

Ick, ironing. My room is so squishy I have to set up my ironing board in the hall where the light is really bad. I try to do what I can on the little ironing board in my room, but it doesn't work for everything.

Pressing tops is so much easier with a big board--waiting for my husband to make one for me.... Just wondering...are you pressing the seams in your blocks as you go? That makes things easier when you're ready to press the finished top.

Pressing is not a favorite of many of us and oh so necessary. I would sew the large pieces together before pressing. I do all my pressing in the kitchen where there is lots of room and it keeps me from sitting too long. It takes me about 20 to 30 minutes to press a whole back. Of course, there are only three or four seams. I Understand about little piles getting in the way of the next step of whatever project in the works. Good luck with this project and the straightening up.

for the most part I don't mind the ironing but like you it's the moving stuff, move something to do something and no place to put it but on the floor end up walking tripping into to stuff

I agree about the lack of space. I am trying to get rid of the clutter. I am being very aggressive about throwing away too small scraps, end pieces. I put up a design wall so I don't have to lay items out on the guest bed and throw towels over them so my cats don't sleep on them. Got to get rid of the clutter and I'll have space to maneuver. I also need to work on my UFOs and get them out of the way. That creates clutter.

I've discovered that as long as I press the seams on the back (if any), I can load the back on my longarm frame, spritz the exposed area lightly with water, roll, spritz, ... and all the wrinkles just melt away. It takes a little longer to load the quilt, because I like to let the fabric dry a little before each rolling action, but it means I don't have to iron the back.

What a great idea I need to try that.

I put folding tables together and cover with an inexpensive king size cotton mattress pad. I can iron any size backing in no time with no puddling on the floor. I have four of the folding in the middle tables bought at Lowes. Folded in half they are easy to store and to move. The middle seam is flush when opened.

I only iron quilts not clothes. I have my iron close on a 36x24" board, still get up and down to press!

I do iron the seam if I sew a back together, but other then that I just put it on the roller on my frame, and the wrinkles are not noticeable. I never iron a 108" backing that goes on my frame. I will remember the spritzing thing if I have a back that is extra wrinkled.

I am always having to piece my backs (budget restrain) and I just find it difficult to get the sections cut that when sewed, comes with the dimensions that I need for the back to be. Have over 6 quilts hanging waiting for backing to be pieced. I would rather lay down on a bed of nails !! :)

I bought 2 pieces of plywood for my big boards- then waited forever for my DH to round the corners a bit. He went out of town and I decided I was going to finish it myself. So I did! Once I lobbed the points off the corners, ran to the store to buy a staple gun because I couldn't find his, it really was quick. I usually just set it on my ironing board, nbut leaving it up all the time takes up a lot of space and tends to get stuff piled on it. So I use a small pad for block construction and get out the big board when I have large pieces to press.

:) me, too -- I hate the pressing of seams and with small pieces it seems that I spend more time ironing -- I put off that stage of the project and thus it takes me so long to do something simple, all because I hate ironing!! Ironing board is also set up with space and the iron, but alas I hate ironing

Okay, GOOD LUCK!! That what you asked, right?

When I piece my backing I tear rather than cut the fabric. I allow a wider seam allowance because tearing does compromise the threads along the tear. Since it tears on the grain I get a much truer hanging back plus you're only measuring your piece once. I used to dread having to measure all along the length of the fabric when I cut the pieces. I only press the seam area. By glue basting the batting and putting the backing on top of that when I smooth it on it takes care of wrinkles and I never have puckers and such in my quilts.

Clear off the ironing board and thank your luck stars you have the room for a board that size. I wish I did

My UFOs have nothing to do with ironing. I never get that far. I get excited about trying out a new block and bundle of fat quarters, get some ideas, start the project. Get to the point where I've got the blocks made and maybe even putting together to a certain point...and then...challenge met (blocks I wanted to try are finished)...now what do I do with them? And there it sits.

that's how I have done it for years.I also press the seams open on my long arm frame.Backs do not have to be ironed so carefully.Remember they are going to be rolled up on the frame anyway.So do a "good job" then move on to something else.and enjoy the process.

cutting asnd ironing are the 2 things i like least about quilting

Martha T, I see you are in Alabama--don't y'all have a county fair where you live? Get busy on one of those UFOs and enter it in the fair. That is my main focus right now--getting two quilts ready for the fair coming up the first week of August. Everyone knows to look for me at my FW or ironing board, or at the foot of my ks bed. I lay my finished lines out on my bed as I assemble (and reassemble) them, and am getting real excited about getting it out to my long arm.

I guess I'm the odd one as I enjoy pressing each piece and particularly when I'm appliqueing and use starch so the piece is crisp for cutting. As for the clutter, that seems to go with quilting or at least it does with me. I start with a clean, neat area and when I'm done with a project it looks like a tornado went through the room. I have finally gotten it through my head that scraps no bigger than a nickel are not going to be used. Being thrifty is great, but I've learned that I cannot save every little scrap of fabric when it really is never going to end up in a project. Right now I'm making new shades for my living room lamps and there is fabric everywhere, but the project will be finished today and then the cleanup begins, again.

The major cause of UFO's for me is ADD. I will get a quilt almost finished and can't wait to start the next project. So I start that one with the intention of finishing the last one as I go along. Ha! Never happens. Then I will dig in my stash to find a back for a quilt that I actually finish and end up picking out and possible cutting fabric for another quilt or 2. I have been piecing my backs so I don't have to buy any more fabric. My stash is out of control!

Yes, I have a project, the front has been done for months, but I wanted to use up the left over fabric on the back.
I just can't seem to get back to that project now.

Agreed. I just press the back seams if pieced and then spray with 1/2 Best Press and 1/2 water (recommended by one of my LA teachers) and go for it. As far as just piecing a top, I try to do my piecing and then iron when that step is done and so on.

Since I prefer to wash my fabrics before using them in quilts, I would try to take the fabrics out when they are still slightly damp and then iron them sitting in front of my TV watching my favorite shows or movies, and the time goes by so much faster. My major cause for UFO's is sandwiching the quilts. I love the quilting process, picking patterns, picking out fabrics, making the quilt tops and then machine quilting. What I don't like is sandwiching the quilts, I wish I could find someone who likes doing that so I won't have quite as many UFO's.

Wait a minute...you mean quilt tops are supposed to have backs? :D:D:D Not in my house! I can't seem to finish my quilts either. Pressing/ironing is not the problem (I iron my husband's work clothes every morning), space in my room isn't the problem, ADD? Maybe this is my problem. I love to piece the tops, then I lose interest in the project. It's no fun to sandwich them. Quilt them? Forgetaboutit!

I feel your pain all of you UFO quilters! I am a charter member of the UFO club.

I dislike ironing big pieces too. It takes forever and is cumbersome, then the already ironed piece hits the floor and crumples up again.

Good luck! We all hear you on this one.:mad:

I love the ironing part because I get to touch all of that beautiful fabric before I cut it or sew it to another piece. Loving that fundamental touch aspect may be crazy, but it makes the ironing a lot easier