I now keep a basket on top of a baby wardrobe in here. I have magazines-with the fabric , books with fabric, copies with fabric. this helps me stay on track. I also have a direction to go in because I pulled fabric for it. If I need to collect fabric, I have place to see it. The other day I found one that just set my britches on fire......I had a friend mail me some of her scraps, so I located the pattern.....and my new system was out the window......My basket is still over there waiting.........Don't ask me...I need help myself.

I always get new ideas in my head while finishing the current project. Then clean my sewing room and start on the next. I keep stacks of fabric in order of what I want to start on. Plus stash in bags with a pattern. I'll never live long enough to finish my list in my head!

Start with a pattern or two - then "shop" in your stash.

I never FINISH my to do list. Usually a project comes up before I've finished anything and I just put things aside to do the current project. Then when that is finished, the dilemma is which project to go back to.

Something I like to do if I don't have a current project to do is make sampler blocks. I pick out a few that I've wanted to try and different scraps, etc. to make them from. When I have made 3 or 4, and one of them was fun and I enjoyed it a lot, then that will be my next project and I'll use that as the base for my next quilt.
Sometimes it's the first or second one that trips my trigger, so that's when I am inspired and put away the samplers and start the next project.
It's a fun way to collect blocks for a sampler quilt and to try new things while you are at it.
:D

Like a lot of quilters here. I have never finished my to do list. I have always been adding to it so it never gets shorter.

LOL, I didn't mean to imply I had ever finished my list. I was just saying how I decided which item to choose to tackle next. Lol, I won't be able to finish all the ones I want to do and all my dedicated ones unless I live to be reallyyyyyyyyyyyy reallyyyyyyyyyyyyy old.

i love this idea. bunches of thanks.

I have never had all of my projects done. I have no idea what that feels like. You are truly amazing. Good luck.

Do you subscribe to magazines? Do you search the web for freebie quilt patterns? Or do you go to your brick and mortar stores and look at their samples? Can you attend any of the quilt shows from your local guilds? I cannot imagine not having a project in the works. And that is a good thing.

Same here, my to do list is a book full of stuff to make!!

I am amazed at how many of you have so may projects on the back burners. I knew I was rare, but I guess I didn't realize how rare. I am going to try many of your suggestions, but I did finally get going on a small rail fence...or is it fence rail? I really am still a newbie, though my stash doesn't make it seem that way. I have managed to collect a lot of fabric in two years. I guess my mistake might have been that I bought it without a real pattern in mind.

At any rate, here is the small quilt laid out on my design wall. It is for a friend's cat. I made my mother's cat a quilt, and now my friends want quilts for their cats too. It gives me an easy way to experiment with colors and blocks.

Oh, my friend told me she thought her cat would like earth colors. Funny, but I selected earth colors because of that. :)

Way to go on to do list!! I just wish I could finish my wips so I can get onto my to do list! :?

Do you realize...THANKSGIVING IS NEXT MONTH, THEN CHRISTMAS THE FOLLOWING MONTH??? Where does time go? I have so many unfinished projects stacked up that I might see daylight in, maybe, three years...IF I don't add more in the meantime!

Time to work on christmas presents.....

I can't imagine being at the end of my to do list. I'm wondering if I could possibly live long enough to finish my last to do project. I am glad you have more of a control over your want to list. Looking at other comments I don't feel so bad. I feel I fit right in with them.

unfortunately my "to do" list is so long I will never die.

Never had that problem. I have plenty of UFOs, WIPs, PIGs, and a huge "to do" list.

What is PIGS?

Projects In Grocery Sacks - That's what I'm calling the ones that I have all the fabrics together with the pattern but haven't yet started. They're not necessarily in grocery sacks but you get the idea. . .

I was just thinking the same thing. Cool!

Choose something from your bucket list! Or, borrow something from my bucket list!!

Boy I'm with you I won't live long enough to get all I want to work on done, by then will have lost the pattern that went with the materials I had set aside for it.

When I see people with jobs that leave open time, I want to tell them that hand applique is a good way not to be bored. Quilt plans are like little tulip bulbs... just waiting for the right time and conditions to sprout into something beautiful. What may look like a barren bed is really beauty waiting to shoot right out of there. I do more planning and preparing than sewing right now and I was a bit ashamed of myself until I realized that just for today this is what feels right and makes me content. Those little shoots will be coming when the time is right. Maybe you're a little 'tulip bed' too right now.\:)

That is a beautiful way to say it. Very well put and thank you for reminding us that we all need time now and then to store up inner strength and beauty so we can be ready to bloom where we are planted!!!

I am so happy that you clarified that. :lol: :wink:

All of your to-do quilts are done? I can't imagine! I have a huge stack over here that I could use help with!

Ha,ha, I lose everything, including patterns :wink:

Always, always, have some to-do projects. Always, always adding to my list!!! Vicious circle!!! I usually find a pattern then the fabric!

Lucky you I don't think that will ever happen to me.

I have some of those, but so far enough to keep in tote bags. I either need more tote bags or need to catch up,, LOL Maybe I should get some quilted tote bag projects......

[quote=quiltsRfun]

[quote=CAS49OR]I have some of those, but so far enough to keep in tote bags. I either need more tote bags or need to catch up,, LOL Maybe I should get some quilted tote bag projects......



:thumbup: :-D :lol: :lol:

tackle something that needs tackling! ;) create a new pattern lol

I dont sleep well at night for all the ideas that keep running through my brain,,, :roll: :roll:

I try to arrange my projects in order of needing them for gifts or whatever someone needs. Sometimes even the best laid plans just don't pan out something else comes along and needs doing. Good Luck maybe do something you really want. Sue

I have never been close enough to think that far ahead.

OMG -- that's wonderful. My current list won't be done for a while and my problem is that way before I catch up, I've added a couple more to the list!! So many beautiful patterns out there! The selection of your next quilt should be fun!

I forgot to mention that I'll have to live to be more than 100 yrs. I like you keep adding to my collection. It's the fabrics fault and also the pics I see here I go crazy for. I guess we should all just enjoy whether it's orderly or not. The older I get the more I think enjoy what life we have my DH always says to me do you want us to put on your tombstone the cleanest house just relax and enjoy our time to quilt. Sue