Great topic! I have way more quilt projects than are storable or mentally comfortable for me to keep track of at the present time. (I stopped counting after twenty!) It was interesting to read other's comments about needing standing time, or sitting time, or cutting or piecing or hand-work time as reasons to have multiple projects going on simultaneously. They all contribute to the reasons we have UFO/WIP/PHD or whatever you choose to call them. (I think we need to come up with a new acronym incorporating ALL of these letters!)

These comments got me to thinking: in an IDEAL WORLD, what would I want my quilting "to do" list to look like and this is what I came up with:

1 applique project; in progress
1 quilt sandwich; ready to be quilted
1 top; ready to pin
1 BOM; in progress
1 kit; ready to work on
1 pattern; ready to find fabrics
1 piecing project; in progress

After compiling my list, what surprised me, is that even adhering to a preset plan, it is lengthy and I could have easily added others without much effort. This made me realize that, at least for me, "it is what it is" and I need/want to just keep plugging along as best I can, because the reason I took up quilting in the first place is for enjoyment of the process. Creativity doesn't always fit into a nice neat little box (although if it did, I think an Altoids tin to store ALL my projects would be the perfect size!)

Well when I moved, I actually got all my UFOs in one place and I have completed about 10 of them. The sorry part is I have about that many still to finish. Along with three I just had to start. Well I must get back to them things that I call UFOs.

Ducking my head in shame...lol. I have more UFO's than I want to count. Ditto with the WIP. I'm a hand quilter and it takes so looong to get one finished that I frequently have to put it aside to do something else. Sometimes it's a while before I get back to it. I had to put aside a quilt that I'm quilting for a guest room when I suddenly thought I had to make two wedding quilts. Did get those finished in time but my poor guest room quilt had to wait. I have several leaders and Enders projects going. That's my story... I do have a goal to finish several of them this year and I'm sending one top off at a time to be machine quilted. Getting there. Do plan to start more quilts this year too...

I have recently completed 4 UFOs that for various reasons had not been finished. I think that my biggest 'reason' for having UFOs is that I LOVE to start quilting projects. There is soooo much excitement when I am planning the design and shopping for fabric; that is my favorite part about crafting quilts. But I also love the sense of accomplishment when a quilt is done and that is what helps to keep my UFOs in check. I have tried over the years, with varying degrees of success, to limit the number of projects I start and not to allow myself to begin something new until some of the WIP are completed. I have even made "deals" with myself that I had to finish certain projects before I was allowed to buy any new fabric or patterns. That has helped to keep my house from exploding from too many projects and aids me in not buying every piece of fabric that I fall in love with at the shop.

I don't even want to think of my UFO's because I'll get depressed. Right now I have 6 sets of placemats made, but they need to be sandwiched and quilted, 12 strawberry appliqued mug rugs (for a Strawberry Festival June 25)), 3 table runner to sandwich and quilt, I have the blades made for a king size Dresden Plate quilt for DS and DDIL, a large tree skirt top (will finish after the Strawberry Festival), 5 baby quilts, 2 of which are for twins that are probably a month old already, another quilt for the daughter of a dear friend, she will probably be a year old before it's finished, as it's applique and pieced (what was I thinking?) and the list goes on, including quilt blocks sent to me by a SIL in Ohio, all embroidered state birds - the kicker is that she said "no hurry" (that's the worst thing someone can say to me), and the list goes on. In all fairness to my UFO's, two years ago I had a torn rotator cuff repair, then almost exactly a year ago next month, I had a complete shoulder replacement, so for 2 years I was not able to quilt very much at all. I started recovering, when I took a series of 6 falls in 2 months, with hospitalization and 2 months of rehab. Now I finally start feeling better and I tore the rotator cuff in my other shoulder. JOY!! The Dr. didn't recommend repair surgery, which I agree with, but to go ahead and get the new shoulder, as he said I didn't need 2 surgeries, and the shoulder replacement had a faster and easier recovery. That said, I will wait as long as possible for the replacement, but right now I can still do several hours of sewing/quilting, so I'm concentrating on the Strawberry Festival where I can make some "mad money" to buy more fabric. LOL.

I think we should all stop beating ourselves up about UFO's,WIP's or whatever we called those projects that we've lost interest, needed to set aside for something else, etc. As a retired school counselor, the more students I was working with, the more classes I was teaching, the more special projects I had going--whether in the planning or the implementing stages, the better job my principal and district supervisor thought I was doing. So based on that, with the number of quilt projects in various stages, I'm a SUPER QUILTER AND SO ARE YOU!!

I only have UFO's when my Mom 'request' a baby quilt for a new great grandbaby. Then it's stop what you are doing and work on that. Then I have lost my momentum and interest on whatever I was working on and start something new. Seems to be a vicious circle right now.

This site is what gets me in trouble! I can be working away on my project and I open up Quiltboard , read all the ideas and check show and tell. I see something that that catches my eye that I just have to try then I am off on another Project! I guess you could say I can't stay focused on just 1 thing at a time!!!

I get bored working on one project at a time. I am currently working on three quilts and have an idea for another. Plus all the UFO's I have. Some of the projects are ones that I started a while ago and were set aside for one reason or another.

ok...ok...ok....I have five!!! One is going to be just a summer quilt (no batting), one is for DH that is about throw size, and one that is all dark scraps and sewn on the diag.sq's, (I'm anxious to get this one done because I kinda like it) and two crappy quilts....oops...forgot the 's'! But this Friday(???) I should receive my Bailey!!!!.....so excited! And I put off doing the quilts because I dreaded doing them on my DSMs even though I have a H-Viking 830 with the wider throat. I think I just didn't want to face pushing all that material through it. So I finally wore DH down...and BTW....Idon't buy anything that pricey without letting him know....I wouldn't like it if he did it to me...M A T E R I A L however....wellllll... that's another story!!!! :) Like they say....he let's me buy as much as I can hide!!! :)

I have several completed tops that need to be finished. Since I don't care much for the sandwiching process, I usually wait until I have nothing else to work on to finish the quilts. Once the tops are sandwiched, I enjoy the quilting and even the binding process.

My first quilt, one that my mother had started in the 1930's or 40", and I put together and started to hand quilt in the 70's, is still unfinished. The cat used it as a hammock while on the quilting frame, broke the frame, and the quilt was put away. Then came 3 kids. I never liked the colors on the quilt and now it has yellow stains, so I'm not too motivated to put a lot of work into it if the stains won't come out. It is an antique before it is done! I also have a cathedral window that is 3/4 done. I am currently working on enlarging a full size quilt to queen size. A baby quilt is in the works (needs to be done by June)and I've been working on Grandmother's flower garden for 4 years (completely hand pieced and quilted). I work on it while watching TV and on road trips. I think there also is a partially done kit that someone gave me. Always something to do. When I get tired of one, I move on to the other. They will eventually get done!

Yes, mine are starting to accumulate too. I have a baby quilt for a niece's baby, which is actually my current project and is sitting on an unused bedroom floor with layers that need to be pinned. 2) My 2012 (?) Craftsy BOM is waiting for a particular color (crimson) for sashing 3) a scrappy log cabin, that I work on when I need a break from other projects, 4) a gold & white LeMoyne star that I started on one sewing machine, which died...when I moved to a new sewing machine the 1/4" wasn't the same and now I'll need to work some magic 5) a 2013 (?) Craftsy BOM, which has been quilted and now needs to be trimmed and bound, 6) purchased a pretty top at a sale....I am working on the backing 7) HST with lights & darks, started for a boyfriend, who is no longer a boyfriend so it isn't a priority....to my benefit, these are projects for me.....gifts for others have taken precedence and my last project was for my sister's birthday in March, and it was finished and mailed on time.

I love this! I may have to start using that.

I've started finishing some projects lately. I recently had a quilt top quilted for me by friend. The top has been done for 5 years. It's a scrappy I made for our bed. I had another quilt top done. It was supposed to be for friend of our last year in April for his birthday. It's now at my friend's being quilted. I've just finished a king sized scrappy Irish Chain quilt top and am working on piecing some fabric together for the back. It will go to my friend when she gets the other one done. I like the designing and piecing of the tops but not the quilting part. I'm so glad my friend has a quilting machine now. When I get them all done, I will post pictures.

Brilliant! I'm adopting this. It seems so much more promising than UFO or WIP.

I have used most of the excuses everyone else mentioned and then some. I just like chasing the next "sparkly". If I get some special incentive, such as a new grandchild on the way, I can stick to a quilt and get it done well before the deadline, but for many the attraction wears off after awhile. I get back to them eventually. If I wait long enough and then come across them while digging around, sometimes the original appeal is reawakened, or I have been inspired by an idea for improving them some way, such as with a different border than originally planned. A stray block will become part of a bag or sewing machine cover, that sort of thing. There is progress, but slow at times.

Well we must all belong to the same cult.......or our minds are working overtime...just can't keep up

I didn't use to have UFO's but as I have progressed in my quilting I have started making more complicated quilts and sometimes I put will put one aside and work on a similar easy one. I also like to have one starting (cutting the pieces) as I am quilting another one. That way I will be ready to go on the new one. The cutting of the pieces is the hardest part for me. I only have one UFO right now that is hanging in the closet. It needs to be quilted and I know I will do a lot of quilting on it. I just haven't wanted to start it. I will some day.

When I started piecing I said I would not start a new project until I finished the one I was working on. That idea lasted just a few months. I made a quilt top for my nieces graduation last year. I put it away and now started to look for it when I found out it was an April 30(!) graduation date. I could not find it! It was right where I thought it was but had gotten pushed back on the shelf. It is now ready to be mailed! I actually like UFO's in case I need a gift I was not expecting.

Boy do I relate to that! Sometimes I have something stitching out on the emboidery machine while I'm, FMQ-ing a quilt, and when I get up to walk around, I am always thinking of my next 3, 5 , or 10 quilts! I don't see it as a handicap, I see it as a blessing...when something is frustrating me, I can go to something less stressful...and back and forth...I often have several projects going at the same time...I have a lot more time time in the winter to actually quilt a quilt, so I tend to do my cutting and piecing on tops in spurts during the summer when time allows...when fall hits, I have my tops lined up and ready to go!
We all have different ways, but we all make quilts...we can't beat ourselves up because we don't go from point A to B in a linear fashion...we need to all accept how we are and accept that we are all different..but we ALL make gorgeous quilts!