UFOs
 

I admit, I have a lot of UFOs. Sometimes I abandon a project because I see another pattern I just have to make right now. Or I suddenly need a birthday, Christmas, baby or wedding gift. Or I just get bored with what I'm working on. Anyway, I have a lot and I'm not even counting those I have fabric and plans for but haven't started yet.
In the past 6 months or so I have been asked 3 times to longarm a quilt for the family of a quilter who died and left it unfinished. The first was brought to me by a friend; I didn't know the quilter. She had started to hand quilt it and the family couldn't find anyone to finish it. I tried to save her hand stitching, but it just wasn't working. It wasn't heirloom quality, so I didn't feel too bad about unstitching and starting over. The second had all the pieces cut and the pattern was in the box. Her sister was able to finish it and it turned out beautiful. The third quilter had some of the pieces cut and some blocks done but no pattern. Her sister finally figured out what was going on and kept going until she ran out of fabric. She doesn't know if the finished quilt is what her sister had in mind, but it is done. I don't mind finishing these quilts. For the last 2, it gave me an opportunity to think about these women who I knew and reflect on some good memories of them.
But it got me thinking about all those UFOs I have and will someday leave behind. My daughter is a quilter, but will she be able to figure out what I was doing and finish them? Will she even want to? So, I have resolved to finish 2 UFOs for every new quilt I start and try to pare down that pile. And I am going to have a talk with my daughter and tell her not to feel guilty for not finishing my stuff.

I try to keep a copy of the pattern with the quilt, usually in a large plastic bag or pillow case that has turned into a UFO. Maybe someday I'll finish it or put it on a garage sale, or pass it along to someone that loves it and wants to finish it.

Ha, ha! You made me think of a UFO in the sky!!
I too have UFO's but, like you, in my sewing room.

I hang my UFOs in the closet of my sewing room, out of sight/out of mind! You have reminded me, once again, that I need to finish a few. You are lucky to have a daughter who's a quilter! I have a son who values quilts but wouldn't know what to do with the UFOs. Despite all my efforts to keep up with UFOs, I do create more than I finish. I should at least tell him what to do before he gets stuck with it all!

The pattern!! Where's the pattern? What was this? Big help, not just to the person who inherits the UFO but even ourselves.
What was I thinking at that time? If not the pattern itself, at least put the name of it with the UFO.

A couple of years ago I approached my UFO's is a similar manner; one UFO to one new. It did help to move the UFOs along and off of my list. What a refreshing feeling to have a quilt that was lingering in a bin, a closet or basket finished and folded nicely ready to be gifted or donated. BTW, I still have UFOs to finish. It seems to be my nature to get distracted by a new interesting or challenging pattern and off I go. This year, 2024, I was shooting for one UFO per month. I am about 6 months behind. ;)

I don't want to leave any behind, so I it just might be time to return to one a month for the rest of the year. Stitch on my friends and let's get 'r done. Oh, yes, consider posting here but also on the UFO Adventure thread here on the QB. Seeing finishes is encouraging.

I too am helping finish other people's UFO's. During COVID isolation I completed most of mine but I have bins of scraps left from other projects and I'm trying to turn those into something useful.

I have one UFO and it’s a John Deere rag quilt. My hands hurt to snip all those edges and I refuse to buy a special pair of scissors, just for one project, as I will never make another of these! It has taught me two things, at least. I don’t like making those kind of quilts and from then on, to always finish quilts you start. You may get bored with the process at the time, but I think your chances of finishing a top, are greater if you stick with it now, than putting it in your stash to maybe finish later. I have trudged on in a few I was bored with and didn’t really enjoy the repetitiveness but I liked the finish, in the end.

Do you have quilty friends who have a pair of the special sheers? Perhaps you could borrow them and return them with a plate of cookies or something yummy. I don't make rag quilts either. Too messy for me. I can make my own mess cutting fabric just fine, thank you very much. :)

I, too, am using the system of having to finish one UFO for each new quilt I start. I was doing well, but then got distracted by the 3 gift quilts that I am making for Christmas and one for me. But after the holidays, I plan to get back to it.

I finish mine, too. If put aside, the "fire" for the finish is gone. I'm working on one right now that thankfully is only a wall hanging. I hate the thing but I'm going to finish it and pass it on rather than clutter up another space in the sewing room.

Going to retreat in November. Been trying to choose project. UFO’s sound good. Can visit. Quilting doesn’t take total concentration.

I have been going through my UFOs and this year entered the UFO Challenge at my LQS. Have completed the tops for my 12 monthly challenge picks and 3 of 5 bonus projects. I have started new projects along the way but most of them are donated to Project Linus who has a group that works at the store. Has been a win win for me in that respect. Looking through my stash this morning looks like I'll be doing the challenge in 2025.

Hi there

Another thing to think about is your sewing stuff. If you don’t have a quilter in your family, make arrangements for your machines and notions as well as your fabric. I have seen husbands and children be burdened with such matters.
When a friend’s family asked me to come take whatever I wanted of her quilting supplies, I knew exactly what I wanted. She had bought a kit for her first great grandchild not even on the way yet! I took it and completed it in time for her great granddaughter’s arrival. What a blessing to be able to do this for her.

How good of you, Terry in the ADK! Thanks for sharing!

FWIW my family knows that the local quilt guild(s) will take and distribute my entire quilt studio contents.

Our guild was gifted fabric, notions, sewing machines, cutting tables and so much more from a former member who listed in her will to donate to her guild. Her family was so pleased to honor her wishes as no one quilted/sewed. Our guild held a sale and the money went into our treasury for guild programs and speakers. We also made a donation to the Diabetes foundation in her honor.

Like Threedognight, I have joined my local quilt shop Finish It Club. I have found I need the accountability to hold my feet to the fire. I participated for 2 years and finished everything on my list. Some quilts were divided over several months ( finish stars one month, trees the next draw, etc). After two years, I thought I could do this on my own and posted my Finish It’s on my studio door so I would always see it as a reminder. I didn’t finish one project that year and went back to join my local quilt shop again. My guild is holding a Finish It Club this year and I will most definitely be joining.

If you make your quilts double sided you just reduced your UFO pile by half, reduced your batting expense by half, reduced your storage size by half, eliminated the need for buying backing fabric. I've been doing this since the mid-90's.

whatever top you chose to use on the reverse side, chose one at least 10" smaller than the side to be quilted. Add your extra border for the quilter. Every one I've ever used has done really well in lining front and back up pretty square and the extra fabric gives some visual float room.

@KalamaQuilts your comment could not have come at a more crucial and helpful decision point!!!

I am working on a quilt at the moment. Top is nearly done and I was going the direction of making an “afterquilt” on the back, using up all the bobs and bits of leftover fabric. As I was making progress, doubts crept in:
(1) There is enough to make it a second quilt top (with considerable negative space, but I like that).
(2) extra seams on the back make it less cuddly/soft to use
(3) it’ll be more fiddly to sandwich and align
(4) it felt wasteful to piece something and shove it on the back

But your comment brought me back to reality. I don’t want to make two quilts with this fabric, I don’t have intended use/recipient, I made it because I wanted to. I don’t want to pay for twice the batting, sandwich twice, quilt twice, or bind twice! Onto the back it goes!

as far as lining up double sided quilts, I don't know how longarmers do it, but whatever I quilt
(This assumes your quilts are squared and flat....)

find center of each side on both tops and tie on a long piece of thread. I use thick crochet thread.
Long so you can see them once the batting is on
I spray baste the bottom one, center the batting (I tape my tops to the floor but there are lots of ways to do it)
then with the top folded in quarters I eyeball align the strings for that area, then unfold and super align the strings.
then I fold back 1/2 lightly spray baste, align and smooth that half. Then same on the other side.
Takes longer to type it than do it... sounds fussy but it isn't.

I've done pieced quilt backs too, for all the reasons Kalama mentioned. Plus another, for me the piecing is more enjoyable than the quilting so why not make something fun for the back? also, I don't really need double the amount of quilts in my house. And if it's decorative, like a wall hanging, I can flip sides when one sides gets boring. I make the back side more of a free design so it's not important whether it exactly lines up with specified borders. Otherwise trying to line it up when quilting would be a huge headache. By the time I'm done, sometimes I like the back as much or more than the front.

I do quilt less these days but if I start a quilt, I do finish it before any other project I may want to do. I also apply that to buying clothes - if I buy a new top, etc. I have to get rid of 2 old tops. At my age I don't need a big closet filled to the brim. It was different when I worked in an office setting, but now not so much. So I guess I apply that way of thinking when I make a quilt. Just me.