What Happens That You Have UFOs?
 

I'm forcing myself to complete a quilt that I started and don't like the mixture of colors. I want to make a quilt for my daughter and am waiting for her to make the time to go with me to get fabric. In the mean time I have fabric to start on a quilt for my mom and I'm going to do that. I'm hoping it doesn't turn into a UFO!

For me, UFOs come from a project that is 1) too hard, 2) too boring, 3) gets pushed out of the way for a higher priority, 4) isn't working the way I want it to.

Right now my major UFO is the very first quilt top I ever made. It was a BOM and for a full size bed. But at the time, I didn't know how to quilt and couldn't imagine spending the money to send it out. Now I know how to quilt, but don't have a full sized bed!!

I also had a 4-month UFO of my shadow trapunto quilt, because it got set aside to do Christmas gifts. Then, rather than pick it up, I started other projects. Oops. It was just really daunting. I'm getting back to it now though.

My bigggest UFO is my list of things I want to do. They aren't started yet.

The biggest thing for me is realizing when a project just isn't going how I want it to. I bag it up and take it to goodwill, or if it is a real disaster (and small) I've been known to trash them.

Why force yourself to makke something you don't like? Time is too precious for me.

Forcing yourself to finish a quilt is okay....it gets done that way. What usually makes my projects turn into UFOs is the need to make a quilt for a special occasion by a certain date. ..or life just gets in the way. I always used to finish a quilt before I'd start another... it was sort of a rule for me. Then, I went back to work. I had to set aside the quilt I was working on at the time. Then, another time I was making a quilt with a friend.... She got hers done but I had to set mine aside. I moved and didn't have the time. I've made every one of my great nieces and nephews a quilt and I have one more to do.... and soon another baby to be born so I'm behind on that one already. So, now I'm not quilting because I broke my arm and everything I have started is staring me in the face...... another month or so till I can do any sewing again. UFOs just happen to me..... can't seem to get back to my old rule about one at a time.

My biggest pile of UFO's come from other people who have started something and never finished. Some of these people are now dead! I found a stack of 20 beautiful blocks in the stash of a former member of the quilt club. The other members of the club had dealt with his stuff for about six months, and now I was told to put it into the dumpster. I couldn't do that, so took it all home. The 20 blocks are now hanging on my living room wall in a lovely wall hanging, and I found a lot of fabric that will make walker and wheelchair bags.

shiny objects are my downfall. LOL

squirrel!

I've got a stack of them. I pull one out every now and then and work on it awhile. If I like how it is going, then I keep working on it. Sometimes, I just need to work with different colors. I guess it is a disease.

What happens is I start another project which is why mine don't all get finished

Events happen! I am time poor, and I refuse to get stressed about quilting so, when the pressure is on in other areas of my life, sewing projects get stalled. That's ok with me actually. I enjoy the process.
I do have one small UFO that is stalled because I didn't prepare it correctly (scaled it down, and made mistakes). As more problems emerge, I learn from them. It will never be right- the blocks will be misaligned and the seam allowance will be too scant in some sections. It may grow up to be a wallhanging. Or it may continue to absorb scraps as they become available! Apart from the thread, it is not costing me anything. I don't charge quilting for my time- it pays me, with calmness and contentment!

UFOs happen for me when I either start something else as a gift or just get overly excited about new fabrics or patterns. Becoming overly ambitious is also a precursor to a project becoming a UFO.

I do have one very long term UFO that was a BOM that I purchased/started back in 2003. It was definitely out of my skill level when I began it and that is one of the things that caused it to become a UFO. Now, though, I definitely have the skills to complete it and it is on the hit list for 2013! Of course, I am seriously contemplating starting another BOM that is all needle turn applique. It is destined to become a UFO. I see it now but sometimes you just have to go ahead and purchase and then work up to it.

One last thing: I found that when I stayed out of the shops, didn't troll quilting websites, including forums, I had alot less UFOs. Now that I have found a place where the interaction is more about information sharing it is not as bad. I've been on other sites, not necessarily pertaining to quilting, but other hobbies, and every week (sometimes every day) someone would post about their 'haul'. YouTube is really bad for that in the handbag and beauty communities. That can create UFOs because everyone loves the rush of planning and starting!

Let's see

I started a wall hanging for my daughter for a very specific spot in her home. She moved before I got it finished. Her new home does not have a place for it. I hope to get it out in 2013 and see if I can turn it into a baby quilt for charity. It will be an untraditional baby quilt, but I think it will be pretty. I started this about 10 years ago.

I went to a block of the month club at a quilt store. You paid $5.00 the first month, and as long as you came back every month with the completed quilt block, the next block was free. So for $5.00 you got 12 blocks. I enjoyed it, but didn't know what to do with the blocks. However, I need a new cover for my down comforter, and hope to turn these blocks into the cover. That project also got started about 10 years ago.

I purchased fabric for quilts for my twin grandsons when they moved out of their cribs. They are now 8. The pattern I agreed to make involves lots of seam matching, so I've always put easier projects ahead of it. I'm bound and determined to get it started in 2013. I think that I will need to set a goal of a few blocks a week, so that I don't get bored and start doing a poor job.

In 2012 I purchased a panel to make a wall hanging for DH. That will be my first project of 2013.

I made some other sampler blocks when I was just getting started quilting. The quality was fine, but I really didn't like the colors I chose. Those blocks I donated to a quilting group that makes quilts for various charities. They will be put to good use, and I learned a lot making them, so I think it was a win-win project.

I think that's the extent of my quilting UFOs. I did agree today to make matching PJ bottoms for my grands for next Christmas. I've had the fabric for several years, so I guess that might qualify as a UFO.

I have one block of a Mariner's Compass (not paper-pieced) that I made in a class more than 20 years ago. I take it out every now and then thinking I might finish the other three blocks, but I no longer have the same fabric. Then I have a bunch of string-pieced blocks that I add to now and again until I'll have enough for a top. And I have a full-sized paper-pieced top for which I haven't been able to decide what type of borders should go on it. At least I know I'll never run out of stuff to do.

UFOs happen to me when I have made mistakes that I don't know how to correct (I have a dress sitting in a bag now because I don't know how to finish it)....or when I get interrupted by another "gotta finish it now" project....or because the project just isn't turning out like I thought it would (my wannabe king size cathedral window from denim circles)....I will eventually get them all done....sometimes I have to work them in between current projects.....my biggest downfall is my girls....they are non-stop in their requests...."Mom, can you make crib bumpers and a quilt for me, just like this pic?"...."Mom, can you make me two bow tucks to give as gifts?"...."Mom, can you make a new canopy for for Eliza's bed, no I don't have a pattern"....."Mom....." LOL I can't win.

I've taken a bunch of classes and didn't finish the projects. I've stopped working on some projects when I got stuck on something and didn't know how to fix things. I go months without sewing, sadly due to work and other things. I underestimate how much time I realistically have to get things done. But I hope to get better!

I love a new technique or method so as soon as I see one have to start immediately and put other on the side. Also if I have a project must do ie baby quilts do them forget the ufo's and start something else. At school I always
Ke the first page of an exercise book..

Hahahahahaha! This is me too! I'm like the little blue fish on "Finding Nemo". My attention span is the distance between one room and the other. Now, what were we talking about??? hahahaha

My local guild has a silent auction of fabrics, notions, UFO's etc. at one meeting each year. It's called "Get this out of my sight!" Your castaways can go to a loving home and the guild makes some money!! O.urs is in January, and I'm filling an entire box of stuff. :)

Linda

I don't consider random single blocks to be UFOs. Every so often I want to see what a block looks like put together, or how certain fabrics work together so I'll make a single block. Maybe one day, when there are enough, I'll make an orphan quilt but maybe not.

My one UFO is a mystery quilt of Christmas fabric. It's a UFO because it's low on my priority list.

My DH just asked me today "Whatcha makin now?" My reply "Its not what I'm making, its what I'm finally finishing". Theres around 15 to 20 on going projects in my pile at various stages. When the inspiration subsides they are laid aside till it returns. Staying with a quilt from start to finish is almost unheard of here unless its a small project. There are times when I wish for the ability to stick to it, but I feel like they wouldn't finish as nicely. Its like a fine wine, it needs age and a little air to make it sweet.

I have 3 quilts that are all basted and ready to quilt- not sure what design to quilt.
2 baby quilt tops that have to have backs pieced and then basted and then figure out how to quilt them.
1 baby quilt in the process of piecing- sort of a sampler to use up the fabric in a particular line. It's a little more daunting so it's in a bag.
Twister quilt that I started and got put aside.
Bom that I have all the blocks made, but need to piece the center portion so it can be assembled (from 2009)
A Christmas quilt I started in 2010
Many more projects that I have bagged up and ready to start.
Don't ask about sewing projects that hit a snag and are in a bag somewhere. I think that I will challenge myself to finishing at least 6 quilting UFOs, 6 sewing UFOs and organizing my sewing room for this year. I also have set a deadline on finishing my Lighthouse quilt for the lake house by June 1st. I also want to make my mother a quilt and have it done by her birthday which is May 30. I also have to make a baby quilt for a baby boy that was born earlier this month- probably have to design it myself too. That's will be the first thing to do.

My two longest running UFO's are due to their overwhelming complexity. One is "My Cats Garden" that is all needle-turned applique. I started it as a new quilter well over 10 years ago. There are nine blocks. I have finished 7 of them. Once I finish a block the entire project gets put back in the box for another year, as I just can't face another complicated cat for awhile. The other is a finished hand appliqued top that is king-sized, pristine white background and I'm determined to hand quilt. I have four cats. How white do you think that quilt is going to stay considering how long it's going to take to hand quilt it? The other UFO's are more current and manageable. I have three very close friends that I want to do quilts for. I picked fabrics and patterns and started all three of them, because how do you decide which friend gets priority? Now I have three fun quilt tops to piece depending on my mood at the time! They probably aren't considered UFO's if they are just material and a pattern in a drawer, the material not even washed yet. I've lost count of how many of those I have collected. I quilt for fun! If it's not fun, what's the point?

We put all our UFOs on a list and numbered them by our priorities. We agreed that we couldn't buy anymore material unto we finished a project. So after 18 months we have no more UFOs. It actually feels good. We now have made a list of quilts we want to do and will start on the top of the list after the holidays.

My UFOs happened because 1) I was intimidated by sandwiching, quilting and binding. Since I LOVED to piece I just kept on doing what I loved! 2) I started every project that I liked or technique I wanted to try.

I like to try new things. I get bored and just start a new project. Yesterday, I started a paper-pieced hummingbird. I am determined to finish the last two sections today...this is by far the most time consuming little project that I have attempted...but if the multiple odd shaped parts all sew together correctly, it will be a great present to send to my daughter at Ft. Bragg for her 25th birthday.

I sometimes put a UFO in" time out" , often when I let it out,I have developed the skill to finish it with fewer "quilting words"!

This is me entirely. I have a set of drawers in my sewing room for my WIP's (work in progress). I usually will finish the blocks, then set them aside till I feel like finishing the top, then set it aside till I feel like quilting it. It will happen, someday. I do get to them, it just takes awhile. I usually hate the projects I have to make by a deadline, because I look at them later and think, oh this would have been better this was... but I rushed through instead of giving it time.

Most of my UFO's happen because I have so many ideas swirling around in my head. I get a quilt about 3/4 of the way finished and get tired of it and start something else. It isn't that I don't like the UFO I just NEED to make the next quilt. I am making myself finish at least 1 UFO before I start another quilt. My goal for the year is to get to the bottom of my UFO pile.

My UFOs are because I like to make the tops and that's it. The rest of the process doesn't interest me. So to get a quilt done, it has to go to a LAQer or I have to very ineptly quilt it on my machine. No stamina!

Why do I have UFOs? Good question. I think a lot of them come from the fact that I seem to get sidetracked easily and do something else instead. Maybe because the quilt or whatever wasn't as much fun as I thought it would be. Several of my UFOs are wall hangings. I don't have any walls to hang them on so they got set aside. A couple of them are winnings from BOMs. I never could come up with a good sashing fabric that I liked and they got set aside. I have several quilt tops that are done - just need to layer and quilt them. One of my hopes for 2013 is to finish some of these UFOs and do something with them - use them, give as gifts if they do turn out well, donate .....

I say that about myself all the time. :)

I am a puzzle-solver. I design most of my quilts and when I see them come together, I begin to loose interest. I know what it's going to look like, I like it or i don't but I've solved the puzzle. I do not enjoy quilting (Machine or hand) and unless it's for someone very special or a new technique I'm really excited about, it tends to be put aside. This isn't right but then a lotta' stuff I do isn't ( grin)

Amen to that!

I have several UFO's. My problem is that I find new patterns (quilting Magazines) and I just have to try the new pattern. I took a class where I learned a new quilting technique once a month. I took what I learned and started new quilts with those techniques. Now I have several quilts started and not finished. My new years resolution is to finish what I have before I start anything new. I have found a new pattern that I am itching to start, but I have held off. trying real hard to stick to my guns.

I have a few UFO's. Not too many. One is a small 9-patch that my MIL bought all the supplies for. Velveteen with coordinating quilting cotton. I think I got about 1/3 of the way through it and parked it back in the fabric bin. Even with a walking foot on my machine, getting my seams to line up was was difficult, and it just kills me to NOT get them matched up on something so simple as a 9-patch. That's been sitting there for 10+ years. I will eventually finish it, maybe with the Elmer's School glue basting. That would take a ton of the angst out of it for me.

I have another one, a beautiful pattern I bought at a craft fair that I bumped up to a queen, got most of the front together, and then parked away because I was starting a 2 year school course that took me 3 years, and I couldn't take the time during school to figure out where I left off and finish it. It's next up to do though. I now have a double bed, not a queen, so bed risers are coming, because I CAN'T chop off some of what I sewed, it would wreck the whole scheme of the face. It's going to have a semi-pieced back. The front is a garden flower bed, with gravel and dirt surrounding the flowers, and the back is a pond with frogs and fish to applique on. I think it will be great once I finish it.

I have another small UFO from a BOM class I took and I won the raffle for all the Christmas blocks we made, and they too are parked in a fabric tub. They aren't huge, and will probably make a snuggle size quilt.

Oh, there's another UFO too. Same teacher as the BOM class, I got well started on blocks that were a LOT more complicated than I had ever done before, a bit over my head, and she was going faster than I could follow. So, I dropped the class, and then we moved, and the pieces all got lost for several years. I found them during a huge "turf EVERYTHING out all over the place because I can't find THIS and I KNOW I have it and where the stinkin' heck IS IT?!?!?!?" Found the interfacing I had misplaced, and Oh golly, those quilt pieces. Oh My! I may get to them before 2013 is over, and I may not. We'll just have to see.

So, I have lots of things to get to eventually. I really need to organize my fabrics and general sewing supplies first before I get to all my sewing. It shares my bedroom with my bed and a lot of books, but you people here have really inspired me to get things tidied up a lot nicer than they currently are. That's a plan for the future (gotta find a job to pay for any of it!)

Melinda

My problem is a short attention span. I want to attempt a new technique or another fabric collection calls my name and I have to see it made up into a quilt. Or I get bored working on one. Or I'm having trouble making one come out like I want it to. Or ..... there are any number of reasons I have UFOs. I only have 6 and my goal is to finish them all in 2013. I won't allow myself to even look at the new "Audra's Iris Garden" layer cake and coordinating fabric that I pulled from my stash to make a beautiful quilt until all 6 of these are finished.

I take a class to learn a new technique then something else comes along that looks fun so I try that then i see another neat quilt so I try that. I don't have a UFO that I don't like so they stay around. Just finished DH Christmas quilt this morning so am going to start back on one of the Thimbleberries quilts that is waiting for me to pick it back up. Those of us who are not diciplined :Dto finish a quilt before we start a new one will have UFO's :)

I don't allow myself to start on another quilt until the one I am working on is completely finished. Not always fun, but it does keep me in line. I also don't buy fabric until I am ready to start my next project. The bad part about that is I have minimal stash, but it does save me money.

I have a little Project Linus quilt almost finished. In October I started quilts for my grandchildren and then realized they were going so well that if I really got after it they would be finished by Christmas. They are ready for my LAQ and now, once I recover from the flu, will be back to my Linus quilt.

So many great patterns and quilt ideas, so little time.

I was blessed with a mother who wasn't obsessed with making us finish everything we started, so long as we learned something and finished some things sometimes. I actually do finish a lot so I don't beat myself up over the occasional UFOs that linger.

I would love to see your UFO's #1piecemaker, I'll bet they're awesome. I think you're too hard on yourself. :)

I have about 40 UFO's. I'm not proud of it. Seems that when I see how the project is turning out, I lose interest in finishing it. I'm going on a retreat this month and have 4 projects to bring--one UFO and 3 new ones. I complete about 4 quilts a year -- all intricate with a lot of piecing or applique. I also have a lot of FUFO's (future UFO's that I have all the fabric and supplies for bagged up and waiting to be started). Just got in the mail today A pattern for a block of the month that I ordered from France - Yoko Saito's mystery quilt. Can't wait to start it.