Why so many UFOs?
 

1. Is it because we'd rather piece than quilt?
2. Deciding how to quit it is difficult?
3. Saving up to quilt by check or credit card?
4. Enjoy the piecing better than quilting? (Oops...same as #1?)
5. Not happy with finished pattern?
6. Or all of the above?

For me it's all of the above.

Oh, my Julienm1, you are in my head and watching over my shoulder in my sewing room. I seldom, very seldom don't like the finished pattern but all of the others apply. Over time, I have discovered that I love, love, love the process of creating the quilt top. Finding the colors I want and then conquering the puzzle of following directions to create a block and then a finished top.

I do not like layering so much, but #2, deciding how to quilt the top, is where my progress slows down to a snail's pace. I guess this just shows that I am a bit insecure about putting need down and starting quilting the sandwich. Time to "get over it" and start trying some new quilting techniques and get my UFOs out of my closet and into the hands of some other folks.https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/smile.png

Oh forgot to add: Hating to create the sandwich. I really hate to baste, even glue basting even though that is SO much faster than pin basting.

I was just looking at the Challenges and one was the UFO challenge and I was thinking the same thing, why do folks have some many unfinished projects? I don't. I have 3 that need quilted on my longarm and my DH was redoing that room and although I could still use the machine, there aren't really any walls or at least insulated walls and I would freeze although that might make me quilt faster.

I do have lots of fabric and I buy more not for specific projects but I'm getting close to retirement age and I fear I won't have extra money to buy so I buy now. But there is always the thought in my head that what if I die, where will this fabric go? To a dumpster or someone using that bolt of fabric as a paint drop cloth. My goal will be to buy less. As for unfinished projects, I always think the same: how much did this cost me, how much time have I invested and how sad I would be if it was unfinished and got thrown away after I was gone. No one would ever throw away a quilt, perfect or imperfect. At least I don't think.

Think of the ultimate goal and don't start something new until you finish what you started. :) Good luck ladies.

Have no excuse for it, but it just took me 3 days to get the backing, batting and top sandwiched (using glue) for a 40 x 40 quilt that had only taken me less than a week to make, so I guess I'll say #1 and this is #7.

Mine is because I hate sandwiching. I do it sometimes but usually wait for my daughter to visit and she sandwiches them for me besides really straightening up the sewing room and deciding which fabrics she will take home with her. Sometimes she takes some of the tops home to finish. My real problem is having 16 cubic feet of stuff and trying to fit it into 10 cubic feet of space.

for me...it is...oh...that is cool....and I am off on a new project before finishing the last one....actually, I do like having a number in progress at that same time....so I bounce (well not really bouncing anymore...getting up there in age) from gathering the "supplies" for the next project, working on the current one, maybe throwing something on the longarm, getting a small project going to work on when I have a snippet of time. Currently, I probably have a 5-6 tops getting ready to quilt on...some have the backings prepared, some even have the bindings prepared, oh and a couple are almost pieced....and I stopped everything to work on the Bonnie hunter mystery...oh...I worked for years as a nurse and a inspector where I had to be ready to go inspect at a moments notice....so I never seemed to be able to completely finish any task I was doing....so it is what I am used to...ummm....seems to me that raising kids is like that....start a task...get interrupted finally get back to that task, sometimes sooner,,,but mostly later.

Is it a UFO if you didn't even finish making the blocks?

My recent UFO is because of the pattern. There were 14 fabrics and 16 pages of instructions. Each page had multiple blocks to make. I sourced all the fabrics and proceeded to number each one to keep them straight. I even purchased dies to make the cutting easier for some blocks.

Even with careful cutting and piecing, some blocks are still not coming out to size. They will have to re-done. At this point in life, I'm not interested in frustrations.

Another set of instructions (same vendor) were lacking with instructions on the finishing technique. I managed to finish it my own way.

There is certainly a way to write and "not to write" patterns. I'm putting the blame on the instructions.

The reason I have UFO's is because I taught block of the month classes for 11 years. By the time the year was over, it was time to start a new class. Even though I had blocks made, I didn't have time to put them together because I was teaching and running my business.

I have to say "all of the above" but the main reason for me ( I think) is that I'm a better piecer than quilter.

I will say though, that with Covid I took the time to practice and my machine quilting is looking better these days. Sometimes I feel like I have ADD when it comes to quiltmaking. I have too many projects going at once and then I see another one etc etc etc. The only time I don't have ADD is when I'm making something for my baby granddaughter.

I'm on Day 7 of my sewing room cleanup. I hope today is the last day. I found 10 tops. Some are about 5 or 6 years old and I don't like a few of them anymore. I always say I've never seen a quilt I didn't like but when I make them it's not the case LOL

One more thing- I detest basting the quilt, no matter what method. If I could find someone to baste my sandwiches I'd be a happy girl,