coopah

Let it go is good advice. I made 2 quilts for grandchildren that have never arrived. Those quilts hang in my closet. I'm thinking the next person in my life who has a grandchild is getting one of them. Your UFO is taking up physical and mental space. Look at it and decide. Keep or pass on. Then do whichever and clear your mind of it.

illinois

If you are a sentimental type, you might enjoy it yourself as you have memories of the fabrics and the early efforts to make it. I have a quilt that my mother made using fabrics from my clothes when I was a teen. My kids have no ties to that and the quilt is not "beautiful" but my memories are among those fabrics. It's special to me! Finish the quilt and enjoy it yourself.

MargeD

I don't believe there is a "rule" that says we have to finish every quilt that we start, because quilting should be fun and not a chore. Perhaps when your son has children you can finish it for them; but for now I would leave it as a UFO, or donate it to a charity.

peaceandjoy

I'm in the "if you don't enjoy it, don't do it" camp.

There's a book about organization and de-cluttering that I read a review of. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of the book or the author. Basically, what I learned the review was that her approach is if it doesn't bring you joy, get rid of it. Give it away, donate it, sell it, throw it out, depending on what "it" is.

I've started using this theory and am already seeing results in my closet. Why do I keep things I don't wear? Yes, I spent money on them at some point, but if I no longer like them, and don't wear them any more, they are just in the way, even if they are perfectly good. So I donate them.

There is a forum for charities and donations, if you check over there you might find a group that would love to have something like this for a child. Locally, we have a Quilts for the Needy group that finishes all sorts of quilts, from utility to basic to no longer wanted. At Christmas, they are given to families who are in need.

cherylrom

This was a good learning experience but now you have moved on. Let it go. Donate it to me! I'll finish it, quilt it and send it to charity!!! I love these kind of challenges. I make about 30 baby quilts and then a few juvenile quilts for our local pregnancy center each year!!! Contact me privately. Thanks,

wildyard

We also have a "For sale or trade" section on this board. If you decide you don't want to finish it, perhaps someone would want to trade for it and finish it for a donation project or a family member. One quilter's dreaded project is another quilter's exciting new challenge.

Leslie333

Thanks for all the input. Some of you picked up on the fact that this top has sentimental value, so I would not want to give it away or donate it. I made all of my son's nursery using this fabric, so I want to do something with it and put it away with the rest that I kept. I think many of you hit on a key issue in that it is taking up "mental space" as coopah said. I think I'm going to plan to pull it out and see what I can do with it once I clean up some other projects. I'm pretty certain the top is close to finished.

bearisgray

If you are willing to take some of it apart - and mix blocks made with the different dye lots- you might be able to make it look intentionaly varied instead of " I ran out of fabric varied."

You also might consider making a smaller quilt or even go as small as a changing pad to salvage dome of it.

vschieve

I would dig it out, and spread open. Leave it out. Ponder on it. Go back and forth with it. Who knows, you might come up with a new plan, utilizing what you have plus some new and different ideas, all incorporated into a totally different quilt than what you started out with. Just see where it takes you by just leaving out and looking at it again and again, walking away and thinking about it.

DonnaPBradshaw

I started a crochet project and had to give up on it and donated the whole project to charity! haven't regretted it at all!