2019 UFO Challenge
 

2019 UFO Challenge

Welcome members who are returning and new members to our UFO Challenge.

All members are welcome to join in our UFO journey. On this site you can let us know about your progress and get suggestions if you like. We love to hear about why you started the quilt and what happen that caused it to be a UFO, How long has it been a UFO. Or anything you want to tell us about your UFO journey. we also love, love, love pics in progress and completed. Did you get the hit we love pics?


It does not matter how you count your UFO's. It is entirely up to you. No UFO police allowed here.

A "Finished," is defined as removing from your stack of incomplete projects. The way you accomplished this is up to you. You can finish the project, pass it on to someone else to finish, donate it, sell it, you see we are very flexible. Our goal to reduce the pile of UFO's.

I will be counting again this year, with one minor change. If you want your finished UFO to count in our count, I'm requesting you send me a PM to let me know it is a finish. I figure if you do not PM you do not want me to count it in the count. I will also cut off each month's count on the end of day 2 (2400 Central standard time), of the next month. I will count all finished size quilts, quilted table runners, placemats (counted as one), quilted wall hangings, and the exceptions mentioned in above paragraph.

I also off and on will set goals for finished UFO's on some months. Example January Group goal = 25.

You can also set your own goal each month, if you like, but definitely not required. I do this some times. State what you want to complete in the month.

My goal to quilt Olaf quilt, train quilt, finish a small twill heart wall hanging, and one charity quilt.

I'm looking forward to see everyone's UFO progress and finished projects. Again welcome.

Thanks for hosting this thread again, happylab. I’m in because I don’t want any quilt I start to become a UFO! This thread helped keep me on track all during 2018 & I completed all the quilts I started. With placemats counting as 1 project, I started & completed 12 projects in 2018.
I did find a second UFO of my daughter’s when she gave me all her fabric. She doesn’t want to quilt any longer so I got all her ‘stuff.’ I completed her queen-size quilt on Christmas morning, so my part (completing construction, quilting, & binding) was all done in 2018. I hope to complete her second UFO in 2019.

I'm back in for this challenge, especially since I only finished 1 UFO last year ............... I think I'll try and set monthly goals so for January - finish quilting hubby's quilt and work on On Ringo Lake.

Yay! Thanks for hosting again, Happylab. I’ll be trying to complete 1 UFO each month. For January I’m working on a fractured spiderweb quilt that I had hoped to complete for my September UFO in 2018 :shock: But the t-shirt UFO got in the way LOL.

and- I’m trying to not start anything new until I’ve completed my Jan. UFO, the WIP that I want to have finished by mid Jan. And the 2 WIPs that have late April deadlines...

Rob

Ditto — thank you for hosting this thread again this year. I’m ashamed to say that at last count ( a year or so back), I had at least 70 UFO’s. Those are the ones I could remember; no idea where most of them are ☹️. My goal is to finish one UFO a month. I’ll have to see what I can find tomorrow that can be the top ones on the list!

Linda in Missouri

Thank you for hosting again, I'd like to finish 1 UFO/mo. It's doable. Just need motivation to move a UFO higher on the priority list.

I want to participate. I have lined my UFOs up in order-from those needing the most work to finish to those with the smallest amount. I will start on the smallest and work to the one that needs the most time and effort. I want them all gone!

Found my list last night and was able to cross off 4 out of the 13 on the list. Of course I picked the easy ones. I also did work on another one, but became stuck again, but there was progress. i found a glass case and am using that as a storage for the ones that are done and ready for the auctions or gifting. Beats a pile in the closet.

When I listed them originally, i gave up after the 13 as I was appalled that there were that many. I would not have believed.

Good idea, listing UFOs in order of amount of work each needs. I also think it’s good to start with those needing the least work done so you have near-immediate gratification in seeing a finish. Binding a quilt is usually where I stall out, but the quilt looks so good once it’s bound! Having a finish is what motivates me to keep going until a project is done.

Happy New Year everyone! Jt is tough for me to complete anything in January except business bookwork. But once I get that out of the way.....I have some new projects to finish so they don't become UFO's. I have trouble listing my UFO's...they scare me!

I would like to join the challenge also...I have starts packed away all over the place! One a month sounds tough but I will give it a try!

I’m glad to see so many coming back again, continuing on our UFO �� journey. Please don’t feel bad about listing your UFO’s. I listed my last year and have over 100 on list, all in different stages, (and no i’m Not going to list them all here). I also have 30+ wip or on my wishlist. I just pull out a ufo and try to work on it until I get it done (unfortunately very slowly). I wish I didn’t have to do house cleaning or cooking, that I could spend all day quilting, for weeks on end. One can dream, LOL

My goal this year is to complete 12 - 18 ufo’s. I’m Going to try to finish on average a small UFO �� and a large UFO �� project each month. I’ll see how that works for me. Anyway, happy UFOing everyone.

Happy New Year ������ everyone!!!!!

By the way my emojis all come out as ??’s. I don’t know why. I guess I will not use them here.

Count me in as well. Had never made a list of my UFOs until my neighbor, who is a prolific “getter done” quilter, shared that she had made a list of her UFOs and had over 50. She was aghast, I was amazed, lol. So I made a list of mine, and it numbers in the 25 range. This was several years ago, so a few of mine have been finished, and I also do about one tied throw per month for our prayers and squares group at church. My goal is to work on “the list” this year and maybe even post a picture. That would be a first��. Happy New Year everyone. I love this board.

I think I will get organized with my UFO's in bins and put the oldest one on the top of the pile. I am not good at making lists cause I always lose my lists!!!! I am going to promise myself that I don't need to purchase any more fabric for the year 2019. Well-maybe if I see something I can't live without, I may need to buy a little!!! I am going to 2 quilt shows in January and February so I may not be able to resist.

Jordan, consider joining the 2019 Fabric Moratorium to help you restrain your buying. On that thread we encourage each other to refrain from making unnecessary purchases of fabric. That doesn’t mean fabric bought to complete a project is prohibited. If backing, batting, or other fabric is needed to complete a quilt & keep it off (or take it off) the UFO list, go ahead. The thread merely encourages Mindful purchases.

Most of my UFO's are tops ready to be quilted. I tried real hard to get caught up last year but ended the year with too many waiting. the good part is I think very few of them have been waiting over a year.

I don't have a lot of half completed tops, but I've got a few that have been out there for several years.

I'm doing a few BOM and BOW projects for 2019, and when I'm not working on them I want to work on older stuff and not start anything else new.

I've also got a major goal of clearing out clutter in my house - and that does include my sewing. Time to clear out the stuff I've lost interest in (non-quilting stuff).

I'm planning on joining in this year! Between the board and our guild challenge I'm hopping to finish at least a few!

Thanks happylab for playing hostess again! :)

I would have to dig through things to find them all. I had a 'rule' at one time to finish one UFO before I could start anything new. My UFO's are SO spread out, but I will go back to my rule of finish one before starting anything new.

Happy New Year, All. Happylab, thank you for hosting this UFO Challenge. This will be my first UFO Challenge in this group, so here is my UFO list for January: 4 wallhangings, 2 child-size quilts, 1 throw quilt, 1 adult quilt, monthly BOM block, 1 Reverse Applique mini challenge. With the exception of the last 2 items, all the others have been languishing on my tall quilt rack for WAY too long and are all just ready to be quilted and bound. Wish me luck. Sorry if I missed this, but at the end of this month, where would I report what I've finished?

Thanks for this thread! I am ready to join. I have not counted the UFOs but have plenty. Looking forward to making progress with everyone.

Earlier I had a lot to say and then I realized I wasn't even log-in. Happy New Year's everyone. Thanks 'happylab' for hosting again and keeping this train moving forward. I do have a couple large scrappies I'd like to get motivated to finish before the year is ended again. I had planned to do a lot of things today but, just couldn't get moving in that direction. Hopefully someone on this thread will share something that will motivate me. Happy new years and thank you again.

Cherryb

I'm going to join in this year. I have far too many UFOs to count and am hoping to make a dent in the stack (actually there is no "stack". My UFOs are scattered all over the house in various stages of finish). My granddaughter asked on Christmas if I could finish a teal/purple/green top from my stash as she is painting her bedroom and thinks it would be perfect if I could just make it a bit bigger. My favorite niece is going to be starting chemo this month and asked if I could finish up a 30's top that she had seen so that she can take it to treatments with her. That has to be my 1st priority. I had some medical issues last year that kept me out of my basement sewing room for almost the whole year. I need this challenge to make me get back to business and get some things finished.

I would like to play along again. I won't be able to be on much, but will post when I have a few and drool at all the pretty quilts you have completed.
My goal, as unrealistic as it seems, is to have 47 more UFOs done by April 15. Yeah a steep one, but think it can be done. I just have to realize that I do not need to be perfect and not everything has to be quilted to death.

Doing blocks for a new quilt, I decided it was time to put it on the design wall. One wall is filled with a very complex origional design, so couldn't remove that. So looking to the back-up, started removing layers. Guess what I found! Yep! You got it! A UFO that had been missing and out of sight=out of mind. Another complex origional design. Took a picture to add to the UFO picture wall, pushed the pins into the design wall and covered it with felt. It'll be second on the UFO finish list. I think taking pictures and posting them where I can see them will help keep track.

Put up the current quilt blocks and back in business.

Thanks for starting out the new year with a new thread to help us encourage each other to finish our projects. Knowing others are working just as hard or maybe just a little bit harder on the same goal makes it easier. Keep stitching every one!:)

I'm in too. I have promised myself not to start anything new till, mu UFO cabinet is cleaned out. Today I finished putting the rest of my fabric on comic book boards. Now to find the vacuum cleaner under all that mess.

I'm in again...I do not have any UFO's except, maybe, one. I did the Summertime Swap this last summer and the blocks are in their project box waiting to be assembled into something. Lol... I keep shopping for a fabric panel, (I loved that idea from someone else on QB) but have been unsuccessful in finding one I like. Hopefully, this year's new panels will come out And I'll have a better selection. So, it's really a WIP but moving it to UFO may motivate me to focus on it and get it done. I am working on BOM and one active quilt project. Will not start anything until active project done, as per my usual.

UFO's give me hives!! :D Thank you, happylab, for running the show for us again!
Happy New Years...

Thank you Happylab, and good luck to all my fellow UFO Challenge participants.

I know I like to change things up, so I think I will try to continue what I have been doing. Every Sunday, I have a "no-sew" day--I straighten up my sewing area, put all my tools back in the proper place, and cut scraps. I also pull out two projects to work on for the following week, at least one of which has to be a UFO, and only work on those two. Even if it goes back in the bin at the end of the week, at least some progress has been made.

My son gave me a fancy journal for Christmas, and he specifically said I was to use it for quilting notes, and he threatened to check up o me, lol. I have started on my UFO list. So far, I have 14 UFOs on the list, but those are just have the ones that are for a particular person and/or are completed floppies that just need to be quilted. Tomorrow, I will go dig thru the UFO bin and add the "out-of-sight, out-of-mind" UFOs. I'm not sure I really want to know how many there are, lol.

Thanks, Happylab. I'm in again this year, but in contrast to last year, I will post more than once and actually finish something.

I have 9 UFOs. I am currently working on a quilt for my older son which has been four years in the making. I'm also working on the spirals quilt that is my avatar. I aim to finish one UFO a month and to have completed three before I start anything new.

I would like to join the challenge. I help my mom and grandsons quilt so time for my own stuff can get lost. In January I would like to get a twin and baby quilt bound for my mom and 3 lap quilts of my own. I also need to cut for my moms next project. Thank you for the motivation to get things finished.

I am in for this challenge. I have so many UFOs. I want to get at least 3 done this month.

I didn't participate last year, or I may have started then fallen away. At any rate, I'm on board this year with around 20 started quilts, all the way from just needing borders or quilting all the way down to patterns chosen, fabrics pulled and in project bags. I absolutely love project bags. I have two kinds -- the larger clear bags from Quilt in a Day and smaller 9x12" zippered pouches I get on Amazon. I've decided to also count the strips as UFOs since these are not purchased but cut from quilt leftovers. I figure they will make 4 or 5 quilts. Whew!
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BelfryBat, you are Way too organized! :) I only allowed myself 6 UFOs in a bin with all of their pieces. If I get them all finished, know I can find more. They tend to hide in dark places and multiply faster than I can keep after them. Just love to try new patterns!

I am in. I have 1 UFO that has been on my list for several years. I also think 1 or 2 WIPS will probably be added when their 1 year anniversary comes up.

Yes I'm in again this year! Keeps me accountable! Thanks big time!!!

My sewing machine needs to be serviced, so until that is done, I have decided to make a giant step I have been dreading towards my goal of getting all of my UFO's and stash down to one bookshelf.

I have finally accepted that not every UFO needs to be finished as intended, or even finished at all. My UFO Challenge goal for this month is to get them pared down and organized, get them out of the bins and boxes in the garage and into the sewing area, and have an actual list to work from.

A few years ago, I started working on a list of all my UFOs. I made it to around 40, got overwhelmed, and shoved everything back back into boxes and bins without finishing. The UFOs have remained in boxes and bins in the garage. It may look tidy, but those bins and boxes stuffed full of ziplock bags filled with projects in various states with no rhyme or reason. Most of the time, just the thought of the time and effort it will take to rummage through that chaos deters me from doing so, and I end up working on a new project with materials I have in my sewing area. Which only makes the problem worse.

It is finally time to tackle that "tidy mess" of UFOs, and get them out of the garage. Finished floppies are being pressed and hung up where I can see them. Projects I actually want to finish are being brought into the house, and placed in plastic project boxes I can stack neatly. For projects I am not looking forward to finishing, I am going to figure out if they just need a new plan, should be added back to the stash or scrap bin, be given away, chopped up into confetti for pet beds to give to the animal shelter, or (gasp!) actually just tossed in the trash.

This is not going to be easy. **sigh**

JJ, you can do this! I’ve read some people’s plan of listing their UFOs by how much each needs to be completed. I tend to stop on a project at the binding stage, & that’s pretty easy & fasts compared to other parts. I had one that languished several months & I didn’t want it to become a UFO. So I made myself put on the binding before I started piecing another quilt I was really excited about. Do any of yours just lack the binding? Maybe start with those & have some immediate gratification. That way you can get one crossed off the list. I know it’s a big task, but if you take it one project at a time you’ll soon have some finishes to share. Also, if you find you don’t even like a project now, donate it to someone who loves it & wants to complete it. It’s off your list & brightens someone else’s day.

I’m so glad to see all the old and new members and you all talking about your ufo’s (Or not). If you don’t have UFO’s you couldvtalk about your wip. What seems to help our members is pics of your starting point on your UFO’s. We love pics. Also it’s okay if you don’t post pic, but an option, maybe you could get photo instructions from other great members to walk you through the process. I can only walk you through using an I-pad. (Apple). I will post pic soon of my starting this year. I need to find them again.

Again, welcome everyone.

Belfatfry = I love your organization.

JJBlaine, = I just may try your technique you described in #29 entry.

Teen congrats on having no UFO’s. We will welcome your encouragement this next year as well as all the other members who have no UFO’s.

Oh oh well back to BHMQ 2018, Good Fortune. And try to dig out some batting to fit my Olaf tops, so I can quilt them.