NZquilter

As we see the end of 2019 just around the corner, I have been setting goals on which quilts to finish this year. I quilt pretty slow compared to most of you, but I'm hoping to finish five quilts by January. I have three tops waiting to be quilted, but two tops nearly done. I think I'll be joining the UFO train here on the QB next year. I tallied up that I have eight WIP (works in progress) and another ten UFOs. Heavens, I'm not even counting the PIGS (projects in grocery sacks!)

How about you? Anyone else assessing their quilts and UFOs with a new year in mind?

Iceblossom

I have given myself an out, I don't consider tops as unfinished. They are a finished top, they are just not quite a quilt yet. If I leave the world with a couple hundred "unfinished" tops, well -- it will be ok.

Sometimes it gets to me... So I just shove it down and start another project! I do have several projects planned and a couple of groups of fabrics collected to work with next year including Civil War prints and Metallics.

I'm ok with the number of WiPs I have. I am really trying to motivate myself to do just a few paper pieced blocks. Don't know why I'm so resistant, I actually want to do it and get that project going again before it stalls out.

TheMerkleFamily

It's a perpetual thought process... there are plenty UFOs, WIPs & PIGS to keep me busy for the foreseeable future but what about all the Christmas gifts? Oh, I first need to make my niece a gift for her 18th in October! And look at this pretty fall fabric that jumped into my arms at the thrift store yesterday so I better hurry-up and make some fall items to gift to family/friends. Wait a minute - what about the French Rose quilt that's been in progress and sitting on my sewing table for two months?? No, not before I quilt that Irish Chain king quilt I made last month! Feeling a bit guilty that DH has asked me to make golf club covers since spring, better do that next. Arrrrghh... The struggle is real! And I haven't even opened up my sewing closet which is full of projects waiting for my attention.

I think I shall commit myself to both the fabric moratorium and UFO train for 2020 and make it a 'clean-up' year. I am so much happier when I finish one before starting another so that's my over-arching quilting goal!

But, wait, I think I just saw an email with 60% off... oh no, I don't need that!

Have a great sewing day everyone!

nanna-up-north

I think the longer I quilt the more I get behind. I used to have a rule that I didn't start a new quilt until I finished the one I was working on. Oh how long ago that has been. But I don't have tons of things unfinished. I do make out a list every January and this year's was smaller than last year. And, it's never a lot. I think I have 8 things unfinished at the moment. And, one of those is my LBB that I knew would take a minimum of 5 years.

I will make my list again in January, 2020. I hope it's yet a bit smaller but if not, that's okay. I love the process and whether it takes a week or 5 years, it's all good.

KalamaQuilts

my feelings also. UFO's will probably end up in the dump, along with a lot of fabric, not finished tops. And if I think I'm getting over the line I shout at myself in all caps, what are you, 8 years old?

ka9sdn

I have one QOV to finish putting together, then have this one and one other QOV to get quilted by mid-October as first goals, then I have a drawer full of tops to get quilted yet this year. Will not start another top till I get these caught up!!!

NJ Quilter

I have been on a mission for the last several months to get my tops actually quilted. I am hand stitching the binding on the second to last to be done. Woohoo for me! One more top to quilt. Already have backing/binding so it's only the quilting process. Up until this year I have been exclusively a hand quilter. For several reasons I jumped into machine quilting simply to get these quilts done. They are early quilts of mine that I never particularly cared for. Straight line, walking foot machine quilting. They are done! After I get the last one quilted the machine is going in for service and I am going to ruthlessly clean my sewing room. It's been forever since it's been done. I have dust bunnies and thread nests galore everywhere in that room. Battery cover on the TV remote is somewhere under a piece of furniture so the remote does not work at the moment. Straight and safety pins everywhere! You can barely walk in the room. No more sewing projects until the room (and the rest of the upstairs) is completely and thoroughly cleaned! I suspect (hope?) there will be at least some purging in the process. I have also methodically over the last couple of years giving my 'scraps' to another quilting friend so that pile is quite reduced as well. It's no longer a happy place for me to be so this is a very necessary step. But I am looking forward to planning my next quilt after the above process is complete.

quiltingshorttimer

NZ--well, new baby may be the best excuse anyone could have for being slow on quilting! LOL
I don't even worry about what I have in progress and isn't finished--figure some day I'll get back to that WIP (hopefully). I am trying to work on stuff I have instead buying more--frankly, I don't have more storage space or otherwise I would be buying. But one motive to work on my stash is the sampler I'm working on right now--it's a kit bought in 2011 and the shop cut the fabric so tightly! It may end up with only 9 blocks instead of 12. Christmas gifts do give me motive to move forward on some stuff though.

zozee

Yes, I set goals at the end of the year for the upcoming one. Do I stay on track? Rarely. Mostly because I am a mood quilter and I work what I'm in the mood for. I also find I make a list of techniques or skills I'd like to try. But I also don't get uptight about finishing quilts because if I'm not in the mood, it shows in my work.

This year my shoulder trouble sidelined me and practically crushed my desire for quilting --for 4 long months. But I was able to participate in a boom swap, I made big strides in decluttering, didn't buy any fabric till August (my birthday treat), and am confident I'll finish the one throw quilt and 3 doll quilts on my to-do list before Christmas.

Jaiade

I don't usually set this kind of goal. This is for pleasure; no pressure. That being said, on another thread a discussion was on keeping a record of quilts and I commented that since 2010 I've been keeping a spread sheet. When I first started the sheet I had to go back(wayyyyyy back) to get all tops, UFO's, WIP's and PIG's(not too many of those, just fabric in bags) to go on the list. The list was suppose to help you keep track of things.{yeah, right!} But it really did. It was also an eye opener as to just what I had, and what needed to be done to finish. I think I like making the tops more than quilting them. I say "I think" but I really don't feel that is true. But for some reason I have more tops than quilts. It could be that the LA is not in the same room that I piece in. I have so many, and the spread sheet showed them to me, that I said I would piece a top then quilt a top before I made another top. That didn't last long at all. But I have cut way back on tops just because I feel I should get more of them quilted before making others. One thing I've learned about myself since the spread sheet is I don't like UFO's or WIP's. When I start a top I don't start another until it is finished. And thanks in part to Juki, I can usually make a queen size top in about a week, no more than two and that's only working on it in the evening. I usually prepare the binding as soon as I finish the top. Now my goal is to make backings for all the tops. I have a few hanging with the tops now, but no where near all. A girl has to pet the machine some how and since I'm trying not to make any more tops......... And this will help my spread sheet numbers because backing is one of the check offs. So my goal for 2020 is to keep at what I've decided on for this year. (but there are so many patterns I still want to make[sigh]
What is a girl to do [sigh, again]