I've had my UFOs out so I could see them. First they were in my sewing space. Then they were moved to the wall where the bookcase now is. Then they were moved to the dining room. Now they're being moved upstairs into the stash room.
I can't deal with them sitting around making me feel guilty. I need them out of sight. I don't want to dread starting something new when all of 'those' are glaring at me. I don't want to have to explain to anyone, or myself, why they are still not finished. So I'm going to do the only right thing I can do - for my own peace of mind - and move them.
Once I finish this task, I'm going to get going on the giterdun quilt. I also have pink and white baby blocks coming in for a friend. Those will be easy to assemble and will be the only quilt to detour me from the giterdun.
This UFO list is for my future reference, just so I'll know they're around here somewhere:
~ White Christmas applique - four blocks finished
~ Red and white shooting stars - 80% done
~ Manicured bear's paws - just needs borders
~ A secret quilt of Judy's that didn't get done in time for the book audition
~ Botanika - my oldest UFO that just needs quilting
~ Let it Snow/Sew - needs quilting
~ 1st Sat. bright houses - needs borders
~ Nicky's Christmas blocks - will get done this year!
~ Round robin - needs quilting
~ Green thing - needs quilting and donating to charity
~ Red/white/blue - need to finish unquilting it and get it requilted
~ Chocolate Covered Cherries - needs quilting
~ Poppy string - needs quilting
~ Around the Block - needs quilting
~ QOV - needs final border
~ Squishy swap - needs assembling, quilting, and donating
~ Big Quilts in a Bag - cut and ready to assemble
~ Bento Box - cut and ready to assemble
~ Alex's leaf/house retreat project - needs quilting
~ Bundling Board - needs final border and quilting
~ Mardi Gras wallhanging - needs everything
~ I'm sure there are others that I'll unearth downstairs
The bins I'm going to keep at hand because I like working on them:
~ Dutch Treats - 103 blocks done (out of 196)
~ Dear Emma - Sally sent me another pieced row, so I need to catch up with her on the applique
~ Jane's Crumbs - I love making these
~ Three bins of strips. Those need to stay by my cutting table.
So there it is. By the end of the day, it's going to be a lot tidier downstairs, and my upstairs stash room will be ready to explode. I don't care. I don't need the pressure of these things sniping at me when I walk past them. I don't want to end up hating them. And the other little piles of fabric that I brought downstairs because an idea was floating around my pea-sized brain, back up they go into the stash.
As for the quilts on the list that just need quilting (and backings pieced and bindings), I'll do one a month or so and get them off to Judy. My reward will be getting to sit by Daisy on the sofa and stitch bindings, which I love to do.
So that's it. That's my plan. I'm not enjoying quilting lately because of the unfinished stuff. It's cramping my creativity AND productivity. When I'm ready, I'll pull one of them out and work on it. In the meantime, I just need to get back to quilting. It keeps me sane!
Had a great St. Paddy's Day dinner with Jane and her DH last night. And I got hopelessly lost not once, but twice while trying to find a place yesterday. Another adventure (sigh)!
9 comments:
Hip, Hip, Hooray! If those things are stifling your creativity and just plain ole fun then they must be "out of sight". I have had big plans to gut my walk in (tongue in cheek) closet but first I need to clean the sewing room itself. So, today I'm cleaning and sorting and tossing the stuff that's everywhere and then I'll be able to pull out the stuff in the closet and start the BIG SORT.
This is suppose to be for FUN not to add more stress or make us feel guilty.
You're wayyy toooo hard on yourself. You work full time, manage a house full time, love on a pup full time. You're setting lofty goals. baby steps. Pick out one ufo and one new project. Lock the rest away. You've made a list, so you know what's out there. Maybe combine some blocks in to another project. It's no fun if you beat yourself up so much. I've been to lots of funerals. I've heard them say--" She was Talented, She shared your gifts. She loved her pet. Never have I heard, "She left 365 UFOs out there". Quilting is about expression, not drudgery. Have fun.
I wouldn't call it defeat! You've at least made a list of most of them. The problem (as I see it . . and I'm real good at solving everyone else's problems!) is that you have that darned quilt you don't want to do. That's taking the fun away from everything else. I think you'll be surprised at how quickly it goes once you get started and then it will be done and you can do anything you want to do . . without guilt!
Glad you had a great dinner with Jane. I hope I get to meet her some day.
Judy L.
Sometimes out of sight is out of mind. I hope you're able to find your creativity soon.
This is just a note to say thank you. Thank you for giving us permission to put away those things that seem to stiffle our creativity. We'll get around to them some day -- just not today. So, what's the sense of having them stare us in the face and defy us to work on them. We know what needs to be done to those UFO's, and it will get done eventually, but there is just such a thrill to starting something new. You go girl!
I put my UFOs out of sight too. Packed them up and moved them to the shop. And yours is just a baby list compared to mine! I will get to them just right now I'm having too much fun busting stash. :-)
I agree, once I packed away my ufos and know I don't have to think about them all the time-it makes life a lot lighter! good for you to re-arrange your quilting space so you will be happier...
Yes things we don't want to work on can be nagging. Think about keeping one or two out that you really want to finish instead of packing them all away. I kept four out and before I knew it they were done done along with lots of other new starts and finishes!
You might as well put them away if they're taking the fun out of it for you. I'm on a UFO roll myself and I have to admit it feels pretty good. Now if I can just make myself sew these Pineapple blocks together and get borders on it I'll be doing good.
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