Yikes! I'm under instructions from my fortune cookie to deliver an entertaining post.
It’s scary when one of my half-baked ideas goes viral among my friends. All of a sudden, after my quilting buddy Kim comes knocking on my door with piles of beautiful completed quilts to share, I’ve got to live up to one of my crazy schemes as well. Turns out she was inspired by my rant last Christmas about prioritizing UFOs and tackling them. I’m so jealous plus I’ve got to get seriously motivated!
Jennifer’s scorecard to date: 12 unfinished projects, one completed, and two nearly done quilts. I’ll tackle one of those two this week and bind the other when it’s back from the long-arm quilter.
The first UFO finished in 2011 paired with a spectacular bouquet of crimson peonies.
Where has the time gone this year? If I’d actually adhered to my goal of finishing one quilt a month, then I’d be done with six projects by now. Well, I can’t beat myself up about missing the quota; frankly, getting three done by June is pretty good.
The biggest challenge when committing to clearing the decks is avoiding temptation. And as every quilter knows, it’s supremely difficult to stay on task when so many wonderful ideas and fabrics keep popping up to distract us.
Just look at Laura’s post from last week to see an irresistible fabric. I shop at Wooden Gate Quilts as often as she does and I never saw that fabulous Alexander Henry print. Of course, I had to track it down because it was the perfect backing for one of my 12 UFOs. (Wasn’t that a terrific rationale for a purchase?) Then, she used that Moda jellyroll for her stars. No more scrolling down the posts to admire Laura’s pretty quilt–I must be resolute and focus on my goal!
Another obstacle to clear in a year of finishing is project add-ons. There’s always a wedding or baby to celebrate and that can become a serious challenge to even the most-committed finisher. Right now I’ve got to figure out whether I’ll be able to design and make an original quilt for a family wedding before the end of the year. I guess the best case would be designating one of my 12 as the gift, but none of those projects celebrate wedded bliss.
A teetering pile of quilt incubators--gotta say I love my plastic!
So where does all this lead? To a rickety pile of plastic storage bins and a stash of giant Ziploc bags, each a home to one of my UFOs. At least I’ve got something wonderful in the offing once I conquer my project piles—I can shop for new fabric!
Do let me know I’m not alone on my quest. I think a dozen unfinished quilts is scary–there’s got to be someone out there with a higher count. Do share!
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