10 Minute Tip
If you have been a quilter more than a few minutes, you know the struggle that arises when you keep starting new projects before finishing the current one you are working on. I’ve only met one quilter (and I’ve met thousands) who didn’t have this issue over my 20+ years of quilting. The urge to create isn’t always organized or motivated by finishing for a variety of reasons. I wish I had a nickel for every time I heard a quilter say… “ I just can’t start ANOTHER project, I have so many already started! The term for these projects not yet completed are often referred to as UFO’s (Un-Finished Objects) There is no shame in these projects that haven’t found their completion. They just serve as proof that we are multi talented and feel the need to create a variety of things! There is NO GUILT in quilting. Repeat that until you believe it… THERE IS NO GUILT IN QUILTING, THERE IS NO GUILT IN QUILTING, THERE IS NO GUILT IN QUILTING…
Feel better yet? There are multiple ways to deal with UFO’s and the best way is the one that works for you! Here’s what works for me.
Make a list of your UFO’s and decide which ones no longer interest you. Set them aside and see what you can save from them and pass the rest along to a friend or donate it. Stop gasping, we are all going to outlive our fabric stash, so just think of it as freeing up time to work on what you really want to work on!
Take a look at the list of what’s left. Now organize it in order of those things closest to completion. Perhaps you have some quilts that only need a binding and label? Maybe you have quite a few tops that need quilting? Sets of blocks that need to be assembled into a quilt top? Just started or not yet opened kits? You get the idea. Now finish off one of the projects that is closest to completion and see if that doesn’t motivate you to move to the next project!
What if you don’t have all the supplies you need for some of the projects? Easy enough! I have a checklist that can help you organize your UFO’s and make them easier to finish. It includes all the steps, along with a place for notes if you need to purchase anything. Remember, always shop your stash first, you never know what might have appeared in there since you last looked at some of these projects!
Download the checklist here… it’s okay if you need to print several pages (no judgement here!)
Enjoy every stitch! Diane