UFO Confession

How many UFOs do you have?  That's a question we quilters tend to ask each other.  Possibly helps us feel better about ourselves if the response is higher than our own list. LOL So what is a UFO?

A UFO is an unfinished quilting project.  In my mind, a few orphan blocks is not a UFO.  Setting aside fabric for a future quilt is not a UFO (because you can change your mind).  But actually cutting into the fabric with the intent of making blocks for a full quilt flips the switch to UFO until it is actually finished.  Finished means assembled, sandwiched, quilted, and bound.  Labeling is secondary, although some quilters believe until it is labeled, it is still unfinished.  Not me. I tend to label in a batch of several quilts at a time, so the quilt is done when binding is finished.

With that in mind, I decided to be honest with myself and compile a list. Whew, baby!  It was quite a list!  It got so long I had to put it in a spreadsheet. I'm an accountant, so I live and breathe in Excel. Then I figured out what stage each project was in (making blocks, ready for assembly, ready for quilting, ready to bind).  Deep breath. Okay, here goes:

I have TWENTY FIVE unfinished projects.

Not too bad, but not too good.  How many UFOs do you have?  'Cause I need to feel better.

Then, because my list was in a spreadsheet, I began to schedule which projects to work on. Those closest to being finished got to go first in line.

Top 10 quilts are:

1. Jamestown Landing, started in 2013. DONE in January. I have to take credit for my 2018 finishes, right?

2. Magnolia mystery from Meadow Mist designs, started in 2017. At the longarmer. I didn't get a pic of the final flimsy, but definitely will get a good picture when it comes back to me.

3. Big Star County mystery from Alycia Quilts, started in 2017. At the longarmer.

4. Grand Illusion, a Bonnie Hunter mystery from 2014. Blocks are done, need to assemble. Backing is on hand (it's that dark aqua I had found recently and forgotten it was for this quilt).

5.  In the 'Hood mystery from EvaPaige Quilt Designs, started in 2017. Backing is on hand. Need to sandwich & FMQ.  My plan is to quilt little scotties in the four blank square and do little swirls or tiny stipples around the block scotties. The big scotties need hair and sweater stiching. Not sure what to do with the border bones.

6. Floribunda, a Bonnie Hunter design started in 2012. Blocks are done, border is nearly complete. Need to assemble. Backing is on hand.

7. Sapphire Stars, a mystery from Kevin the Quilter, started in 2017.  Finished assembling the blocks in January, nearly done with the border. Backing has been ordered. I hope to drop off to longarmer in February.

8. Red Cross, started in 2013. Need to finish the FMQ. It's already bound.

9. Baby Fox, circa 2015. It is sandwiched and ready for FMQ.

10. En Provence, a Bonnie Hunter mystery from 2016. Six blocks done, need three more plus sashing and border. Will need to shop for backing.  Or maybe I should skip the sashing and do 12 blocks total. Looks pretty with the just the blocks, doesn't it.

As I said on January 1, my goal is to finish at least half of my UFOs. That means I need to finish THIRTEEN.  If I hold true to my Excel schedule, I could finish as many as 22. And my goal is to resist starting another project until three UFOs are done.

The remaining quilts are Garden Party, 1860's Revival, Red/White DSP4, 2015 Craftsy Sampler, RSC15 sampler, a t-shirt quilt, Lady of the Lake, a 199X baby blanket, fabric cut for a patriotic Tobacco Road, an assembled tree skirt, a Christmas table runner cut and ready to sew, a Crabapple Trees medallion, a batik Jewel Box, String X, and my first quilt which needs a border fix before it can be quilted.

Ummm, I must confess I have already kinda, sorta, started a new project already. Angela at SoScrappy announced her RSC18. Although my 2015 blocks are still languishing in the UFO bin, I just know I can keep up with RSC18. Yes, I know I can.  I pulled my light blue scraps and cut enough to make three 10" blocks. She announced the February purple block design today, so will need to cut some purple scraps and keep it going.

Just for fun, I also made a few Lady of the Lake blocks because I just cannot resist doing some piecing. This one is going to be so pretty!  After finishing my last blue & white quilt (Jamestown Landing), I had to push this blue/white one onto the active working list.

So it's your turn to confess. How many UFOs do you have?

So Close

Do you know the thrill that comes when you have completed all the blocks for your quilting project?  You carefully cut and sewed the pieces, then counted the blocks and finally have everything ready to lay out before the final assembly. I am FINALLY at that point with "Colorado Sunshine" (aka Bonnie Hunter's Floribunda pattern).  Wanna see?

See that space on the left? I have the block, but.... something is not right. 

I can fix this. Just a bit more to do on the pieced border and it is Assembly Time. Yay!!!

How are your summer projects coming along?

Quilting and Living

To my 10 or so regular readers: thank you for hanging in there until I finally created a new post.  I have been living life and finding a few peaceful moments to continue quilting, just like normal.  But what *is* normal?  I found this blogpost here:

 I learned that there is no such thing normal.  Normal is an illusion.  It’s an idea we get in our heads about what our lives should look like influenced by society, the media, friends, family and a million other things.  Searching for normal is denial of and resistance to whatever is happening right here and now which results in struggle and pain.  Wherever I am in my life and whatever is happening IS normal whether it’s what I wanted or expected or not.

My daughter is home from college, but without the satisfaction of having completed her freshman year.  She has no plan at the moment other than to find a job so she can have the near instant gratification of money to spend.  We have also adopted another 19-year-old daughter, a good friend of my original daughter who needed a place to stay for a couple weeks.  Now for the summer.

We have some big decisions to make next week about our lives, our careers, our home. There are many factors to weigh.  I have a Pluses and Minuses chart to help me wrap my head around what is important to my happiness, my family's well-being and our eventual retirement.  Change can be so scary. But not changing may be even riskier and that is scary, too. You'd think a female pilot would be the bravest person who can face any challenge with a victorious fist pump. Hah. Not my reality.

So what is normal?  Sharing a bit of our dilemma with my daughter with friends and finding unexpected solace.  Finding pockets of time to express my creativity with quilting. Picking up socks and shoes scattered around the house. Petting my cats and spoiling them with their morning canned food treat. Harvesting lettuce and asparagus from my garden.  Hugging my husband and daughter(s). Volunteering at the airport. Finding a rare moment to fly above all those earthbound struggles.  Understanding that others are struggling with issues in their own lives.

Okay. Now that I got that out.... Here is what I have been sewing lately.  "Allietare" is back from being longarm quilted, waiting for my latest fabric order to arrive so I can bind it.  Orange Crush - now named "Marigold Field" is a flimsy waiting for backing to arrive in said fabric order.

 "Colorado Sunshine" is only 7 blocks and one pieced border away from becoming an 8x10 flimsy, and its backing will also arrive in the fabric order.

This is how I can feel a sense of accomplishment. I'm continuing to work on my goals of reducing my UFOs (unfinished projects). I am enjoying my job responsibilities and helping my team fulfill our company's objectives. I am leading a flight scholarship committee which helps young people fulfill their own dreams of learning to fly. I am thankful for all the opportunities I have in life. I know challenges are part of a *normal* life.

From the same blog mentioned above:
I have come to appreciate all of life’s ups and downs and swerves and curves.  It’s all part of it, and it’s all normal.  I used to wish for a calm life with no surprises, but now think of how numb and boring that would be.  To live a rich, full life, I have to be willing to embrace, yes embrace, whatever comes my way and find the joy and meaning in it.  Without any little part of it, life wouldn’t be the multi-textured, colorful tapestry it is.  I’ll take that over normal any day.

'Til next post.... live, love and learn!