I just couldn't stop beating myself up every time I wanted to start or try out a new pattern I would come across. I continually scolded myself and pledged NOT start anything else UNTIL I finished EVERY project that was piling up!! NO NO NO I would tell myself.
Most of my Q.U.I.P.'s don't need a whole lot to be finished. Some I get bogged down on finding or having the right borders or backing fabric. Some just need to be "sandwiched". I have 2 right now that are sandwiched, basted and just need to be quilted. I am "hand quilting" on one right now that will be slow going. One quilt I am thinking about sending out to be quilted, but the "jury" is still out on that one, after all, I REALLY REALLY would like to do them all myself. BUT, as the Q.U.I.P.'s pile grows I may be forced to let someone else quilt some of them.....wah wah wah!!!
I've decided not to fret on it anymore!! I WILL eventually get them all done!!
The WINNER of my little guessing game in my previous post about HOW MANY of these Q.U.I.P's I have IS......JANET O......the VERY FIRST commenter!!!! My mouth dropped open to the floor when the very first commenter guessed the exact amount I have which if 22!!!! Ok.....there, I said it....22! Interestingly, it really didn't hurt that bad to say it out loud. After all, some of you who guessed fessed up to how many you have and several of you have W-A-Y more than me!! LOLOL
Way to go Janet, we'll get together on your mailing address so I can mail you YOUR PRIZE for being such a good guesser. WAY TO GO JANET from Rogue Quilter Blog.
SOOOOO.....WHO CARES??? RIGHT???? I am right...aren't I???
I agree, do what you want, life is to short to finish UFO's!!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you - I have many quilts/part quilts and nearly quilts 'resting' at the moment and I'm OK with that!! It's the process I enjoy and while a few end products would be nice, I'm not fretting either!
ReplyDeleteYou are RIGHT, of course! I've been doing the same thing, feeling guilty about getting excited whenever I try yet another new thing when there are so many unfinished things around. I'm not as brave as you are - I haven't actually counted mine - but I'll try to take a page from your book and just enjoy the making and learning!
ReplyDeleteI sure don't care how many unfinished I have. I will always be starting a new one. I just counted, I have 53 in various stages of needing borders, top done, sandwiched, and even partially quilted. I like to finish my own too and that's why I'll never catch up.
ReplyDeleteLOL............I think to celebrate I think you should start another project...........lol..........
ReplyDeleteI have a bunch more unfinished projects than you do (maybe 2x or 3x--I'd be afraid to count!) A friend of mine told me not to think of them as unfinished. Instead, think of some of them as lessons or experiments. Some you likely won't finish because you've learned what you needed to learn, or tried a new technique or new color combination, and it doesn't need to go further--you've learned the lesson. You're taking that lesson and applying it to new ones when you start more. Hope that helpsyou--it did me! :)
ReplyDeleteAnd of course, with Q.U.I.P.s you will have something interesting to pass on when you are gone. Think of the fun discoveries of some pretty quilt projects just waiting to be finished.
ReplyDeleteI've given or traded some of my Q.U.I.P.s - it seems more fun to finish someone else's project.
WooHoo! I can't believe I won. The number 22 really is lucky!! I'll send you my address.
ReplyDeleteI kind of like having quilts at various stages and of various types of work. That way I can do whatever I am in the mood to do. I also look at a friend who has a whole bunch of tops her mother never finished and I think I wouldn't mind being in her shoes. Both of my daughters know how to quilt--I'm just preparing a stitching legacy for them! : )
You said it! I like having all these irons in the fire. It's fun and never ending. Plus, you can start new things at the drop of a blog inspiration.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. You know, I just wanna be happy. If I'm happy starting then I'll start and if I'm happy finishing then fine. But mostly I don't finish a lot and I don't care at all. It's all about the joy. We go with our hearts, eh?
ReplyDeleteI didn't even wait to hand stitch the binding on my newest quilt, I had to sleep under it right away. Now it's off my bed again so I can actually finish it. And then I started another project on Sunday....I'm going to make BH's mystery quilt from 2009, Carolina Christmas. So much for No New Projects!
ReplyDeleteI agree!!! Who cares how many projects we have...I also believe I will eventually finish every project I've started!
ReplyDeleteOnly 22? You must still be warming up. I have no guilt regarding my number of QUIPs. I have some finished quilts too. It is liberating not to worry about them too much. As my friend says "something to leave the kids"!
ReplyDeleteHaving just moved bins of UFO's, you are singing to the choir! Not wanting to move them again has been a big motivator in getting a few finished. But, that hasn't stopped me from starting a few new projects. Quilting is meant to be FUN!
ReplyDeleteI have lots of UFOs too, but to me there's so much satisfaction from finishing something that I don't normally like to leave things sit anymore. So I guess maybe mine aren't UFOs so much but WISP (works in slow progress)! LOL Just remember to enjoy whatever you're working on. That's the whole point, right? :0)
ReplyDeleteOK- I'm with you! Who cares. I have a lot of unfinished quilts, too. BUT... a large percentage do eventually get finished, so I try not to be too hard on myself about it. And, like you, I so wish I could hand quilt them all. I love to hand quilt, but that's just not practical when I start so many projects. So I pick and choose.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the process! If flimsies pile up so be it.
ReplyDeleteIt makes quilting interesting to me. I don't have any idea how many I have but it is okay.
ReplyDeleteI say enjoy! (and don't lose the bindings!! hee)
ReplyDeleteThe fun is in creating, so create whatever you are feeling at the time! :o) I'm glad to read that others have 20 and more, b/c I've been beating myself up for having about 8. I need to stop that. Thanks for the encouragement! :o)
ReplyDeleteIf there is joy in the process, we keep the joy going. I do like the new steps in a different project. Also, by having a quilt or fifty started, when a special day comes along that needs a gift, it isn't so hard to complete one.
ReplyDeleteReally, I don't want to count, like you said, does it really matter?
:-}pokey
ABSOLUTELY! Who cares, indeed! I have AT LEAST that many! The rest of my life has to be so responsible, so sometimes rebellion makes me act very irrationally in the quilt cave. It's OK!! It's the one place I can do whatever the ---- I want to!!
ReplyDeleteIn stitches,
Teresa :o)
A creative brain cannot be restrained--especially when fabric is involved! That's my story and I'm sticking to it :) The QUIPs are in all stages and that's how things move along in my quilting room too, so I think you're doing just fine!
ReplyDeleteI wasn't going to comment until I had counted my QUIPS. You threw out such a big net, including tops that need quilting or even just binding.
ReplyDeleteWell, I never have gotten around to counting...I started another project instead.
I love your post and the last time I counted I had around 20-25 projects too. Sometimes I feel really guilty about it, but then when a new pattern comes along that I love I start another one. LOL We'll finish all in good timing right?
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't matter ONE LITTLE BIT! You enjoy yourself gal, doing what you love best.
ReplyDeleteBTW - I got rid of 4 UFO's in a week! Feeling very pleased with myself.
That is a metaphor for life. Who cares? I get bogged down in that too.
ReplyDeleteIt is your hobbie.I have several quilting,knitting,cross stitch projects on the go at once. They are my hobbies, they keep me sane. Every now and then I have a finishingoff session. You have to do what works for you.x
ReplyDelete