Ok, So I’m going to put this out there. I’m absolutely drowning in unfinished quilts. You obviously don’t HAVE to join me… but this is where I am right now and I NEED a sewing room challenge! Do you want details? Keep reading, I would love to have someone else join me on this!
I’m a bit of a hyper squirrel when it comes to quilting. (that’s actually a really good description if I do say so myself) I love quilts. I love love love quilts. And I love fabric. And I love quilt design too.
When I find new fabric, I immediately plan a whole quilt around it and I want to buy all the coordinating fabric and my heart takes over and doesn’t listen to my brain screaming that I have like 5 (ok, 8) other quilts at home that are not finished yet… For example, I had to buy a little more of the kona solid white fabric for my #atomicstarquilt on fabric.com and I don’t know… this panda fabric just begged to be bought and now I am apparently making a panda quilt (eventually).
Note: The top fabric is by Riley Blake Designs and the bottom Fabric is by Katarina Roccella. You can read the Fave Fabric Friday Post that I wrote about Katarina Roccella.
I know other quilters who have way more unfinished projects than I have at this moment. Have you seen the hashtag #WIP? It’s “work in progress”… so I know if there’s a hashtag for it, it must be a thing other people struggle with too. I just feel that I have reached a point, personally, where I can’t just laugh it off anymore. It’s becoming a real problem.
When I was first starting out, my patterns were simple and didn’t require a ton of time to finish. Now, I’ve upped my skills to patterns that scare me just a little because I constantly want to grow as a quilter.
If your dreams don’t scare you just a little bit… you aren’t dreaming big enough! – words to live by.
Some of the projects I’ve got in my sewing room right now… They totally are a product of me really living that ‘dream big‘ philosophy… and woah, are they’re taking a lot longer than I originally planned. The hyper squirrel takes over and I blink and then there are more projects around!
What do I want to do?
I’m going to do a total project count of finishable projects in my sewing room at this very moment.*
Then, I’m going to cut off my project list.
No more new quilts until I’ve finished these.
None.
I have to get my mean mommy – no dessert – attitude on.
This is a promise to myself, with you as my witness.
Quilts are beautiful and useful, but only if you finish them!
*Not that this changes things but I’d like to be honest: I say “finishable” because I have a few English Paper Piecing projects that are ongoing and are going to be ginormous in size and workload. That was my intention when I started English Paper Piecing – something I can take with me and continue for a long long time.
Ok…… drumroll…
Right now, I have 3 quilt tops that are started. I have 4 others that are just stacks of fabric that are planned quilts, but not yet cut.
If you’ve been reading with me for a while, you know I’m not just floating around sipping on tea and quilting all day long. I’m a super busy mom and at times a hot mess of stress. (aren’t we all? …right? Someone please comment and give me a high five?)
I have 2 kids. I’m a wife, a cook, a maid, chauffeur boo-boo kisser and apparently, I am against sleep of any form too.
I have enough things on my to-do list without adding any more projects.
It’s time to finish some and cross off those to-do lists!
How I’m going to do it?
Heres my plan… Things with work are incredibly busy right now for me. It’s just insane... (FYI, when I am not quilting, or thinking about quilting, or being a mom… I’m a freelance graphic artist with a long list of job titles that somehow equivalate to something of a miracle worker/people pleaser at the same time) so finding more hours in the day to quilt is just not even on the radar.
For the month of May & June, I’m going to work on finishing the 3 projects that I have in progress. Finish… yikes. And completely refrain from touching the other 4 that I have a rough plan for but have yet to touch.
2 months to finish my goal seems a bit long, but these are big projects. Ideally, I would like to finish all the quilt tops in 6 weeks and spend the last 2 weeks quilting.
Silly me decided that one of my quilts HAS to be hand stitched and now I can’t back out of that deal. It is going to be amazing.
I have to say just putting this out there has a weight lifted off my shoulders. I have a deadline and a plan.
Let’s Do This!
UPDATE: It’s complete! I created a detailed post (with lots of pictures!) alllllll about the Sewing Room Challenge process and see the results.
You can read that here. Part 2 – The sewing room Challenge Results
Enough about me… what about you? Do you have unfinished quilts that could use a deadline to get your booty into gear? Even if it is just 1 project hanging over your head, let’s do this together!
Tell me about your projects in the comments and if you care to join me in this challenge.
I have so many unfinished projects, how far back should I go to list them?! LOL I love learning new techniques but when halfway through a project, I loose interest and want to go to another project. When making something special for someone, I’m better at finishing. When making a quilt just for the heck of it, they seem to go by the wayside. I have a Gammill Statler stitcher but have lots of quilt tops laying around waiting their turn with “Roweana” (My moms middle name that I named my machine after. ) You are going to hate this part, I’m retired, in fact, I am a retired sailmaker (as in sailboats) and have a huge sewing room (18’ x 32’) but stay busy traveling and doing ….. something, that I never have enough time in my work room. So, tell me how to get things dome, I’m on board. I do piece quilts by hand when traveling. I’m traveling right now and I’m working on Hang Ten Quilt by Brigitte Heitland with Laurel Burch fabrics. It keeps me sane! Melinda Gregory, Norfolk, VA
Melinda, I want to come and sew in your sewing room! It sounds lovely! – At this point, it sounds like you’re just having way too much fun with your life to get any quilting done 😉 Also, I used to live in Virginia Beach for a few years. My husband was stationed in Norfolk.
YES, I have way too many WIPs, and unfortunately no, I don’t think that’s ever going to change. At this point I’m thinking of myself as more a collector of supplies than a crafter of any sort!
There is nothing wrong with that, Rhonda! You are preparing yourself for any sort of craft emergency… whatever it may be 🙂
Ok……. so this was a wake up call for me!! WIPs are just waiting for me!!
I have 7 unfinished quilts (2 from over 30 years ago, tops finished but not quilted) 4 kits, multiple Jelly Rolls and stacks of fabric! I can’t pass up the great bargains when Joann’s has a sale!! Soo…. I am going to get the 2 older quilts quilted and I will do the binding to finish them… THIS YEAR!! I am going to finish 2 unfinished started quilt tops and 2 small jelly roll quilts…. THIS YEAR!!
Hi Kay, I love it! You sound so ready and pumped! It’s infectious. Go girl, go!