Mid-year I did a little overview of the fateful UFO list--with the promise to take another look by year end. Guess that means now!
So to recap: 2010's UFO list started out in January with forty items that had left the starting gate but were unfinished. In 2008 & 2009 the lists started with about the same number, and only one fifth of those lists made it to completion by year-end. That's not too bad, except at least that many new, unfinished projects got added to the subsequent year's list each time--an annual Sisyphus project...
This year--since leaving the job-that-ate-my-life--have I faired any better? I haven't finalized the 2011 UFO list, but I can say that for 2010 (drum roll, please!) nineteen items have been completed, or 48%! Woo-hoo! Regretfully I didn't make it over the half-way mark, but roughly twice as many UFO's made the finish line this year. I can also gladly report there are not 19 items to newly add to next year's list--so I've (finally) netted a gain. That's largely due to finishing many items that were started this year, and hopefully nearing the "bottom" of the UFO project box--I think I've found most of them now! The 48% is slightly misleading as some of the projects completed this year--or much closer to completion--are large, time intensive projects. Conversely, many of the remainders are smaller or needing less time to actually complete. (And there are a rare few that may be 'retired' from the UFO list altogether. I'm coming to terms with the reason some have not been completed is directly related to my loss of interest or commitment to those items. After enough time, they may do better being cast out into the 'universe of UFO's'...sans guilt. We'll see.)
I scheduled a final day of longarm fun for the year after the school break arrived--happy holiday to me! How fitting that my last longarm day was 'number 10' for 2010! The day was mostly spent on a UFO that's been on the list for several years, and I'm glad to say it's now been bound & completed!
This project deserves special acknowledgement due to it's infamy in my round-robin group. More years ago than we usually care to claim, we went shopping together & stumbled on a truly lovely sampler quilt (a Pam Bono pattern). We spontaneously decided we would use that as a starting point of our small group work. No disrespect to the pattern designer, but all of us soon discovered the error of our decision--and in the years since it has become the benchmark of low points. (As in: "well at least it's not a PB" ____; fill in the blank with pattern, project, idea, etc. You get the picture.) The two type-A members promptly worked their way through large & glorious quilts that included all the blocks planned. One member made two of the 18" blocks & then cut them up & threw them away in exasperation. One member made four blocks, made them into lovely pillows & gave them away (as in, get these away from me!). One member tediously converted the patterns to paper-piecing patterns & then left the group; don't know if she ever persevered with completing those blocks with the patterns.
Several of us slogged on with the project at intervals, losing hope for completing all of the blocks, but having invested enough time into the ones we had that we kept them on the UFO list with some magical hope of a final product. It has been the group's 'inside' joke & for that reason was well worth the efforts. I've had many a great laugh over our group misery these many years! In my case, I completed five blocks and then made a firm decision to stop while I was behind & come up with some plan that would allow a finished quilt.
This was the outcome. A square quilt (about 72"x72") with lots of open spaces for quilting. That translates to a very visible canvas that highlights all of the errors in my 'advanced beginner' longarm quilting (so don't look too closely--and as ever, pictures aren't great, especially with hanging such a monster!)
All of that said, ya-hoo, I finished this project! and by the end of 2010 so I can cross it off the list!
So to recap: 2010's UFO list started out in January with forty items that had left the starting gate but were unfinished. In 2008 & 2009 the lists started with about the same number, and only one fifth of those lists made it to completion by year-end. That's not too bad, except at least that many new, unfinished projects got added to the subsequent year's list each time--an annual Sisyphus project...
This year--since leaving the job-that-ate-my-life--have I faired any better? I haven't finalized the 2011 UFO list, but I can say that for 2010 (drum roll, please!) nineteen items have been completed, or 48%! Woo-hoo! Regretfully I didn't make it over the half-way mark, but roughly twice as many UFO's made the finish line this year. I can also gladly report there are not 19 items to newly add to next year's list--so I've (finally) netted a gain. That's largely due to finishing many items that were started this year, and hopefully nearing the "bottom" of the UFO project box--I think I've found most of them now! The 48% is slightly misleading as some of the projects completed this year--or much closer to completion--are large, time intensive projects. Conversely, many of the remainders are smaller or needing less time to actually complete. (And there are a rare few that may be 'retired' from the UFO list altogether. I'm coming to terms with the reason some have not been completed is directly related to my loss of interest or commitment to those items. After enough time, they may do better being cast out into the 'universe of UFO's'...sans guilt. We'll see.)I scheduled a final day of longarm fun for the year after the school break arrived--happy holiday to me! How fitting that my last longarm day was 'number 10' for 2010! The day was mostly spent on a UFO that's been on the list for several years, and I'm glad to say it's now been bound & completed!
This project deserves special acknowledgement due to it's infamy in my round-robin group. More years ago than we usually care to claim, we went shopping together & stumbled on a truly lovely sampler quilt (a Pam Bono pattern). We spontaneously decided we would use that as a starting point of our small group work. No disrespect to the pattern designer, but all of us soon discovered the error of our decision--and in the years since it has become the benchmark of low points. (As in: "well at least it's not a PB" ____; fill in the blank with pattern, project, idea, etc. You get the picture.) The two type-A members promptly worked their way through large & glorious quilts that included all the blocks planned. One member made two of the 18" blocks & then cut them up & threw them away in exasperation. One member made four blocks, made them into lovely pillows & gave them away (as in, get these away from me!). One member tediously converted the patterns to paper-piecing patterns & then left the group; don't know if she ever persevered with completing those blocks with the patterns.
Several of us slogged on with the project at intervals, losing hope for completing all of the blocks, but having invested enough time into the ones we had that we kept them on the UFO list with some magical hope of a final product. It has been the group's 'inside' joke & for that reason was well worth the efforts. I've had many a great laugh over our group misery these many years! In my case, I completed five blocks and then made a firm decision to stop while I was behind & come up with some plan that would allow a finished quilt.
All of that said, ya-hoo, I finished this project! and by the end of 2010 so I can cross it off the list!
2 comments:
This quilt is GORGEOUS. and Dutchy. When you come visit, let's plan it @ one of the many quilt auctions in large barns. Your quilt tops them all. Love it!
Please do not throw out the UFOs that are on the possible-discard list. I will make them into pillow covers and use in my shanty home. OK? Please do not waste them! I can think of other uses like decorating those aprons. HAPPY NEW YEAR! we are off to State College now, tomorrow night to Muncy. xo, Waste Know
Just to reassure: when UFO's are 'cast out' they don't get thrown away! One quilter's trash is another quilter's treasures! But yes--let's talk about pillows & aprons... 8-)
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