The Sewing Place

UFOs

Lowena

UFOs
« on: March 08, 2020, 12:38:08 PM »
How do you cope with UFOs?
I think it's wasteful to begin something new when there is a project unfinished and can't bring myself to do it.
I'm desperate to move on from my Temperature quilt....has everyone finished theirs?? but want to finish it quickly.
I thought I might bag it out, waddingless, just to get it done and dusted, as it won't be used.
How do you deal with projects you have fallen out of love with?
The "NewLow" is brimming with ideas but I'm not sure how to deal with "hanger abouters"
 suggestions please  <3
Triumph of hope over experience :D

Stitches

Re: UFOs
« Reply #1 on: March 08, 2020, 13:16:19 PM »
bring them to sewing group and we can  finish then together

Lowena

Re: UFOs
« Reply #2 on: March 08, 2020, 13:27:48 PM »
There are two which are earmarked for that @Stitches this is something extra and a bit substandard. I have nearly done it now
Triumph of hope over experience :D

BrendaP

Re: UFOs
« Reply #3 on: March 08, 2020, 13:31:34 PM »

I think it's wasteful to begin something new when there is a project unfinished and can't bring myself to do it.


 :o :o
I think it's wasteful to throw away all the bits left over from a project when it's finished - especially P&Q projects where sometimes small scraps are just what are needed for something else!

If you really don't like having more than one project on the go then just get on and finish the temperature quilt so that it's no longer a UFO.
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

Lowena

Re: UFOs
« Reply #4 on: March 08, 2020, 14:16:48 PM »
I'm looking for shortcut ways to finish ufos.
I have bagged the temperature quilt without wadding or quilting.
I think it was the house move that led to my losing track of projects.
We all have our own ideas of wastefulness  ;) similarly of space,storage and tidyness.I
I just wondered how people keep abreast of ufos and why the projects become ufos in the first place.
Just felt like a chat  -<
Triumph of hope over experience :D

Elnnina

Re: UFOs
« Reply #5 on: March 08, 2020, 14:20:02 PM »
Whilst I am not a Darksider, I do occasionally read what is going on over your way.  So Lowena I am surprised at your comments on your Temperature Quilt and that you have gone off it and it is unfinished and that you are thinking of putting a back on it but not the middle layer.  Surely with all that fabric that you have used for this Quilt topper you can unpick and use the pieces in with other things - otherwise it is just a waste.  I believe you went shopping quite recently and came home having spent something like £68 on yet more fabric for something else, now couldn't you have used some of the pieces from the UFO quilt, certainly the backing I presume is in one piece and that could be used for something?  Perhaps you do not like unpicking, but just think of all that fabric you have used - if you do not want it I am sure other Darksiders would be grateful to have the chance of using the fabric.

Whilst I am more a dressmaker than anything else all my sewing life I have enjoyed making something out of nothing it really gives me a buzz and a lot of satisfaction when I have made a child's dress out of a long skirt - perhaps that is the way I grew up - money was tight and we had to make do, thus being number 19 out of 22 grandchildren to my Grandparents there were always passed on garments and if they didn't fit us, we often had to take them apart to see what we could make.  I once made myself a full length slip from parachute silk - now that was all cut into huge triangles but it was surprising what we could make out of this and it was lovely fabric to work with.

Lowena

Re: UFOs
« Reply #6 on: March 08, 2020, 14:45:19 PM »
@Elnnina I used an old duvet cover as backing.
The "throw"( as it has no wadding and is not quilted) will not be used but will be there as an historical reference regarding the temperature range during our first year in this house.
The fabric I bought recently is for a specific project ( a baby quilt for a friend's grandchild ) and the fabrics I have are unsuitable in both colours and sizes ( the temperature q quilt used small rectangles )
I know people have ufos and would like to know how they come about and why they are unfinished.......just interested.
Triumph of hope over experience :D

Celia

Re: UFOs
« Reply #7 on: March 08, 2020, 15:51:27 PM »
I am not good with UFOs either, I usually find the reason it happens varies, with sewing it can be lack of time in the right places, also when life gets in the way I often have to put sewing projects away and then I do forget about them.  With knitting I am usually better as I only have 2 items on the go, one complicated and one I can knit in company. Occasionally I have to have a third if either of the first become to large to easily handle.

@Lowena I am always inspired by your posts, I would love to not have a stash of fabric and a smaller stash of wool as I am definitely put off when I see too much choice.  I do think my stash comes from when it was really difficult to buy wools and fabrics locally and the internet did not exist.

Right now I am really trying not to buy fabric I still struggle with wool, I do knit every day but only sew when I can which is not often enough.


Off to sort an unfinished sewing project right now.

Pearl

Re: UFOs
« Reply #8 on: March 08, 2020, 15:53:53 PM »

I know people have ufos and would like to know how they come about and why they are unfinished.......just interested.

There are times when I feel overwhelmed with UFOs. 

Looking at mine, they seem to fall into three camps.

Some I still love but have a problem with.  For the Spirals workshop, I bought a kit and couldn’t find the black batik I wanted for the borders for a long time.

Some I was making for a purpose such as Q4CL.  I didn’t finish it in time for last Christmas and hope to finish it this year. 

Others I don’t love but have gone too far to go back.  An example of this is the Four Patch Chain, aka the quilt that I hate, although I seem to hate it less as it nears completion.

Lowena

Re: UFOs
« Reply #9 on: March 08, 2020, 15:55:18 PM »
Good girl @Celia I hope you get it finished easily  <3
The ufo I found ( and subsequently finished ) was there because I had forgotten about it  :|
Triumph of hope over experience :D

Lowena

Re: UFOs
« Reply #10 on: March 08, 2020, 15:57:43 PM »
Thank you @Pearl that clarifies things nicely.  <3
Triumph of hope over experience :D

Celia

Re: UFOs
« Reply #11 on: March 08, 2020, 18:53:26 PM »
Thank you @Lowena that was the encouragement that I needed, I have used a UFO to make something different and I just need to hand stitch the binding and it is finished only a small project but done.  I have also sorted and thrown away a pile of small pieces of fabric that I had been keeping for no reason, attached fabric.
« Last Edit: March 08, 2020, 21:45:15 PM by Celia »

Sakar

Re: UFOs
« Reply #12 on: March 08, 2020, 19:25:54 PM »
How do you cope with UFOs?

I put them in a big box described as "Ufo box"  :\

I'm desperate to move on from my Temperature quilt....has everyone finished theirs??
No I haven't  :|, but I am trying to get more of the fabrics to finish it this year.  :[

How do you deal with projects you have fallen out of love with?
Until last week they have disappeared in my UFO Box, since this weekend they have passed to a lady, who loves to sew charity quilts and she was very pleased with them. :)


Sakar

Re: UFOs
« Reply #13 on: March 08, 2020, 19:39:53 PM »
I'm looking for shortcut ways to finish ufos.
If you find a way, PLEASE tell me!!! :flower:

... and why the projects become ufos in the first place.

I just can make a list of some of my UFOs and how it came to them...

2016 - Birthday Block Swap 1st: Collected blocks, collected fabric, I want(ed) to make a perfect quilt (I love the chosen subject), but up to now, I have no perfect plan. :(

2017 - Birthday Block Swap 2nd: I collected the blocks, but the size and the numbers of them does not fit in any way into my sewing-style. I have no idea, what to do with them...  :o

2014 - Star BOM: I liked just some stars, I sewed them. I have re-arranged the original layout, now I have to sew more stars. But I changed sewing machine, so I need to re-calculate the seam allowance for all the destructions  :S
I would have already thrown this out, if I hadn't loved the (huge amount of) background fabric so much  :S

2019 - Temperature Quilt: Time was little, I didn't keep in time, lost motivation, when I found it again, I ran out of fabric  :facepalm: I hope to get some fabric before summer and to finish it before christmas.

2018/2019 - @Iminei 's Mystery quilt: I mixed up 2 fabrics and sewn a punch of blocks wrong, lost my motivation  :[ Found it again last autumn and corrected everything :) Now I have got all the blocks, which were originally planned, but now I see that I have made the wrong colour choice (much toooooo dark and depressive). But the fabrics were too expensive to throw everything away, so I try to finish it this year while attending our (monthly) sewing group. Let's see, how far I can get...  :\

2013 - Santa Claus' Village: I love and have sewn the most blocks, when it came to Santa Claus itself I stopped. Here in Austria we have no Santa,... so what to do now? It's not Christmas time and don't want to sew something for this time NOW....  :(

2017 - Rainbow fish Quilt: I loved the fabrics and had never an idea what to do with them. Sold the whole punch of it this weekend for a good price

2016 - "Quilt around the world" Block Swap: Got the blocks, didn't like most of them. Thrown to UFO Box, gave them away this weekend (see below)

2015 - Hexagon-hand-sewing-flowers: I started this project, calculated much toooo big, found out that I hate hand-sewing. After 2 years waiting in the UFO-Box, they left our flat this weekend (see below)

2019 - Star Trek BOM: I have collected all the destructions, bought A LOT of Star Trek fabrics :D But I hate paper piecing :( That's a little desaster....  :'(


As I already said,.... luckily I got to know a very nice lady, who is doing a lot of sewing for charity reasons. And she was very pleased to get some of my UFO's, which are/were always well organised with all destructions and descriptions and requested fabrics. She is happy to finish them and make something nice out of them. :D
That makes me feel a lot better.  I also gave her a lot of my unwanted fabrics, because I need the space for other stuff :(
« Last Edit: March 08, 2020, 20:02:51 PM by Sakar »

Renegade Sewist

Re: UFOs
« Reply #14 on: March 08, 2020, 20:34:20 PM »
@Lowena I have no suggestions on short cut finishing beyond what you said, although I would use some filler, at least cotton flannel. I use minimal quilting on any quilt I manage to finish.

I don't consider any Darkside project a UFO. To me they are all WIP's, works in progress. Also quilts have two stages, finished tops and finished quilts. I read in a book about the Gee's Bend quilters that finished tops were like gold having them in the cupboard for when you needed to make a quilt. I like that and have a small stack of finished tops put aside, no guilt attached. No different than buying a book you read once and stick on a shelf.

I used to do my quilt sewing at the local quilt shop which closed 2 years ago. They had free sew days and a monthly all nighter. I'd get 3 days of sewing in, about 20 hours per month. I'd be enthused each time and usually sewed the next couple of days too as the stuff was all out and organized. I don't have a sewing room and there's always so much that needs doing here. So not much is getting sewn. I'm beginning to get frustrated by that.
Hey Bill! Read the manual!  Hehehe.