My UFO pile is mostly unquilted tops. I don't tend to leave a project in the middle of piecing it, but I'm not always prompt about actually quilting it unless there's an outside deadline. I guess that shows which part of the quiltmaking process I enjoy most.
I'd like to say I have a plan to tackle the stack of UFOs, but that would be a lie. Unless there's a deadline, I just let the project sit around until the mood to quilt it strikes. That's just how it works here in Canuck Quilter land.
Last week I was struck with the need to FINISH something, so I picked a set of placemats from the UFO stack, thinking they wouldn't take long.
This Echo Point set was the one I started to test the concept for this pattern. It turned out well, but I wasn't sure these colours would be very appealing for a pattern cover. I set these aside and pieced and quilted a different set for the cover. Ironically, I didn't end up using that set on the pattern cover either, for convoluted reasons I won't go into here. It is a really pretty pattern sample though. You can take a peek here.
Anyway, these should have been finished last week, but I kept getting distracted. While I was stitching away with the walking foot, I let my mind drift and it started thinking about needing to post more often on social media. That led my brain to think I thought it would be a good time to try filming a reel.
So that was a bit fun to do but it took some time to figure out so I didn't finish the quilting.
I stitched a bit more the next day but went upstairs for a snack and started reading while I was snacking. I got sucked into the book and didn't get back to the sewing room.
The next time I started stitching, I ran out of bobbin thread and got frustrated so took a break. While I took that break, I checked my email and saw some calls for quilt design submissions for upcoming fabric lines. That led to a detour to EQ, where I spent quite a few hours playing with designs that may or may not turn into actual quilts.
There were also detours to bake cookies, shovel snow, get groceries, watch a not-so-great Netflix movie, and drive down to Des Moines (the long way because I avoided he interstate, where I'm not a confident driver) to pick up my husband at the airport.
I made good progress on the weekend, until I quilted the runner.
I was pleased with it until I had to decide what to quilt in that center square and my mind went blank. I took a break and went to browse the library's offerings of e-books. I didn't actually read a book, because I was browsing and couldn't decide what I actually felt like reading so I just browsed and bookmarked things for a while. So I didn't finish the quilting, and I didn't read a book either.
Once I figured out what to quilt in the blank, I finished the quilting, but then I had to sew on the binding. Table sets have a lot of binding. Just saying. I wasn't in the mood, so I've been adding binding to one piece at a time here and there through the week.
So here's where these are now. I still need to join the binding ends on each piece, then fold and sew the binding to the back. I may or not finish these tomorrow.
I guess the need to finish something that prompted me to pull these out wasn't as strong as I initially thought. I'm on the home stretch though, and liking how things look so I'll have a finish to share soon. Just not as soon as I had intended, and that's OK. I need to remind myself it's fine to set sewing aside until I'm in the mood to enjoy it. It's supposed to be my stress reliever, not a source of stress!
How are your projects coming along? Are you focused or distracted these days, and does it matter to you?
Happy quilting,
Joanne
It sounds like just another day here at the Farm. But seriously, it sounds like you got a lot done even if nothing quite finished.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed following the process. I was chuckling at your distractions along the way. Been there, done that.
ReplyDeleteI actually really love this color palette. They would fit in my home perfectly. ;)
I related to so many things you mentioned--getting sucked into a book, not being a confidant driver on the interstate, and not being in the mood to do binding. But I had to laugh at your comment that this is supposed to be your stress reliever. If it was my business, it would not be my stress reliever.
You sound so like me, with designing being that favourite bit, then colour combinations, the sewing bit and lastly "the quilting". I must admit to enjoying the handsewing of the binding. I've been a bit distracted this month with ridiculous hot weather (though it is late summer - so I should know by now), a quick trip away that I must blog about & a family matter to keep up to, along with what seems like endless trivial medical appointments. Thanks for sharing projects, take care & hugs.
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