Tuesday, June 11, 2013

To Finish or Not to Finish....That is the Question....

Hi girlfriends! I was moving boxes last night in the sewing room to find something (triangle paper rolls) and I found these ufo's. I'm honestly beginning to feel buried in ufo's.What is wrong with me?

This is a Jan Patek pattern that was originally done in homespun fabrics. I thought I would see how it would look in bright fabrics:
I mean, what do you do? Throw them away? Keep holding them?

Ugg...more and more:
And on and on and on....Does anyone else have this issue? It feels so wasteful but I don't know if I even want to finish some of these. What do you do with your UFO's from long ago? Please share! Thanks! Now off to work at the pesky "real job". Have a wonderful Tuesday! Cheery wave from Bev

20 comments:

Lisa England said...

I once sent a UFO to Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict and she and her team turned it into something wonderful that they gave to someone in need. Out of my hair and serving a useful purpose. Win-win!

Robin said...

Don't toss them. Swap with someone or just give them to another quilter that wants them. Or finish them into lap quilts and donate them to Hospice or children's hospital.

Robin in Washington State
assweetaspeaches hotmail

Lisa said...

My daughter works at a Children's Hospital in Nashville, TN. I can tell you their are lots of familys that can't afford a pretty blanket for their children and they would love this. There is also a place called Margarets Hope Chest, I'm sure they would take them and turn them into something great and donate them.

Kathy @ Kwilty Pleasures said...

I had a kwilter's holiday party and we all brought a UFO to swap...it was fun as we allowed folks to steal from one another

I had a guild fundraiser idea. At a meeting folks brought UFOs and priced them to sale at a table set up at a guild meeting. Money went to the guild but could go to a charity.

I have also donated tops or blocks to charity Kwilting groups to do what they want.

Great ways to "pay it forward".

Derrith said...

They are all great looking projects! I know what you mean though...I'm always eying the next project before I'm half done with the current one. There is just too much exciting stuff out there. I think the two commenters above me had a great idea.

Jacqueline said...

I have finished up some OLD UFO's into charity quilts and twice I was lucky enough that they only wanted completed 12"blocks so I donated a lot of those...But I still have many more from bom;s that I know I will never make into a quilt for me or friends.. maybe another charity quilt is in the making. But not on the front burner right now.. I am working on quilts I want to finish..

Missy Shay said...

I'm asking my friends at church to donate their ufo's to our prayer quilt ministry. So if you do not want to finish them you can 1. give it to a friend who might want it, 2. have a giveaway on your blog, or 3. give it to a local quilt ministry who makes donation quilts, or 4. sell them on eBay, etsy or something like that.

Missy Shay said...

BTW, the top one would make a great wallhanging!

Janet said...

I am often surprised how little time it takes to finish some of my old projects once I buckle down to them. But if you don't want to finish them, give them to someone who does.

20 North Ora said...

Bev - If you throw them away, throw them my direction!! LOL

Tammy said...

I could never throw fabric away. It costs way too much. I love the items you have created. They are beautiful the first two would make awesome wall hangings. I recently asked for donations from facebook friends for their scrap fabrics to use in a ongoing project I am doing for the hospitals Breast Care Center. I received a couple donations and they were Godsendds for sure. They are helping to make my project psossible. I would be more than happy to accept any of your unfinished unwanted items. Their is allways someone who can use things. I am allways sewing for others.

Just Sew Sue said...

One year at my morning guild it was my turn to choose a challenge so I did a brown bag challenge and everyone ended up with a small set of blocks or a quilt top of mine to make into something of their choosing and a prize was given to the best at the end of the year.

Sandie @ crazy'boutquilts said...

Pass them on to someone who will loving finish them and love them. (me!) LOL I love finishing other peoples UFO's and donating them, giving them away, or keeping them and enjoying them. We also have a flotsom and jetsom table at retreat where people put things they are no longer in love with and you would be surprised how quickly they disappear.

txquilter said...

I'd finish them off for charity quilts or consider giving them to a local bee or Project Linus.

Katie said...

if there are UFO's you don't feel you ever want ot finish off I say donate them. Our guild got a donation like this in the past and different members took them and finished them off for donation to the senior services.

Mary on Lake Pulaski said...

I've given my completed tops, fabric I'm not going to use and even blocks to my church group that sews for the homeless.

barb said...

I have hand pieced and hand quilted over 200 quilts and give them to charities such as church raffles, cancer awareness, critical care neonatal unit anf humane society. If you want to send me your ufos that you dont want, i will be happy to finish them and give them to whatever charity you want. Ireceive less than$400.00 monthly for disability and can no longer purchase fabric so it would be a win win situation babscorbitt@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

I could never just throw the fabric away!! Give them to a church that has a quilting club or you could even have some giveaways on your blog here!!
(smjohns63 at yahoo dot com)

Lesauri said...

I have been making myself finish up my UFO's with a new start in between. Luckily I have 2 finishes this year with another just about done. No new starts as I have become obsessed with the finishes.

Emily C said...

Depends on what it is. If you have a bunch of ufo blocks, you can give them away to other quilters. I know some people like to make blocks, but dislike some of the otherr steps required to make an amazing quilt. They are also a lot faster to make too.
Large projects i tend to work on every so often and eventually get done. But only because i still love them and they are just too big to get done all at once.
If you honestly will not finish the project, do a giveaway or give them to someone who will. I know there are some ufo's i would love to have to finish.