Oh, yes, this is a good year to finish projects! Tips that I actually use to get projects finished! 1. Schedule a time each day. I am finishing hand-quilting a project I am tired of working on (it has taken off-and-on about 3 years to work on!) I schedule my morning to sit on the sofa on a cold winter morning and get warmed up and watch, well, youtube videos. So I sit and hand-quilt for an hour before I start my exercises and breakfast for the day. Little by little it gets worked on. Almost there! I have one corner left and a few odd spots I missed, and then --- done! 2. Work and finish the projects that need the least amount of work to do --- one project a week. I have to pay money to rent the long-arm machine at the quilt shop, so I pull out the projects that need to be done first in line, and then work on them on my scheduled date and time. My plan is to finish 2 quilts on the long-arm machine a month until my "to-do" bin is lessened. 3. I schedule 4 hours each afternoon 4 days a week to work on my sewing projects, but, I break up the work for a day at a time. Monday for the pulling of the fabrics, ironing, and preparing the fabrics to be used. Tuesday is for the measuring and cutting. Wednesday and Thursday are for the piecing. The next Monday is for sewing the blocks into rows, that Tuesday I sew the rows into the quilt top, Wednesday is for cutting, sewing and attaching the border. By keeping a decent schedule, I get quite a lot done. 4. If you have a difficult challenge, such as a paper-piecing project, try working on 2 blocks or 4 blocks at a time while working on a different piecing project. I get tired of chain-piecing nothing but triangles, so I mix in with the chain piecing the pieces needed to be pieced of a different project. Or, sometimes to keep track of a start and finish of a series of chain-pieced segments, I will piece some scrap half-triangle squares for a scrap quilt. I do a few half-triangle squares at a session along with my regular project. By doing one or two at a time instead of all at once, I can get a lot done over time. 5. "Block of the month" is actually a great way to work on a project by spreading the work out over several weeks. I worked on 6-1/2 inch blocks from everything in my scrap box for the "Farmer's Wife" sampler a few years ago --- just on Sunday afternoons. On boring Sunday afternoons when spouse was watching sports on tv, I worked on those sampler blocks. By doing 2 blocks a Sunday, well, 52 Sundays in a year times 2 blocks was about 104 blocks by the end of the year. I then took a month to set the blocks on point with toning fabrics and pieced the quilt tops together. Then I scheduled a day to quilt them on the long-arm machine. Now I have 2 quilts ready to be donated to the next silent auction at the charity event in my town. Now I need to get of my own sofa and get busy sewing for another year! To help out, I found an app that lets me listen to radio stations around the world so I am not listening to the same old music in the background while I work. I can tell you that there is American country music, and then there is England Country music, there is Canadian country music, there is French Canadian country music, and it is all about how that woman left him and he is having a bad time missing that woman. Anyway, I hope this helps someone reading this to really make good on their resolve to finish projects this year! Good luck to you all!
I’m happy to see your WIPS. You have almost as many as I do😂 I’ve been quilting for 24 years. I finally finished my oldest son’s baby quilt and gave it to HIS fourth child 😂
I am a relatively new quilter and I have only worked on 1 quilt at a time. I think this will most likely be my overall method. The thought of unfinished projects makes me feel a bit crazy. I love all your projects.
That is such a personality trait ! I have quilt friends who never work on more than two projects at a time. Their quilt areas tend to only contain quilting too! I have never counted my WIPS! I have even been known to accept other people’s WIPS to keep them from being homeless😊
My favorite type of WIP is when someone brings me a quilt top for their grandmother’s estate and asks me to quilt it. I love being able to save a quilt for a family. The fabric is not always stable enough for a quilt but I have been able to make something to save. Table runners and pillows are especially popular because several family members get some of grandmother’s work. FYI. I do not hand quilt these projects , they go on the Longarm and the family understand that I do it to save memories not for the $ value of a quilt.
You could make the giraffes look like they are in the trees as a bottom border as you expand the quilt. Your Tula Pink quilt will be fun! Last year I started listing projects with the different stages. It has helped me be more organized. I am not sure how many WIPs I have, maybe 10. Some are not a priority, just a small experiment I am not inspired to finish. Thank you for the tutorial for the Manx quilt. Be well. Lovely to see you smiling and happy about your work.
I don’t feel so bad. While organizing sew room I came upon 54 quilt tops that need to be basted and quilted .Still have a few bins to go thru.On to positive side I am organizing as you. USA viewer. Love your show!
Thank goodness there is someone else with a higher number. I actually do not know the number. I think that might be depressing and show that I never actually finish 😵💫
Missed you. Where have you been? I thought I had a lot of WIP. But you have me beat. I am 81 and I know that I should be working on them. But there are so many beautiful new fabrics out there. And I have trouble resisting. 👍🤠🧵 Glo from Bullard, Tx.
❤️ I was taking it slow this year after our little miss Ella was born. Now I'm getting back to work with a lot of fun things coming up this year! Ah yes, I know the feeling. So tempting all those pretty fabrics!
Now remember this precious one that our Lord has given you will always take first place. Congratulations from one that has a 56 year old girl. 🤠❤️👍 Glo
You have so many beautiful quilt projects. I am looking forward to seeing them when you finish them. The tree quilts and penguin quilts are especially cute. I like the little experiment quilt. It would be cute to put a border on it and use it for a baby quilt or wall hanging.
This month I have been gathering all of my WiP blocks at all different stages. So far I have made them into five quilts of different sizes, one couch cushion, one tote bag, two pet beds to donate, and an almost-finished apron. I also gave away a piece or two that I no longer want to work on, and that feels good too. Thanks for sharing your WIPs with us. It's so satisfying to get them moving, isn't it!?
I enjoyed seeing your projects. I love your color palette. I have two long-term wips. One is a EPP hexie quilt and the other is a string scrap quilt. Other than that type of project I'm amazingly good at finishing projects! This year I made and finished 25 quilts 🙂
I have also not finished the original QAL! I just purchased the backing fabric. These WIP project videos are giving me the push to get back and finally do the quilting. Thanks for the push!!
Today I’m cleaning and organizing my fabric. Tomorrow I hope I finish and would like to finish my last granddaughter quilt. Thank you for showing all you wonderful and happy quilts
I can't imagine having so many works in progress, but I love how easy going and excited about each project you are. Love all the color. I've only made two quilts in 50+ years of sewing, but I do have lot's of clothing patterns in project boxes with the pattern I want to make. But I am definitely a finish one before starting the next. So glad I stumbled upon your channel while doing laundry!
So great to see you again. I've missed your videos and your happy face. I look forward to seeing more of you. Take care, be well and have a great 2023.
That makes me feel so much better to see how many WIPs you have - my pile is around the same size 😁 (and it took me until around this time last year to finish quilting my Bernina QAL, and I only made one of them!)
OMG! I'm so glad you are also not done quilting the first BerninaQA, I'm in the same place as you. I am hand-quilting it and it gets put aside quite often! So many cute quilts that you've made!
I’m brutal for WIPs. I’m easily bored. I think the trick is to take stock at regular intervals, prioritize and get back to finishing old WIPs, interspersed with new projects of course! I LOVE LOVE the giraffe pattern and will wait patiently for it to be released.
Hi Irene, I loved watching this video. Now I don’t feel so bad about all the quilts I haven’t finished or even started! 😂 I love all your quilts you’ve shown us especially the giraffe one which is such fun. How wonderful it is to share your love of quilting with your lovely mum. Would be very happy to see how that goes, well to see how you get on with them all. By the way, I could very easily and happily move in to your studio and live there!! 😂. Everything is bright, happy and inviting. You inspire me. In the next couple of weeks I’ll sort out my WIPS and fabrics and see what I still want to do. Thanks for sharing. ❤🌈
Hi Deborah! Thank you for your comments. Wonderful that the goals video inspired you a little bit to focus on how you'd like to feel ❤. Making lists and lists and only thinking about what needs to be done and should go on the list can indeed be so overwhelming. Amazing how many ideas we can have on quilting right! So many fun projects that we can work on. Hahaha! Maybe I could start a B&B in the studio 🤣 Hug!
Love the giraffes. Can’t wait to see that pattern. It’s interesting to see where different people stall. I stall at basting/quilting so have been working on ways to improve my skills in that area. I have 30 WIPs, 22 of which are at least finished tops. A few years ago I had closer to 50, so I have made progress. 😊
Hello from Qaqortoq, Greenland. I have been following you a very long time now and participated in a sew along you hosted. When I view your video's I don't always think to comment. Now I know it's actually important to say something. ;) :) I love all that you share with us! Keep up the excellent content!!! :) :) :) :) :)
Love your Tula Pink project, the squares you Out in your design wall which you pulled out sideways (very smart idea). I like the way the corners make another windmill pattern. Very smart.
Thank you for sharing! I have many WIPs with many stalled at the borders. I hate borders! I have not counted recently but clearly something I need to do!
Love that giraffe. I have been collecting animal faces to put together an animal quilt for my grandson, who turned 2 yesterday. please let me know when that pattern becomes available. I also love the Round Robin you're doing with your mom, and would love you to give us updates on that. There was also a brightly colored quilt which was on your right when you started showing us your WIPS. Please could you give us a close up picture of that. It looked very interesting because I love modern quilts with bright colors.
I just love your eye for color and color combinations! You have influenced me to use more solids in my quilting. I've always defaulted to prints, even in my bindings. But you have shown me that colors can be combined in such a way that they create a print of their own. And I never used to use solids on the backing. I just finished my second quilt with a solid backing and just LOVE the way the quilting shows. Thank you so much for your efforts. I've followed you for a long time and you never fail to amaze! Happy New Year! BTW... I'm a one at at time quilter. I can't stand to have more than one thing going at a time... I get to distracted and wind up not finishing anything!!😁
I have around 12 wips, all different stages so I can go to the one I feel like doing when I enter my sewing room. I did finish two quilts in time for Christmas gifts. Yay. thank you for sharing your list.
I love your enthusiasm! I used to do one quilt at a time but found that to be a little boring for me. In October I made a list of my wips. There were 9 at the time but I have added 3 more-one from a class that I took at the Houston quilt festival, a block of the month that I am doing at a local quilt shop, and a small table runner. I also have at least 5 kits that are not yet started!! A few years ago I set a goal to finish my wips, and finished the 4 or 5 that I had at that time. I love how fulfilling it is to finish them!
I like to have 8 WIP's at all stages, some still needing sewing, some still needing cutting, some ready for quilting etc so that when the stars align and I can spend some time at my machine I can pick and choose what I want to do🙂 log jam on the "ready for basting" part at my end though as it is my least favourite part due to lack of space in my tiny house😅
I made a list in July. It had 25 projects but not all are quilting. It includes knitting, crochet, needlepoint, cross stitch, sewing, and at least one framing and one pillow. I have decided that I will allow myself to start one new project for every two I complete. Currently I have finished six projects but not started any new ones. There is another at the long-armer with the binding sewn, and pressed for when it returns. Since then, however, I have committed to a baby quilt for a cousin but am waiting to hear which of two fabrics she would like and last week found out that I will have a new Great Grandchild in this next year. So, without even trying, the list continues. We will not discuss stash or how many projects are lined up but have not yet been cut. I started learning to quilt with covid lockdown and have a very long way to go.
I have 2. It's the first time and I dont like it. I prefer to finish one before starting a new one but the was a SAL starting I wanted to try.... woe is me!
Counted 8 WIPs. I’m not counting the fabric pulls i do when i have an idea and want to see what I can put together from my stash. These i usually revoke the fabric. One WIP is difficult piecing. Really love the pattern but I’m stalled for over a year now. So I’ve got to get that jump started.
Thank you for showing us your WIPs. It makes me feel better to see there is someone like me out there. I love to start new projects and I do finish them, but the quilting takes such a long time.
This is so beautiful ! You inspire me as a new quilter! Seeing all your wonderful projects, I think I can do better than what I am doing now .... Hopefully !!
Oh Irene your quilts are beautiful. We are very much alike. As I've said I love the piecing part. Then I get hung up on how to quilt it. Your quilting is also great and I know there are a lot of great quilters on RU-vid to help with that. Good for you for getting the Tula Pink FQB. The blocks you've started are fantastic for that material. You have prompted me to do a WIP list with where I am! It will be interesting to see how long it will be. Thank you for all your great videos. Mary Rose
Love your videos. I too, have more than 10 WIP’s. Always have the intention to finish some before starting a new project but then…. see a new pattern or fabric that draws me in. Am going to try your tracking system to help me get on track! You’re so right - we need to be kind.
When I started quilting about twelve years ago I loved making quilt tops but I didn’t know how to quilt so I kept putting them into totes. I just started to quilt last year or so and I had about fifty quilts that needed to be quilted and bonded. I now have around thirty more to go. Any new projects I Ararat I finish all the way through and then I’ll pick one quilt to finish from those totes. I do have a problem with buying patterns and kits. I have over a hundred kits and about 150 patterns so I have them in a book listed. I keep adding to them. I need to stop buying and just concentrate on what I have. I have about thirty books too. 😮
Beautiful projects. I decided to do the same this year (finish all of my WIP's before starting new ones.) I only have 3 that are ready for quilting. The rest are still in block-making stage. I'm also trying to organize my fabric and process my scraps into usable pre-cuts. So far, so good. Marking them off the list makes you feel good! Looks like you could really use a long arm quilting machine. I love mine.
I know this is not the topic of the video, but I love your hairstyle! I tried it last night but found it quite challenging (switching hands behind my head but still remembering which strand of hair goes where). I just got your Let's Play pattern because I want to use it with Tilda Hometown (it has a print with beautiful women, which I think will look great in this design). But before, I have several other projects to finish *blush* I have three quilts basted ready to be quilted, one for which I have the blocks ready, one that I started cutting and two where I have all the materials but haven't started anything else. And heaps of ideas 😀
Yes I projects that need finishing. I need to find a couple of long armors …I learned to do machine binding, there no that I can hand sew all those projects.
I am bad about seeing a pattern I like and starting to work on it even though I have projects in various stages all over my craft room. Most of mine are tops that need backs, and finished. I am trying to finish 1 ufo in between my other projects hoping to bring down the pile.
All you projects are absolutely amazing! Love all your projects and color pallets! I am really interested to know the material of the sliding board at 24:48 that holds up fabric so well. I would appreciate if you can share more info about it as I have been dreaming to have a board like this to work on and save my back 😆
It looks as if you get stalled at the almost quilted point. I force myself to finish the 2-3 WIPS before starting a 4th. Sometimes, I get start cutting a new quilt when I have to wait for quilting or fabric for binding or back. I love having a stack of finished quilts ready to be given.
I feel much happier now. My four tops to sandwich and quilt seems quite do-able😊. I also have a couple of temperature quilt projects in progress and so many ideas to start. I really like your black and pink cross quilt; is there a pattern?
I have about 6 WIPs and I try not to start more than the number of storage bins I have 😅. I enjoyed seeing yours! I am not as prolific as you-what do you do with your quilts once you are done?
I am very good at piecing a quilt. Then put it aside and start something new. It can take at least a year before I get back to quilting the top. I probably should change my habits and finish what I start.
What is the name of the Tula Pink pattern you have started. I really like that. You must finish the giraffe quilt for your daughter. Like now😂 too cute to stop.
May I please ask, will you share the creative wall system that glides on rollers that you use? Maybe do a 10 min video on it? How do I make or buy one like you have. I like the wall that slides behind the other so you can work on two things at once. Please share info?! Thank you kindly.
I really like your videos and I went to your website and found the 101 idea for quilting. I will want it but i can't find it on your website. could you help me?
I’m visiting the Netherlands in a few months and would like to donate a baby quilt to the dream blankets organization you mentioned. I searched Droom Deken (thanks Google Translate. You may be laughing a lot now.) but could not find it. Would you or someone here in the comments mind repeating the name of the charity? Thanks!