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Thursday, November 1, 2018

Motivation and goals

I haven't been setting goals lately. I haven't had much motivation lately - to do anything. That needs to change!!


The November number for the APQ UFO Challenge is 4, and this is what is on my list.  I was looking at these 3 projects and trying to decide if one of these was achievable this month.  So I headed downstairs and looked in the drawer marked "Thimbleberries stuff".  Yikes!! A whole drawer full - why was I avoiding it? 

I was thinking the Thimbleberries Hourglass quilt project must be close to 20 years old.  But I found the pattern and it was from 2004, making it only 14 years old.  And I found the 7 (of 9) blocks folded up with the pattern.  I love the blocks, but just didn't get them all done evidently.  


I emptied the whole drawer and laid out all of the bundles and loose fabric.  Some of the bundles had the patterns tucked in with them - Yay!  But most of them do not have any pattern attached. So I made a decision and  I just ruthlessly pulled out some of the unidentified fabrics to use for the last 2 blocks and the pieced sashings to finish this quilt.  I'm going to consider anything without its pattern to be part of the stash and OK to use in some other project because 14 years is just too long to keep it safely hidden.  Many of these Thimbleberry fabrics look similar to the current Kim Diehl fabrics.  They all have that vintage look to them which is probably why I was drawn to both lines.



UFOs are my motivation killer right now.  It's also the time of year - knowing it's getting close to the end.  Early in the year I was doing really well as I plowed through the list.  I put 36 UFOs on that 2018 list, with 3 choices each month to give me some options.  In January I finished all 3. February through May I finished 2 of the 3 projects. And after that it's been hit or miss whether I worked on any of them at all.  This is my usual pattern when working with these UFOs.

Realistically I do have 15 of the 36 UFOs done and that isn't too shabby.  Two more of them are now completed tops and ready to quilt.  I'm trying to see the positives here.  But it's hard to ignore the fact that I have way too many unfinished project laying around. It weighs me down - and they take up space so I never seem to have my sewing room completely neat and clean.

So my goal is to work on this Hourglass quilt and try to have the top ready to quilt by the end of November.  We'll see how it goes considering there will be 2 of the weekends with other things going on, like Thanksgiving.  And the pieced sashing makes me a little nervous. 

6 comments:

Ramona said...

I don't know why we do this to ourselves. I'm overwhelmed with how many things I want to make and have the fabric to do so. We just keep plugging away and taking one day at a time... one quilt at a time. Congrats for finishing 15 UFO's so far this year!

juliehallfeldhaus said...

Good Luck!! I have been sewing alot this summer and fall. I can't show 3 of the quilts til after Christmas, and haven't been blogging alot so I need to get busy and blog and show what I can:)

Tired Teacher said...

Eat the "elephant" one bite at a time, and those UFOs will be checked off your list. I think you've done exceptionally well on finishing 15/36 UFOs so far this year. I love the colors of Thimbleberry fabric, and Kansas Troubles fabric, too.

Mary Johnson said...

My goal is to finish 12 UFO’s each year and I’ve done 17 so far. I’m hoping for a couple more but of course new starts this year will become UFOs on January 1st. I try NOT to set projects aside before they are finished tops because I find it really hard to go back to a project still in pieces.

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moosecraft said...

There was a time when I had way too many UFO's and kits (never even started) getting piled up in my house...so I totally understand your "weighed down" feeling! So one day I just started listing them (the ones I lost interest in) on eBay. One year later I'm down to about 12 UFO's and kits...not to say I odn't still have a box full of patterns....but, the big "space takers" are gone...and now there is plenty of room to enjoy what's remaining. Of course...looks like these thimbleberry kits are definitely keepers!!! :-) Enjoy and stitch on!