Yesterday we discussed WIPs (works in progress), and today we are going to take a look at UFOs (unfinished objects). What is the difference between the two things? Well, a WIP is a project you are currently working on or have set aside when something new took your attention away from it. It has not been languishing for long. A UFO, on the other hand, is a project you have set aside, often for an extended period (perhaps a year or more).
The main difference is in how recently you worked on it and your intent to finish the project. A WIP is something you plan to return to, and a UFO is something you aren’t really sure you will. A UFO is gathering dust, stored away out of sight, and not at all on your mind unless you run across it, which causes feelings of guilt. A UFO is a WIP that has been abandoned.
Let’s take a look at some of my UFO bins in the photo above. I haven’t touched these bins in months, nearly a year.
The DM 2012 is an old Fat Quarter Designer Mystery project using old style Bonnie and Camille fabrics. I love the fabrics so much and the block patterns are adorable. I have finished 10 out of 12 blocks. I never got the finishing kit for this project, but I know I can find some fabrics from recent Camille Roskelley collections that will be great for a lattice and border. It would take little effort to complete this top. Should I finish it? Absolutely. This comes off the UFO list and onto the WIP list.
The next bin holds some leftover Basic Grey fabric that I started to use to make a quilt called Applesauce, that would coordinate perfectly with another quilt I made from the same fabrics. Will I finish it? Well, it would be nice, but it isn’t a priority anymore. I could give up on this UFO.
Next is Pieceful Baskets, a project I collected the fabric for and never started. Will I ever start it? Probably not. I should empty this bin and use the fabric for something else.
Last we have a bin labeled Celebrate, which was a quilt along I started and gave up on after making a number of blocks. The issue was that the fabric collection I chose lacked enough color variety to make the quilt successful. Is there any saving it? Nope. I need to sort the salvageable fabric by color and use it elsewhere.
Do you see what I am doing here? So grab that cute notebook you started and make a list of your UFOs. Be realistic, do you want to finish the project? If so add it to your WIP list and plan to work on it. If not, make a plan to use the fabric elsewhere, donate it or toss it. Those bins are taking up space, gathering dust, and causing you guilt.
Lastly, we have the issue of Flimsies, another type of UFO. What the heck is a flimsie? It is a finished quilt top that you have not sent out to be quilted. Why would you let these stack up as I have done? Well, maybe you can’t afford to send a ton of quilt tops out for quilting. That costs a lot. Maybe you could make a budget and send out three or four a year? Or once a month if you can afford it. On the other hand, maybe you have lost that loving feeling for the quilt now that the top is together. Could you have it quilted and gift it? I did that a few years ago, and one Christmas, I gave every single person in my family a quilt. It took me a year to send the tops all out for quilting, and I had to ask my husband to help me pay for it, but I sure did empty a bin of flimsies! Finally, there are organizations you can donate your quilt tops to; they will back them, quilt them, and donate them to a senior center or another organization. That’s a great feeling to be able to do that.
I’m starting to feel pretty organized. How about you? I had planned to talk about future quilting plans in this post, but I’ve gone on long enough. Come back tomorrow, let’s wrap things up, and talk about planning new projects for 2026!
17 Responses
I have committed to finishing projects this year. Fortunately, I do not have a lot. First up will be bind three quilts. I have several to send out for quilting, and that will be next. Finally, I’ll try to tackle the projects I’ve started and never finished.
I also committed to not purchasing fabric because there are a lot of scrap quilts that could be made from what I have in stock. I’m seven days into the new year; it remains to be seen how successful I can be with this thought!
I definitely want to do at least one scrap quilt this year. I have a ton of scraps left from one of Camille Roskelley’s Nantucket Summer collections that would make a gorgeous quilt. I am thinking of using a foundation paper for the blocks. I also would like to do a true scrap quilt this year with completely random scraps.
I have WIPs, UFO’s and flimsy’s and no excuse to not get the flimsy’s quilted, as I have a long arm, but no time! I used to have so much time for my sewing room but life happens and I don’t get in there as often as I’d like. I’m definitely going to work on organizing my UFO’s and WIP’s. Thank you for the encouragement!
It makes me feel good to start out the new year with a plan in mind!
I decided when I got my longarm, I would finish a project, quilt it and then I could start something new. Well, that was the plan until my husband wanted a quilt (I’d already started one but he wanted something different and chose a pattern). When I got to the end he wanted it bigger, so I had to improvise. It’s huge! Got backing – too small, will have to improvise with that. Then the group wanted to visit and see how I was going to quilt it – now 14 months and still not done it yet. But the UFO/WIPs are still waiting. Things get in the way. The vegetables, the animals – we have a smallholding/homestead, so something is always needing attention. Frustrating for sure, one UFO I only need to do the borders – that is out ready. I’ve decided it is a quilty year. LOL!
I know what you mean about requests for changes totally derailing a project (and your enthusiasm for it). I have a quilt that my son would like me to make for him. We spent hours and hundreds of dollars picking out fabrics for it (he wants it to be all William Morris fabrics). The problem was that we had so many different fabrics that it was difficult to create a cohesive design. Then he picked a pattern I thought was unnecessarily difficult. I just wanted to sit down and make the quilt, but there just seemed to be so many complications. Needless to say, I have set it aside for two years. While he was here at Christmas, we sat down and picked out specific fabrics that went well together (about one quarter of the amount that we had purchased), and simplified the pattern. Now I am ready to get started.
You had a cunning plan! Good luck and I’m sure it will be super for your son.
Yes, UFOs abound in my home, in all different stages of what you described. And then I have mountains of fabric that I bought with a quilt plan in my head for “someday soon”. LOL! Now after anywhere from 2 – 10 years of these plans in my head, I wonder if maybe a bit of craziness lives in my head. I will never have enough time to do all this, at least not until retirement.
A reasonable goal for me this year would be to do one binding for a finish; last bits of lattice sewing for a finished flimsy and then get it quilted and bound; and assemble 2 other sets of blocks into finished flimsies.
Glad you and Ahren finalized your plan for his quilt! Looking forward to see the progress.
You raise a really good point Sally. Sometimes in our zeal for organization we commit to doing more than is realistic. I think it is smart to keep that in mind and call our plan an “intention” rather than a “goal”. We will try to accomplish what we can, but not beat ourselves up if we fall short. At least we made a list of what is waiting for us when we have time!
…’but not beat ourselves up if we fall short,’ probably best describes what runs through my brain when I’m reading about UFO’s & WIP’s. Just my opinion, but if you’re not enjoying what you’re doing, then repurpose/salvage what you have & move on to something that makes you happier!
I’m feeling that way about a book I started. Everyone on the Internet loves it and I am finding it so S.L.O.W. It’s only January, should I give up on a book already and move on to something I’d enjoy more?
YES
Do it!!
same here, Jan. same here.
Jan and Nicole — YES! I’m continually distracted from long term projects to do a quick and happy “craft” type project that can be completed in just a few hours. I have done dozens, if not hundreds, of zippy bags, mug rugs, coffee cup cozies, pillowcases, and frogs (thanks to Eva!!) that are the happy distractions.
I always thought a WIP & UFO were one in the same. I like the way you showed the difference. Some UFO have been hanging around a little too long. I like the idea of being realistic about these projects. Thank you for all the encouragement
Great post! Lots of times you get guilt for not finishing something you bought an expensive kit or fabric for but styles and tastes change. I’ve been evaluating some of my projects and have decided to follow your advice. If I’m not feeling the love, I will repurpose my ufos. Looking forward to getting projects finished!