2012 UFO Challenge

1 - Fiesta! - Blocks are made, need to assemble.
Edited 2/29: Yippee, hooray, huzzah, yessssss!  I finished my February UFO Challenge -- at least, I finished the top, and have it bundled with the backing and batting.  I have other quilts in line to be quilted, but I'm eager to quilt this baby, so I know it won't linger as  UFO.  Normally, I would have chosen some bright and funky fabric for the border, but when I was rummaging around, I spotted this batik that looks like a tie-dye, had all the right colors, so now it's a border :-D  Love it when a plan comes together (if I ever had a plan, that is)!


Go to Judy's site: PatchworkTimes.com for more info on the UFO Challenge.  Now, I've gotta to see what #8 is for the March UFO Challenge :-D


Judy at www.PatchworkTimes.com has issued a challenge for the coming year (continuing the challenge from 2011) to list UFOs, number them 1-12.  Each month she will draw a number, and your challenge is to work on (and hopefully, finish) that UFO that month.  Here's the link to her explanation from 2011 http://www.patchworktimes.com/2011-ufo-challenge/.  I made a list of my UFOs and made a phenomenal finding: UFOs reproduce, recreate, grow, spread out to fill previously empty spaces.  There are a few more than 12 to list.  But after closer inspection, I realized that more than half are "kits" I've created.  You know, where you gather up a pattern or idea and put together the fabrics to go with.

So I've had a moment of inspiration -- list the 12 I'm most likely to work on and finish in one month.  Then disassemble most, if not all, of the other bundles, packages, totes, bags and baskets of stuff and either incorporate the fabrics and patterns and ideas into the stash and into books and pattern boxes, or..., um..., ah..., well..., er..., get rid of them.  There, I said it.  There are some projects, kits, bundles, patterns, etc. that I know deep in my soul I'll never get to.  I have dozens of ideas for new projects that will always get to the forefront.  Just thinking about this is exciting.

I worked on and completed several UFOs from last year.  Even though I didn't follow through on Judy's plan last year, to the letter, by listing the UFOs and bringing them out of the musty storage areas, they were forefront in my mind, and I was eager to get some done.  A few -- no, many -- have made this year's list again.  But it felt great to get some done, and so many needed just a border or assembly, something that was quickly finished.  And I fell in love again with some I'd cast aside.  Plus, I found a partially made flannel pjs that I can quickly whip up for a Christmas gift -- woohoo!

I'm going to try and finish two UFOs to every new project I start.  That's worked before -- not every month, but enough to keep me going in the right direction.  Join me and the others who will take up this challenge, won't you?

Here's my list of UFOs to work on in 2012 (and because I didn't see a rule against it, I'm going to say it's subject to change :-)

2 - Batty Batiks - Half the blocks are made, need to make sashing too.
3 - Kool Kaleidoscope - Just needs to be assembled
4 - 12 Days of Christmas - All this needs is another border -- I don't know why I'm struggling to get this done!!
5 - Old World Santa - Finish thread painting  Edited 2/4: This is just not going to get done.  I've shuffled it around on my sewing table.  I've fondled it and gathered up the thread to finish thread painting.  There really isn't that much that needs to be done.  But I'm simply avoiding it.  So back into the closet for another year or so.
6 - One Block Wonder "Poultry in Motion" - Needs more blocks, many are cut out.
7 - Kandu Jacket - Most of the strips are sewn to the foundation, needs to be cut
8 - Color Play by Ann Lulie - Parts are cut out, need to assemble and quilt
9 - Granny Em's Quilted Sweatshirt - Most blocks are made
10- Chanticleer - 15 of 28 blocks made -- this may be made into a smaller top!
11- Carousel Flowers tablerunner - Assemble blocks and do applique
12- Storm at Sea - All blocks made, assembly required.

I'm also adding a TBQ list (to be quilted).  These are tops I've made, some UFOs I finished this year, that just need to be quilted.  Since I machine bind all my quilts, they should be done-done in no time!

1 - Y2K (Millenium) quilt (waiting to swap some authentic 1999 fabric to make the backing large enough)
2 - Lavender Strippy
3 - Mary Engelbreit (debating about putting the two MEs together for a reversible)
4 - Mary Engelbreit
5 - Crazy Curves
6 - Carpenter Star (waiting for Judy to do a tutorial on quilting feathers on a CS)

I've already made some changes -- I took off two projects that just needed minor adjustments, so I added one to the TBQ list and finished one that was on the TBQ list.  I also removed two UFOs that I just did not like, and disassembled the parts to be given to a quilting buddy who loves scraps!

During the year, I hope to work on finishing up a few blocks on my "Wee Village" quilt that I started in January 2003, while I was still in Texas.  Just a few tweaks here and there, then assembly.  I'd love to finish this quilt this coming year!