Some quilters start a quilt and have tunnel vision until that quilt is done and the binding is sewn. I’m not that quilter!
I’ve seen a variety of quilters online who keep a very detailed list of quilts in progress or UFOs. I’ve never written down a list of my UFOs, but I thought it might be a fun thing to do. And, without a doubt, there are quilts that I’m not including here, stuffed in a bag or box or hidden under a partially completed quilt top.
Without further ado, here’s the list:
365 Quilt – I’ve been working on my 365 Quilt for several years now. I’m getting closer, but it’s still in progress. I need to finish it by July 2020 when the designer Kathryn Kerr is going to launch a second 365 quilt called Star of Wonder.
Sugaridoo Bernina Quiltalong – Should I count quiltalongs that haven’t finished yet? For the sake of completion, I will. The Sugaridoo Bernina quiltalong is a modern quilt with suggested solids for a color palette. There are five or six patterns released (on a monthly basis). I’ve sewn two of the rows so far.
Unity Quiltalong – Bonnie Hunter’s current quiltalong. Bonnie, a wonderful quilter and teacher, created her Unity Quiltalong to give socially distanced sewers an ongoing project. She releases a clue each Monday. I’m two clues behind, but this has been fun to work on.
Navy blue and cheddar Ripples quilt – In 2017 or 2018 (I lose track of time), I was in an online bee. Each month, one of the 12 quilters in the group chose a pattern from the Blossom Heart Quilts site, and chose the color palette they wanted. Everyone in the group would make two of the blocks in the selected color palette.
At the beginning, I enjoyed the challenge and learning a new block each month, but I felt a lot of internal pressure to keep up, and by the end of the year, my excitement had waned. I was the last quilter of the year, and I chose the Ripples block in navy blue and cheddar.
I loved all the blocks that I received, but I want to make more blocks to make this quilt bigger. I’m not someone who makes small quilts.
Black and white (and some pops of color) New York Beauty – I love New York Beauty quilts. Here’s my black and white (with pops of color) NY Beauty. I work on it periodically.
Put Your Kink Cards on the Table – That’s a phrase that Dan Savage mentions regularly on his Savage Lovecast podcast – a podcast about sex and relationships. This is a word quilt with a variety of words and phrases.
GGG quilt – Another Dan Savage-inspired quilt. In fact, when I tweeted an in-progress photo of this quilt several years ago, Dan Savage retweeted it.
GGG, in case you’re curious, stands for: “GGG is a term coined by sex columnist Dan Savage to represent the qualities that he thinks makes a good sexual partner. GGG stands for “good, giving, and game.” Think “good in bed,” “giving of equal time and equal pleasure,” and “game for anything—within reason.”
Minecraft X2 – I have all the blocks sewn for two Minecraft quilts (one for each of my sons). One I need to sew the blocks together, and the other, I just need to add two more borders and it’s done and ready for quilting.
Orphan Block charity quilt – A while back, the Northampton Modern Quilt Guild traded orphan blocks. I’m currently making this quilt top from the blocks I received.
Tell Me a Story quilt – I’ve participated in multiple rounds of Amy Friend’s block swaps for her Tell Me a Story quilt. I’m probably going to make more of these blocks (again for a larger quilt).
Tell Me a Story Christmas quilt – In November/December 2019, I participated in a Christmas version of Amy Friend’s Tell Me a Story block swap. I need to make more of these blocks.
String quilts – Whenever I need some mindless sewing, I make string quilt blocks. I have lots of string quilt blocks sitting around waiting to be sewn into quilt tops.
Susan Carlson illustrative quilts – Many years ago, I took a Susan Carlson workshop at Portsmouth Fabric Company. I made a sea turtle quilt from the class. And, I’ve started several other of her quilts, including this one.
Elizabeth Hartman animal quilt – I sewed several of the hedgehog blocks several years ago. But, I’m currently taking a monthly Elizabeth Hartman block class at Valley Fabrics in Northampton, MA. The classes have moved online now.
Harry Potter X2 – I’m making two different Harry Potter quilts. One quilt is based on Kelli Fannin’s Harry Potter blocks and the other is based on Lorna McMahon of Sew Fresh Quilts’ Harry Potter blocks.
Tall Tall Block Quilt – I’m a voracious reader. When I first saw Kate Basti’s Tall Tale Quilt Block pattern, I knew I was going to make a quilt. Again, I have some blocks made, but plan on making more.
Wow, writing this list has been exhausting. I’m going to get back to sewing now.
WOW!! That is a lot of UFOs. I admire you for posting about your Dan Sauvage quilts. Very few quiltmakers mention s-e-x in their blog posts! ;-0 I am really interested in your motivations behind making these quilts. Did you get intrigued by the colors? designs? line of the pattern? want to be part of a group? I have to read back more, but I want to know more about why you quilt.
I do keep detailed lists of my UFOs. I started a few years ago when my UFOs were overwhelming my quilt world and making me anxious. I methodically started to finish them. I still have a UFO/WIP list. Some of the projects are quite old, but until I abandon them they stay on the list. I don’t limit myself to working on only old projects. I have definitely started and finished new projects since I did this list. It has freed up a lot of brain power to get some of the projects out of my hair. I am also not as anxious. I have trained myself to finish whatever is on the design wall. If I need a break, I make a bag or some other small project. I don’t imagine this strategy will work forever, but it is working for me now.
Jaye, it sounds like you’ve figured out a system that works for you.
I’m still trying to figure out a better organization system in my sewing area for my UFOs. Right now, they tend to be a little jumbled and thrown in boxes or bags.
Re: the Dan Savage quilts, I listen to Dan’s weekly podcast. I’m a sex positive person. When I started making word/letter quilts, I thought “Why not?” 🙂