WOW…yesterday was CRAZY with the Yard Sale. Â I will definitely to that again if Bonnie hosts it. Â It was so fun and I love the little bit more room in my sewing room. Â There are a couple things left for sale, you can see them here.
Now to my stash report. Â This week I have a finished project to report…YA-HOO!! Â I finished my Orca Bay mystery quilt. Â I had a Yard Sale here yesterday and that moved out some quilting merchandise from that but I am not even counting that in my stash report.
As I was getting ready for the yard sale, I dug around and pulled out my #1 UFO quilt and was SAD…so SAD. Â I hate this project and don’t want to do it. Â UGH!
I am afraid if I skip this UFO’s I won’t hang in there and finish more. Â I want these UFO’s done but I do not want to work on this one.
This is something I started about four years ago. Â I had a new idea and wanted to try it. Â Well I tried it. Â I saw that it will work so I don’t want to finish it. Â My daughter Kayla did some math and worked out a design for them…
Well you caught me…I’ll be honest.  The hard part is next and I don’t want to do it….(Please don’t make me!!)  I have to applique these fans to fabric.  I have never done it before.  I am nervous about getting them to lay straight.  UGH!!  I want to just applique them down by machine but hate every stitch on my machine except the straight stitch  (using stitches other than the straight stitch is putzy work to me).  UGH…I really don’t want to do this.
Then after I get the blocks appliqued down I have to cut center circles and applique them in place. Â I’ve never figured out how to get the edges smooth to applique. Â (If you are a regular blog reader you know I have applique fear) Â Part of me is screaming try it you chicken….the other is saying UGH!!
Oh what’s a girl to do….(a little pep talk from all of you would be appropriate right now) Â UGH…in all honesty I just don’t love this project anymore. Â When does a UFO stay a UFO? Â Do I make myself do this or give up? Â I feel like if I do get the quilt top finished, I’ll set it into another pile of quilt tops that need to be quilted and the it will never get quilted….ugh, ugh…UGH!
While you ponder on that…here’s my stash report….UPDATE: Â I wrote this draft of my stash report on Friday as I was getting ready for the Yard Sale. Â I was SO tempted to put these fans on the Yard Sale and sell them. Â Then I thought no….then I thought yes…then no…Then I decided let fate handle it. Â If they sold I wouldn’t make it…if they didn’t sell I would. Â I am happy to report they SOLD!!!! Â I no longer have to worry about this UFO. Â I am so relieved. Â It’s gone and I don’t have to worry about. Â I HIGHLY recommend you going through your UFO pile. Â If you hate it. Â SELL it!
Used this Week: Â 6 yard
Used year to Date: Â 19 Â yards
Added this Week: Â Â 0 yards
Added Year to Date: Â Â 16.5 Â yards
Gifted to others: Â 0 yards
Gifted to me: Moda fabric 12 yards
Net Used for 2012:  2.5 Yards of store bought fabric…5 yards of recycled fabric…0 yards gifted.
Head on over and see more stash reports check out Patchwork Times…Head over here to see the quilt book giveaway that I am hosting.
you discovered the secret Jo, quilting is supposed to be fun, if it aint, pass it on for someone else to love. I have a good friend that does nothing but finish other peoples discarded projects, a rare bird indeed!
Had the fans not sold, my advice would have been to put your BIG GIRL PANTIES on and get it done. Once you did one, then the others would have followed. But I do agree with you, UFOs are UFOs for reasons. Usually b/c we learned what we needed from them, lost interest in them, or just don’t like how things came out. Passing them on to someone else is the easiest and painless thing to do! LOL
Good for you Jo! I don’t believe in ever keeping a project out of obligation just because I started it. Quilting is about inspiration and joy for me, not drudgery and dread! If I’m no longer inspired by a project, I give it away for someone else to become inspired by it.
The way I look at it is that quilting is supposed to be fun and relaxing, I you don’t like a particular quilt, don’t do it! I am going to take a class to learn how to do the dresden fan, I’ve never appliqued either.
I’m a lousy sewer, can’t cut or sew on a straight line, even though I try and try, BUT, I can hand applique. It’s really not hard at all. Try it for a couple of blades, and if it doesn’t win, then sell the thing. Now, if I could piece the way I can sew Dresden Plates…….
Applique isn’t hard, but you do have to get into a different frame of mind for it. It takes longer than piecing, even if you use machine stitching. When you do try it, though, you might as well have a project you’re happy with to try it on!
Looks like you have a big decision to make Jo. Toss it to someone else or get to it yourself. Looks like you have decided if you do it, it has to be hand appliqued down. Maybe you should just start and it you don’t enjoy the process, toss it to someone else. Good luck with whatever you decided to do. :)
Life’s too short to do all the quilts I love. Why waste happy days doing something you don’t love? Put it in a box, toss it in the back of the attic and let one of your grandchildren find it one day.
We all understand where you are coming from. This past year I’ve really tried to finish some UFOs and not have so many projects going at once. The one I can’t face is the Piece of Cake applique quilt with the beautiful bright flowers on a chocolate background. Love the quilt, just can’t face the applique. I made a Snake in the Hollow quilt a few years ago with blades similar to yours, except only 1/4 of the circle was appliqued in each corner. I used my machine and did a straight stitch right at the edge of each blade and the center piece, and it turned out great. Just a thought…
I either saw it one of our speakers at guild fuses her appliquee down, and then lets the machine quilter quilt over it – I am thinking you are the machine quilter….but wouldn’t this make it quicker? The plates are pretty.
I had a quilt together that I was hand quilting and decided I just didn’t want to finish it. I hated it at that point! I bundled it all up and donated it to the local quilt guild. They finished it, and some lucky person is sleeping under it! Your plates are beautiful – if you don’t want to finish it you could donate it or put it up for sale when Bonnie does her next yard sale. Just thoughts….
Now that the burden of UFO #1 is over….quilt one of those languising tops instead? Just a suggesting. If you get something UFOish done this month, it should help keep up the momentum. The yard sale was fun!
Hey, selling your UFO is cheating! ;) I’m with you – I like applique in very, very limited amounts. I wouldn’t want to do a whole top like that, so I’d sell it, too. No sense in letting it go to waste, but also no sense in working on a project you hate.
Like previous posters I agree that your projects should be fun and rewarding. But before you toss these back on the UFO pile go to Anne’s blog at Bunny Hill Designs. She’s been working on a scrappy Dresden Plate project this month and has great pictures for inspiration and a tutorial on machine appliquing the plates. Your plates are beautiful and deserve to be out in the light but that doesn’t mean you’re the one that has to make them shine.
I’m on your team – I don’t applique…ever! But, I did spend an afternoon with Anelie Belden (Thoroughly Modern Dresden) and here’s what she said: You can “applique” the plates to the background by stitching in the ditch and leaving the tips free. The tips will get stitched down in the quilting. And you can sew the center to a piece of fusible (right sides together) clip the seam allowances and cut a slit in the fusible, turn right side out and fuse down. Sounds like a plan to me.
OK, Anne Sutton has a vid on machine applique thru her blog. Looking can’t hurt- wish I had it when I made my daughter’s Dresden Heart quilt almost 20 years ago!
http://bunnyhillblog.com/2009/02/04/perfect-harmony-of-thread-needle-and-machine/
WooHoo! I agree wholeheartedly! If you don’t love it, get rid of it! It just weighs you down.
I’m so glad it sold!
Yep, you made the right decsion, pass it on to someone who will love it. Selling it is even better! It was pretty colors. Or if you can’t move it out cut it up for your crumb quilt.
Glad you came to terms with your UFO and sold it. Hope you have fun moving on to the next project!
I think it’s so beautiful and I love the fabric. But I totally get how we fall out of love with a project and can’t find the creative energy to get it done. Good for you for giving it a new home! Now you can put your energy into something you love!
I too am not fond of doing applique – love the look, just not ME doing it. One thing I have done a couple times was applique while quilting. As I get to an applique piece I sew oooooooooooooooooo around the edges. Of course it is a delicate piece, that would not be best, but something whimsical, primitive, kid-friendly, etc. It is nice you were able to sell this one though!
Well that’s one way to get a UFO done! Sandi
How about finishing one block and making it into a pillow? Then ‘gift’ the others to your local thrift store or to someone who wants to mess with them. That way, you will kind of finish a UFO and never have to look at it again! Good luck :-)