When I was cleaning my sewing room I went through the UFO cabinet. Remember I was trying to “be real” about everything. Was I really going to finish it and to be completely honest..What was even in there?? Ah…Did I really want to go through the cupboard…YES.
One side of the cabinet had some stitchy things. At one point in my life I thought I was going to stitch everything….I really stitched nothing. Ahhh…so do I keep it or not? I ended up keeping what you see here.
I LOVED this piece. I stitched it but then my thread bled when I soaked it. AH…I tried to convince myself it wasn’t noticeable but looking at the picture, I think it is. AH. Maybe I should just get rid of it. Opinions anyone?
Here’s a close up.
Surprise!!! This is where my punch needle things have been hiding. Hmmm. Should I keep them. YES. I do like punch needle and in the past I’ve taken it with for something to do in the waiting room at the doctor’s office. Plus I do love the look and it takes up little space.
This…it doesn’t bring me joy. I did it in wool and here’s my confession…I don’t like wool stitched to cotton. This project will likely get donated next time I go through my stuff. This time I couldn’t part with it quite yet.
Hmm. I’ve seen and loved this. So much I bought the pattern and it set. UGH. I haven’t touched it so it’s not really a UFO is it?
This pincushion I have stitched except for the green stems. That would be a quick project to finish up…
Now to the quilty UFOs…Bargello in Plaid. This is from Bonnie Hunter’s Scraps and Shirttails I. I made one before, gifted it and loved it. I cut out another one day….(read about it HERE)
Hmmm… what was this. Oh. Something I was playing with for a design. Umm. I should get back to that. I like it.
Oh and here are those Wild Child quilt blocks I screwed up. Hmm. I still haven’t done anything with them. I think there are 20. Perhaps a baby quilt??
Ah…I forgot about this. It was something I was designing. Oh my. I want to get back to this. Soon I hope. I have a few other things to tend to first but I promise…THIS YEAR!!! I have to make the baby quilts first!!
..ah. yes. Floribunda. I really didn’t start this. Kelli did. She was cutting one out for herself and asked if I wanted one cut out too. Well how can one say no to that offer. It’s really just florals cut in strips…and the yellows. Technically not a UFO…or is it? It’s only bundled fabric.
Bonnie Hunter’s Sugar Bowl quilt. It’s not completely cut out.
All of this had plans for at one time but it’s all sorted through and taken apart now. The projects I was saving the fabric for are projects I no longer want to do…but the fabric? I want that.
OH no. Kelli stitched this for me and I never framed it. UGH. I need to pull that and try to figure out a spot to hang it and a frame for it too.
Can you believe I thought I might HAND make a quilt one day. These are my sewn by hand blocks. I’ll admit, I kept them…
I have this in the cabinet. I pulled these out of my bonus triangle bin. I had labeled them to use with Bonnie Hunter’s Twirl Around quilt….but now I have another idea for them….I’m keeping them here for now. One of these days, I’m going to do something with them.
My Hawaiian Sunset quilt is lingering….
Check out this….They are the leftovers from our Perkiomen Daydreams quilts. I could chuck them but…who knows. We might make another someday. 
I think this is from Moth in the Window but I have no idea for sure. I plan to take this downstairs and sort through it one afternoon when my childcare kiddos are sleeping.
This is labeled “Hawk’s Nest”. This is only bonus triangles that I’ve set aside for the project. I have a different bonus triangle quilt that I designed in mind so these might get “stolen” for that project instead.
Here’s Bonnie Hunter’s Holy Toledo quilt…all cut. Nothing else done.
I cut out two emergency baby quilts…this one….
and this one….
They would be quick to sew up but they are going back into the UFO cabinet for now. I’ll keep them for emergency back ups for now.
I have this all cut out. Someday I’ll get to it.
This is all cut up too…I’ll get to that someday too. 
My last project…my spider web quilt…
Several of the quilts that are cut out have been on my LONG term project list. When my childcare kiddos are napping, cutting out a quilt is something I can easily do. I get about 30 minutes a day for a little “me time” if the stars align. When they do, I often cut out quilts. So over the course of a week or so, I often cut out quilts that are on my to-do list. Yes it creates UFOs but it also gets me one step further on a quilt I have every intention of making.
Hmmm. I had guessed I have 12 UFOs. I was off….Off by quite a bit. There are 19 on the list. That includes things I’ve pulled that are only bonus triangles though. That’s okay. I’ll still count them as UFOs. I know some people would be mortified with that many UFOs….I’m not. I feel just fine with what I have. I’m not jumping in and trying to finish them any time soon at all…I’ll get to them when I get to them.
Some lovely projects there. The colour-run in the first embroidery is hardly noticeable and adds to the piece’s antique look. I’d keep it. Thanks for your blogging, it brings happiness to my day.
Regards from snowy England
I agree that the thread bleed is not noticeable and only adds to the piece! You have a lot of UFOS but you also get a lot done! They won’t be UFOS for long!
What about some sprayed on tea dyeing for the needlework piece? The more uneven the staining, the more vintage it will look. I love your blog, have been learning a lot! On a side note, do you have one of the *new* style spray bottles, like the ones sold by Me and My Stitches? (No affiliation, just bought one from there last year). If not, I have several plain ones I got from Amazon as well. I’d be happy to drop one in the mail to you if you tell me where to send it. It works great for water based things like Best Press or water, but not for liquids like olive oil (ask me how I know!) LOL
Dar W…Thanks for the offer. YES. I have TWO. One for water and one for Starch. My friend Connie sells them.
I have several projects I’m prepping for. I don’t consider them UFO’s, not until I actually start stitching them. For now they’re just quilts in waiting.
I consider 19 UFOs a SHORT list. My list this year has 59 – well, 58 now, I’ve finished one already this year.
I also agree about the stitching – it might look different in person, but from the photo, the bleeding from the thread is not dramatic, and is in line with the primitive style of the piece. You could also tea dye the whole piece to emphasize that.
Connie in VA
LOL, projects in zip locks, projects in pastry containers, mostly filled with Bonnie Hunter starts Looks like my room! Too many to count. You are inspiring me to get busy!
Ah, Floribunda! I had sent 4 blocks with some additional yellow and a fat quarter in my box. Hope you added it to the mix.
YES! Carol…YES!
If the thread bled really bothers you but you really like the piece I would consider a light tea stain to make it look more like an antique and it would camouflage the thread bled.
I do a lot of wool Applique on cotton. The secret, I think, is to put a stabilzer on the back of the cotton before appliquéing . I use a Pellon product called SF 101. It keeps the cotton from puckering and gives a nice finished look.
THANKS so much for the tip Judy Donovan. I knew I must be missing something! I love seeing it when others do it but mine i’ve never liked.
If you’re really determined to get the thread bleed out you might try re soaking it with Dawn , just a drop, and see if it would come out. But I agree with others that tea dying might be the best answer. In any case I’d try some things. It’s too pretty not to finish and hang!
I would tea dye the whole stitchery and make it more primitive and then it won’t matter. I did that one and love it. I wonder if the wool on cotton fabric might get better the farther along it goes. After, backing and quilting, I wouldn’t think the fabric mix would be noticeable. I love that you have so many ufos – so many great possibilities.
The wild child blocks, on point with the squares running north and south, remind me of candy. If you put triangle around them and sew the blocks together, you’d have an easy baby quilt that is bright and cherry.
Surprise!!! I love it, the things you find under piles.
I could never have that many projects going at once, but everyone is different. And you make it work, good for you.
I love the family tree stitching! As for the faded stitchery. I’d first try soaking it in a little water with some Oxyclean. If that doesn’t work, the previous poster’s comment about tea dying might be just right.
I read that Orvis paste can remove stains from vintage lace. Maybe it could remove the bleeding. FWIW, I can’t tell in the picture that your fiber bled.
In my opinion, UFOs are opportunities. I rarely make a quilt from start to finish without interruption. Sometimes I cut out three or four quilts at a time and then use them as leaders and enders for each other. Sometimes I only want to piece (ok, this is most of the time; it is the part I enjoy most) and then I have a glut of tops. Other times, I only want to quilt and then happily I have tops available to layer and quilt.
Wow! On so many projects it looks like you’ve done the hard part. Have you considered auctioning off a few UFOs? That way one of us can make a “Jo and Me” throw or quilt and be very proud of it. Remember this cabinet the next time you have an auction……………one sewist’s junk is another sewist’s treasure!
I wonder if you soaked the stitched piece again and added a color-catcher in with it? I read on another blog where someone did that and that took the staining out. Just a thought.
One of the (many) reasons I enjoy your blog is that you keep it real – thanks, Jo! You are the best.
The Wool applique on Cotton background fabric could be finished as a pillow perhaps. A couple of my friends and I won’t even consider counting all our UFOs, and we only count projects that we actually would cut the fabric or at least part of it for. One of my friends counted her UFOs and she had over 50. At 50 she said she stopped Counting.
I love seeing all your projects. It’s funny how we are all so different in how we sew and approach a project. I likely have as many in-progress projects as you, but one difference is I cut as I go so my project boxes might have some blocks made with the rest still needing to be cut. Several of my UFOs are just tops needing borders; and still others are awaiting backing fabric so I can quilt them. Just recently I finished binding Allietare and En Provence, better late than never. Love your posts, keep ‘em coming.
Mary
The Wool applique on Cotton background fabric could be finished as a pillow perhaps. A couple of my friends and I won’t even consider counting all our UFOs, and we only count projects that we have actually cut the fabric, or at least part of it, for. One of my friends counted her UFOs and she had over 50. At 50 she said she stopped counting.
Wow! A great start on so many projects! My UFO’s give me such pleasure in knowing that I can quickly make a quilt for a gift or just finish when have a little bit of time to do so! I love your stitchery as is & look forward to you framing it or however you want to use it!
Jo, that Prim Gatherings kit is not a UFO, it’s a “Hussy” = HSY = Haven’t Started Yet. So you’re good there, it can go back in the cabinet (as long as you still want to make it)! I’m torn on Florabunda — technically it too is a “Hussy” since you personally have never worked on it although if everything is cut…well that puts it in a gray area. I made one and it’s our favorite go to picnic quilt and started me on a love affair with the color yellow so I would let it stay and say get ‘er done (but obviously, I’m biased)! Priority: hang Kelli’s embroidery piece — how about surrounding it with some of the Perkiomen leftovers since both of you made one of those?
What are the “new” style spray bottles? Sounds interesting.
So many of your projects have the cutting finished. Makes it so easy to grab and stitch. Love your fabric choices. 19 UFOs seems pretty reasonable for a crafter. I had 67 quilt tops as of January 1st. Down to 58 today. I’d be tickled pink with 19.
Oh my UFO’s not as many as yours but enough to keep me busy a long time. Thanks for the jolt in the concious
Saw the post about the thread bleed and I would tea dye the whole thing when done!
Keep Stichin’
Linda K.