Finish That Quilt!

UFOs. We all have them. Those Un-Finished Objects that we quilters have in great abundance. We start a project, get well into it and then get distracted by something shiny. That poor quilt that was once the sole object of our affection is now on the bottom of the “to do” pile. Who knows when it will get done.

I feel compelled to brag that just last week I finished a project that was 23 years old. That’s right, the big two-three. I can’t tell you how many times I cleaned my sewing space, took it out, looked at it admiringly, only to fold it back up and put it in the “finish you later” pile.

This time, something was different. It just felt like it was time. Oddly, once I got back down to it, it took me less than one hour to finish. This really calls into question my previous posts about what to do with UFOs. Recently, I’ve been a strong advocate of “if you can’t finish it, then repurpose it or give it away…. give the poor thing a chance!”. Finishing a 23-year-old project really makes me think that it’s OK to keep an unfinished project for, well…. at least two decades!

Giddy with this accomplishment, I’ve gone on to finish not one but TWO more unfished projects that are each at least ten years old or more. I guess what this really says is, it’s never too late. Next up, I have some curtains that I started at least six years ago when I moved into my current house. If I can pull that off, then I feel very confident in that dress I was going to make for my son’s graduation in 2007. Fortunately, I have another son’s graduation next year in 2027. I really feel like I have a sporting chance with this one!

… Please join us here every other Wednesday for another fun, fiber-filled installment of By the Yard. You can read more By the Yard® comics at www.bytheyardcomics.com and check out the six new By the Yard® greeting cards for quilters, including this one specifically featuring unfinished projects!

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Blog post by Jen Lopez