Sunday Stash Report

I've been busy sewing all week but not a lot of it goes into into my stash report yet as they aren't a finish. I have been working on blocks for my A to Z blogging challenge. I am up to Y now so have only got 2 to go. Whoot.

Early on in the week I did manage to get 3 small finishes when I made the batik pictures Fangirl, Fixit Guy and I made in Malaysia into wall hangings.

First we traced the pictures onto stretched silk

 Then we went over the lines with wax using a stylus

Tah dah

Then we had to paint between the lines. My "teacher" was a bit too hands on and kept on taking over which was a bit disappointing. His English wasn't as good so he probably lacked the ability to explain what I needed to do next so would show me but ended up doing too much.

 getting the mouth right helps

Fixit Guy's assistant was more hands off

 Once the picture inside the lines was all coloured we worked on filling in the back grounds.

Whilst at the batik workshop I bought some fabric to frame the pictures but that is as far as I got for 18 months. Finally earlier this week I got around to working on the pictures and got them framed.

I used the fabric I bought in Malaysia to frame Fangirl and Fixit Guy's pictures but used some batik fabric I bought else where for mine. (Note. Whilst the fabric I bought in Malaysia was genuine wax resist batik the stuff I used on mine was a batik print - ie a traditional pattern but not printed using traditional methods. I don't recall where I got it. You can tell the difference in that genuine batik prints are the same on both sides of the fabric where as the non traditional fabric has a right and wrong side and is much lighter on the back.

And then quilted and made into wall hangings. I have sent Fangirl's down to her and am still deciding where I am going to hang them.

So - 3 UFO's finished and a total fabric usage of 1.75m 

No purchases this week.

How has your fabric usage gone this week?
Week 4 
Fabric used        1.75
Fabric added      0.00
Net usage          1.75m

Year to Date     
Fabric used         4.62
Fabric Added       9.05
Net Usage         -4.42m

Linking up with Patchwork Times

Sunday Stash Report

It's been a slow start to the year when it comes to sewing but I did manage one finish this week. 

Even better it was a UFO. 

When we visited Norway (in 2010) I bought some fabric from a LQS in the town of our host son's family. It was just 3 skinny quarters and I really didn't know what to do with them. I ended up making a table runner. I started it ages ago but this week got it out and worked out how I was going to finish it off and now it is done.

I have some left over bits and pieces of fabric and might end up making some co-ordinating coasters. Its only a small finish - 35cm x 75cm .72m

No purchases this week.

Week 3
Fabric used          .72
Fabric added      0.00
Net usage          0.72m

Year to Date     
Fabric used         2.88
Fabric Added       9.05
Net Usage         -6.17m

Linking up with Patchwork Times

U is for UFOs

 

UFO's in the crafting world are not to unidentified flying objects but t UnFinished Objects - projects that have been begun but for various reasons has been left incomplete. 





There are many reasons why a project might be left to languish and progress from a Work in Progress (or WIP) to being a UFO. 

• the crafter runs out of fabric or material needed to complete it, 
•  they run out of inspiration or motivation 
• it was begun at a workshop and once the workshop is over the momentum to finish the project falls away. 

This quilt was from a workshop. It sat unfinished for many years. Ultimately I made it much simpler than I had originally envisaged but I finished it. And it gets used periodically

• the crafter has moved onto another new project Many crafters suffer from CPS - Compulsive project  Starting disorder or OCD - obsessive crafting disorder.... they love starting a new project - the thrill of choosing a pattern, selecting fabric and starting something new. They start but are easily distracted by the next new project.

•  it was put aside for some reasons and when the crafter returns to it they find they have lost the instructions, forgotten what they were going to do next or lost confidence in the particular technique.

•  the crafter has fallen out of love with the project - they no longer like the pattern, or the fabric or the technique.

• Some quilters dislike particular stages of making a quilt - they love piecing tops but hate basting, quilting or binding. For some it might be the expense. They can make tops from their fabric stash but batting can be expensive as can buying the fabric for the backing.

 In my past I have had a pile of UFOs. At the beginning of 2012 I had 24 UFOS. I set myself the challenge of not starting any new projects that year, but just working through my pile. I broke this resolution to make a baby quilt for a great nephew (and to do an applique project) After the year I allowed myself to start some new projects but they had to be finished. I also kept on busting through the UFOs 

I wrote a blog post( here ) here November 2014 about my UFO busting exploits. By then I had only 9 remaining

Now, almost 2 years later I have to admit some of the UFOs listed still remain incomplete.

There are various ways of working through a pile of UFOs. One of the most helpful things I found was to actually identify all of them - go through the cupboards, project boxes, bags and the like and find them all. Write them down. This brought to mind all the different things I actually had... some of which I had forgotten all about.

Sort them out. Work out why they are unfinished - identify what still has to be done to them in order to bust them off your UFO list. Organise your list according to what has to be done. If its a lost pattern try to find the pattern - if it was started at a workshop then contacting the person who ran the workshop can lead to the pattern being found, or asking someone else you know who was at the workshop

This quilt was begun at a workshop. I put it aside for several years and when I came back to it I couldn't remember what I was doing and had lost the instructions. Another friend who had done the workshop had also bought the book and I was able to borrow it and finish of the quilts

Otherwise work out another pattern that you can use. If you need more of a particular fabric search for it (online resources are great for this) Identify something that you can use instead - adapt the design.

I had cut the pieces used in this quilt and then lost the pattern. I held onto the pieces for a good few years and then finally decided to just work out another pattern. It wasn't the same but it got the project done. Done is better than not done.

A challenge (such as I set myself in 2012) can be very helpful-no new projects for a period of time, just working on existing ones.

Some people set aside a day a week or month or whatever where they work on UFOs. Occasionally bloggers run UFO challenges - where people blog about ones they have worked on or finished, or commit to finishing a particular project in a set time frame.

Sometimes it is a case of being ruthless - go through the list and work out if there are ones you just don't want to finish - you don't like them or have lost the desire or motivation to finish. Its ok to just let them go - donate to charity, give them to another quilter or just throw them out. 

I don't like waste and I see UFOs as wasted time, effort and money - a pile of un realised potential. I used to get a real sense of guilt from the pile of unfinished projects. Since my year of UFO busting I have determined to NOT make any more UFOs and I am proud to admit that since then I haven't added any more to the pile. Every project I have started I have kept working on steadily till it was completed. I have worked on more than one project at a time which is different - so long as progress is being made its not a UFO, its a WIP.

We are all different.... we all have different ways to approach a problem. Find the way that works for you

Throwback Thursday

 In January 2012 I did a massive clean up of my crafting area. I went through all my cupboards and fabric, sorted things out, found all my projects, sorted them out. I even wrote a list of them. I resolved that 2012 was going to be my year of the UFO. I was determined to bust through as many of them as I could. I also resolved to not buy any fabric unless it was specifically to finish one of these projects. I did allow myself a bit of wiggle room. If it was for a specific purpose I could start a new project so long as I finished it ASAP. No more UFOs.

I found my list that I compiled It was dated 5th February 2012. I have decided to go through my list and see how well I did on my UFO busting attempt.

Projects
Finished Tops
Black and White Straight Circles
Boyo's T'shirt Quilt
Hands That Flung Stars into Space
Hands That Flung Stars into Space scrap blocks
Blue and Pink Nine Patches
Purple Strings

Blocks Completed
Teddy Applique quilt
Pip's T'shirt quilt
Fangirl's T'shirt quilt
Kombi Boy's T'shirt quilt
Massage Man's T'shirt quilt
Bluebird quilt
Christmas Stars
Quilts on the Double Quilt 1
Quilts on the Double QUilt 2
Heart Blocks
Year Quilt signature blocks
Squares and Half Triangles
Orphan blocks

Projects Cut and ready to go
Yellow and Blue picket fence
Christmas Tree Log Cabin
Advent Calendar
Green and White Blocks
Christmas Carol Squares

So - how did I go with all these projects?

Black and White Straight Circles Completed 12/2/12 currently hanging at an exhibition (its 2nd) and used in church a couple of occassions

Boyo's T'shirt Quilt Completed 16/6/12 given to Boyo and now on his bed in Brisbane
Hands That Flung Stars into Space completed 17/6/12 currently hanging at an exhibition (its 2nd too) and also used a few times in church

Hands That Flung Stars into Space scrap blocks completed 15/6/12 given to my girlfriend Maree for her 50th birthday
Blue and Pink Nine Patches not completed
Purple Strings not completed
Teddy Applique quilt completed 28/3/12 and given to my great niece Sofia at her birth

Pip's T'shirt quilt completed 20/6/12 currently on bed in spare room

Fangirl's T'shirt quilt - incomplete - I need more shirts from her but she won't give any of hers up. She threw a good few out before she realised that I would make her a quilt from them.
Kombi Boy's T'shirt quilt completed 15/6/12 and with him in Brisbane
Massage Man's T'shirt quilt- incomplete. Need more shirts for his as well
Bluebird quilt -completed and on our bed. I had it professionally quilted and really pleased with it

Christmas Stars - completed 11/13

Quilts on the Double Quilt 1 completed 2/7/13

Quilts on the Double Quilt 2 completed 20/7/13

Heart Blocks nothing done
Year Quilt signature blocks nothing done
Squares and Half Triangles nothing done
Orphan blocks nothing done

Yellow and Blue picket fence completed 26/6/12

This is it without the outer border and binding.... oops. Don't seem to have a completed one but it is done. Currently on the bed I am sleeping on this weekend

I did find another photo of it with 2 of its 3 borders... still not a completed photo. I will get one

Christmas Tree Log Cabin completed 3/1/13

With Dr Who figures Fangirl stitched and gave to her Dad for Christmas. 

Advent Calendar completed 29/12/12

Green and White Blocks nothing done
Christmas Carol Squares completed 11/13

Out of 24 projects that I listed I have completed 15 which is pretty good. Of the 9 that I have not completed 2 have stalled because I need more shirts to finish them off. Can't really do anything about them.

I haven't used the Pink and Blue 9 Patches or the purple string quilts which are really backs because they haven't really been the right shape or colour for projects that I could have put them with. Plus I tend to forget about them. I really should finish them up and use them as charity quilts if I can't find a use for them myself. They would be good backs for baby quilts.

The signature squares and the heart blocks need to be worked into backings for quilts for myself as they are personal things - made for me by friends. The heart blocks were given to me by friends from a retreat after my dad died so they are special. Again, I just tend to forget about them when making quilts for myself. Need to work on that.

The squares and half square triangles were from a project that I started but have mislaid the pattern to. I will have to find another suitable pattern for them.

The green and white blocks are good for a baby quilt. I have embroideries from my mum that I need to put into baby quilts so might work on them shortly.

How did my resolution to not start anything new go? In 2012 I only broke it 3 times. I made 2 little cake quilts. I am not sure why I started them. I was only going to make one but made too many cake blocks so made 2. I used stash only. One of those I still have and one I gave to my cousin.  The other time was to make a baby quilt for a great nephew. None of my UFOs appealed as being baby quilts and I found a lovely panel and co-ordinating fabric at a great sale. There were 12 panels, which in the end was enough for 3 baby quilts which were completed over the next year or so and given to another great nephew and a friends baby girl.

So overall I was pretty pleased with my efforts in 2012

In 2013 I relaxed my "No New Projects" ban although I did stick to my "No more UFOs" determination and everything I started I completed. I also tried hard to stick to my fabric diet - at least only buying fabric for specific projects, no stash building. That has been a good resolution to stick with.

Its time I went through my cupboards again and had a good tidy up. This time I want to list the fabric that I have bought for specific projects, or which I have bought to go together but for which I don't currently have a specific project. I need to list them up and get myself organised so I know where I am heading. I have a number of embroideries from my mum and some of my stitcheries that I want to make into quilts or wall hangings. It will be good to get organised.