Sunday, July 29, 2007

Meandering Around My Studio

I was watching one of the design shows yesterday afternoon on HGTV. The designer was redoing the living room of a woman who quilts, knits and does bead work. At one point during the show when they were looking through the woman's UFOs the designer said, "You should never have more than 3 projects to be work on at one time. Any more than 3 projects and you will feel bogged down." I wanted to jump through the TV screen and ask the designer if she has spent any amount of with quilters! Obviously not. I know many quilters have many, many more than 3 projects in their UFO pile, and yes, sometimes we do feel overwhelmed by the amount of UFOs we have, but I can't imagine only having 3 projects to work on at any one time. I like the freedom that comes with having many UFOs to choose from on any given day.

Take yesterday afternoon and this morning for example. Yesterday DH left at 2 PM to play poker so I had time for myself. I took a short nap and when I woke up I wandered into my studio. I started to straighten up so it was clean when we leave on vacation later this week. I put a few items away, but while going through one of my baskets I decided to make some 1.5 inch HSTs for a Challenge I'm working on. So I took out my Triangles on a Roll, cut some fabric squares and proceeded to make 128 1.5 inch HSTs while listening to Jesus Christ Superstar. I got them sewed, cut apart and the paper torn off. I also pressed about 32 of them.

I thought I was done in the room for the day and spent some time catching up on email, blogs and internet surfing. I've had this entry by Karen at Sew Primitive marked since she posted it earlier this month. I finally got tired of seeing the post so I closed up the computer, went back into my sewing room and pulled out my Siggie blocks from our Blogger Siggie Swap earlier this year. In 45 minutes I had the blocks sewn together and now the top is ready to finish. If you participated in the swap, can you find your block?



This morning I entered my studio with the same intent to straighten it up. While I'm on vacation and shopping I want to collect some purple, lavender and gray fabrics for a quilt for my MIL. I pulled the few fabrics I have so far and then remembered I have a BOM quilt I started for her 2 years ago packed away and unfinished. I started digging through my closet and found the container with the fabric and some of the blocks in it. I sorted out what was done and realized that with sewing borders on one block I would have four blocks done and I could make a table topper or baby quilt from them. So I did it. Not sure what to do for border, but someday I'll get around to it.

Since I was digging through my UFO containers I kept at it. I found the half-made blocks for a Snail's Trail quilt. This was a mystery quilt from 2 years that I got bogged down on because my block halves weren't matching up well. I put the quilt away and had forgotten I even had it. I started pinning the halves together and ended up with 20 decent blocks. So I sewed those blocks together and now I have another top ready for a border. But I am really stumped on how to proceed with the top. I'm not thrilled with how much white is on the quilt, but I'm sure I will take the quilt to my long armer and she will be able to fill in the white nicely with quilting. But what about the borders? Any suggestions for the borders? Help me please! This quilt would be a great gift for SIL and DIL.

Now I am done playing in my studio for the day and won't be back in there for three weeks. So tell me, if I had disposed of these 3 UFOs because I have more than 3 projects what would I have done this weekend?

21 comments:

LouAnne said...

Snails Trail border? I see that top needing first a pieced border that would carry the colors of the top into it. And then, I, if it were mine, would give it a red border! Don't know if I'd piece it or not, but it needs a red border! smiles,LouAnne

Gail said...

Just three projects? I might feel stifled, but we'll never know...not at the rate I'm moving!

cityquilter grace said...

paula, those are gorgeous siggie squares...love that scrappy look...and in the jar? my guess is $83.42...how's that for random! have a super vacation and enjoy your chocolate...BTW I must have 30 UFOs at this point, never mind 3...

His Office, My Studio said...

Like the designers know what is going on in the real world. They all have a staff to help them. All we have are ourselves and sometimes our four legged helpers.

I found my siggy block...they all look great together.

Great quilts! I agree with Louanne a red border is perfect. I have to get out my Jesus Christ Superstar album and see if it helps me to piece as fast as you did.

Have a great vacation!!

tami said...

The siggie quilt came out great. I found mine. :-D

Anonymous said...

I totally forgot that you are coming to Oregon! You will have a blast, the weather is warm and sunny! Bend will be hot hot hot...my sister went to the fair in Madras last night and it was 91 at 10 p.m.!

My son is in NH right now...flew out last wk and will be home tomorrow night, flying the red eye.

Enjoy your visit to Oregon, maybe next time you will again come through the little town I live in.

Pam@
www.pamgwillim.com

Meredith said...

I guess I am the odd one out. I have been working on finishing my ufo/flimsy this year. I just felt I had too many and I wanted to actually use them in my home. My side bar on my blog lists mine. It has been fun to do. Not sure if I will get them all done or not. If they are not bothering you then what is the big deal. Everybody works differently.

sewprimitive karen said...

Hi, Sweet P, so glad you got that siggie swap quilt done and that pesky link off your bookmarks :-))). Aren't you glad it's finished? But I love having many projects started at once, too. I love how I can just go shopping for something to work on in my closet now, just like you did with the Snail's Trail. It looks like water to me. I don't suppose you'd want to put patchwork sailboats on water around it, would you?

Rose Johnston said...

Only 3??? now that doesnt feel productive lol.......as quilters we just start a new project when it feels right.........thats what UFO's stand for right??? lol

Libby said...

3 UFO's bah - some people just like to blab in order to hear themselves talk *s* Your tops are gorgeous.

Elaine Adair said...

LOTS to talk about, but I will limit myself to ONE topic.

Snails Trail - you might consider giving it to a youngster instead ... I made one for child (not baby) and appliqued 3 snails (Daddy, Momma, baby) in the plain colored border. Those snails was a big hit! Easy to make. Roundish shell with bottom cut off, head is a curvy head on a long skinny neck. Don't forget the stalk eyes! Quilt a spiral in the shell. Wish I'd kept a photo of it!

Helen in the UK said...

Congrats on getting those projects completed to the next stage. I agree that the snails trails needs more red. You could go for a red/blue print border and red for the binding???
I'm afraid I do get overwhelmed if I have too many projects in the works. I prefer to keep the number of UFOs down, although I wouldn't want to be without any at all :)

Jeanne said...

Three projects...I wish I could finish one. I keep moving from one to another one to another one... Great job!

Susan said...

I love all the work you did, but even more, I love the way you tell about it. You are more like me than my sisters are! =)

Have a great vacation.

Anne Heidi said...

I found my block :) Fun to see another siggie quilt with the same setting. As for UFO's- I've been finishing up a few the last couple of weeks- make me feel sooo good, and I feel great about starting ten new projects... Three she said- must have gotten her numbers mixed up! Have a wonderful vacation, my guess is $356 in the jar :)

Unknown said...

No more than 3 ufo's what a joke. I've got more than that just sitting next to my chair in the living room.... Your sanils trail quilt looks wonderful, if it were mine I'd use and red border then a narrower white then another red. I love plain borders on quilts that are busy, brings the design of the quilt out. Enjoy your time away.

Sue said...

3 projects! Yikes. That would never happen for me.

I love that snails trail, I'd put a one inch red border and a 6 inch blue border on it.

Evelyn aka Starfishy said...

Great job on working on your UFO's - I often "re-size" or change from my original plan too. I definately would feel limited if the "rule" was only 3 projects at a time - yikes! Have a great vacation.

Cheers!

Evelyn

Solstitches said...

I haven't been quilting long and only have two projects but my aim is to have lots more!
Now with my stitching I wouldn't even dare list how many........
Your quilts are beautiful. I'm not enough of an expert (yet) to offer my advice but I do love to look at them.
Have a wonderful vacation.
Margaret

JoAnna said...

Your siggy quilt looks like is will be a great memory! I'm really bad with borders, but your snails trails top is so pretty, I'm sure what ever you do will look gorgeous.

Tracey @ozcountryquiltingmum said...

I found my siggy block...I have got half way to putting it together and stopped because of the "too-hard points" issue, I think I will be like you and just sew it together regardless, there is just no way to get them to match! Tracey
Ps good finishing on 3!!!