Sewing Projects: UFO denial
Too many UFOs hanging around the sewing room? That was a problem that plagued other sewists, but I never felt like I had that problem. I even would tell others that my 16 year old had more UFOs than I did. All last year, in my stash buster meetings at my local quilt shop, I’d listen to others talk about their UFO issues…always sympathetic, but wasn’t an issue I felt connected to.
Well, not so much. Recently, I had to move out of my sewing room for my adult son to have. In this process, I notice two things.
1. I’m very untidy when I create. Despite buying several “get organized” books and reading countless blog posts about how to get organized, I’m okay with that. I’ve read a very believable article claiming that studies have shown a person is more creative in a cluttered work space. Feeling good about my “creative” space and my natural ability to make a mess when creating.
#2, however, not so empowering. The more I cleaned out the room, the more unfinished projects I found. Most of which my mind had protectively blocked out. I was living a lie, a blissfully ignorant of my own flaws lie. Orphan blocks and quilt tops a plenty…I may need a 12 step program.
It’s cute to post on instagram about my wip, but when the pile of forgotten projects grew, I knew I had a problem. This is what denial looks like in the sewing room.
Thank goodness my local modern quilt guild is starting a new thing this year. A finish those unfinished projects program for us who may be experiencing this. I signed up with just the stockings that I have been meaning to make (16 years we, a family of 6, have gone with only 5 stockings–but I digress. That story deserves its own blog post.) and have kept in a box for a couple of years now. I know about those WIP. The other dozen or so? Completely blocked out of my mind.
WIP project sounds so much nicer, don’t you think? Leaving a project abandoned and unfinished sounds cruel.
For each page of 10 projects, you pay $10. Sign up by writing down all your unfinished projects just hanging around waiting for some love and attention. Some people bought several pages for $10 each. They really have issues. I thought, well maybe signing up will help me get those stockings done. Little did I know I would soon be considering how many sheets I need to purchase, since clearly I will be able to fill several pages worth, with all the projects I discovered.
Each time you finish one of those projects on your list(s), you bring to share at a meeting and get a raffle ticket. At the end of the year, they draw a ticket. Winner takes all. All the money that is. The key here is to actually finish the projects. In that way, everyone gets a personal win.
We’ll see how I do. I think I may do okay. At least I’m feeling optimistic today (though my list is still growing). Some of the projects felt like old friends. I’m glad to be reunited… after all, I didn’t toss all of the discovered ufos into the goodwill pile.
Disclaimer…I may or may not tell you how I do. It would be nice to finish those WIP that I keep, but really not sure I will share the shame of continuing to ignore their existence.
~Erin