Earlier this week, I had someone ask me how many WIPs I had. I thought I had about 12 but wanted to give an honest answer. So I went and looked through my sewing room and counted. First up, the project boxes in the closet.
Then there are a couple on one of my sewing tables. I was on retreat a couple of weeks ago and these are two projects I worked on there and in bits and pieces since I returned.
Then there are a couple on the floor. Also pulled out from underneath my table (there wasn't room in the closet) because I was putting my sewing tote away from retreat.
And over the chair - these are the quilts that are probably a couple of hours away from being finished. Seems borders brings things to a grinding halt. There are a couple projects on the design wall - I actually forgot to count the Farmers Wife project until I took this picture. So I've upped my count by 1. Make that 2 because I forgot my bee blocks.
It turns out I have 19 quilting projects started but not finished. For some of you, you may have far more WIPs/UFOs than 19. That is perfectly ok. The thing is, 19 isn't perfectly ok for me. I know I tend to be a "work on a little of this and then a little of that" type of quilter but frankly, it's time to get some things done. So, I'm going to be plugging away finishing up a few things and maybe even trashing a few things (which is hard). I actually finished up a small project and will post about that later (Cherie you'll recognize it!) and then I went on to do a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Maybe next weekend I can dedicate some time to borders and get those quilts on the chair ready for quilting.
Answering this question turned out to be a wonderful and revealing exercise for me. Make no mistake, I'm not planning on getting all of these done, but to instead get them to an amount I'm comfortable with. Who knows what number that is, I'll know it when I get there. In the meantime, I need to get my rear in gear!
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I agree -- the number of one's WIPs should be what you are comfortable with. I hope you can get your WIP numbers to a point that you like. I know I have way too many xs WIPs. And I don't know how many quilt WIPs. lol! Plus those quilt projects I want to start. Oh dear.....
I gave up calculating that number. I would guess it's in the range of 4 - 5 times yours! =O Oh! The Horror! But I have a friend who used to say, "It's my stash, so if I want to open it up and put one stitch in it and then move on to something else, I can!"
But to be honest, the giant number does give me pause sometimes!
Isn't it amazing all the projects you find if you actually start going through things. I had that eye opening experience myself in early January!! Just too many projects (no I'm not going to give you the number but believe me, I top you by at least double). I hope that you can make a good dent in them this year!!
I'm not brave enough to count.....
I think I only have a couple of old WIPs that I probably will never finish because my tastes have changed. BUT, that being said, I do have probably 50 finished cross stitch pieces just waiting to be framed or made into ornaments or pillows!
Good luck finishing some of them off this year, Jackie--I know you can do it!
Depends whether I include my mental WIP's. If so, I have too many to finish in my lifetime, as I'm sure we all do. In the time it takes me to finish one project, I've usually thought of a dozen more.
Can't wait to see the finished projects.
Sounds like you are going to be a busy, busy quilter.
Mmmm, wondering why this looks so familiar to me ...
Well, lots of loveliness to work on (:
I don't have nearly the number of wips what you have. But I do have more than a few:) You will find what your comfortable with. Just stitch or start sewing some every day or other day. At least that way you will see some progress. It's exciting to see your projects as you do sew. love Annette
Luckily, living in small quarters, I can't accumulate so many WIP's or I'd have to live on the balcony! I'm mostly a one-at-a-timer. Just a few random stitched designs that need 'finish-finishing', but other than that, I only have one current project is in the works. There are no x-stitch police (at least not official ones!). Do what works for you and makes you happpy.
You are such a busy lady with work and everything, so at least now you know and you can start plugging away at it. I have 6, I thought I had more, so I'm quite surprised. The one that bugs me the most is the quilt I started before my cancer diagnosis that is for our bed and I just haven't been able to get back into it. That is on the top of my list to resolve this year. Great question for all of us to look at and be aware of. Hugs!!
Good for you Jackie. Being honest with yourself is hard, so I'm not going to count mine. Living in denial works ; )
I'm afraid I don't even like some of mine any more.
Uh oh
19 is not a bad number! I have a few myself, some that I will never finish but haven't been able to part with either, LOL!
You quilting blocks are lovely...
Congrats on going though all of your UFOs! That is a very brave thing to do. All your projects look gorgeous and fun.
Very nikel !!!
bisous from FRANCE
Hi Jackie, you are a very busy quilter and you have many works to do !! can you believe that I have only two current wips: my flower quilt and a japanese garden...which is sleeping in its drawer :)
Have a nice day,
Isa
wow! You are very organised with all those boxes...need to find something like that. Honestly though, i have lot's of w.i.p's , they are everywhere in boxes, and sometimes i just want to through them away without looking at what designs they are...just that my taste had change lately!
Have a happy week.
I admire how organised you are. I have several UFO's quilts as when my husband retired last year I found that I could no longer escape to my sewing room.
I am much better with my stitching with only one UFO.
Everyone is different but I have to say that would be too much for me too. I reach that point where it starts to feel more like work than 'fun' and I *KNOW* I've got more projects going than I should. Good for you for facing it and making a plan to tackle it! Your wonderful work deserves to be liberated from a box and sent out into the world to be cherished. :)
I had to go through this arduous exercise last year and ended up moving to Florida with 18 UFOS - very near your number! I have promised myself to knock off several of them this year. I added a page to my blog called "On the Horizon" and listed my UFOs there. It's really nice to be able to check that list whenever I want, and then put a strike-though any finishes. Two down, so far in 2013! Yay! I highly recommend putting a UFO list on your blog. I got the idea from Lyn at WhatAHoot, who is formerly a Floridian.
I can say I have one UFO - a couple years old. It's half quilted with the borders needing the quilting done and then the binding.
1...2... oh look! isn't that pretty! Must start that...
At one point I had wanted to be one of those people who has one stitching project and one quilting project, that's it. Then I laughed and laughed and started more stuff. But, in all seriousness, I think you need to get to a number that you feel comfortable with, and go with it. For me, I want to start more hand applique projects and more paper piecing, so I need to finish a few things. I think there's a tagline on IG that is #finishit2013 or something like that... I'm trying to look at 2013 as my year to finish things. Easier said than done! Love all of the projects that you've shown & I'm looking forward to seeing you knock them off the WIP list!
I have no idea, how many stitching and quilting WIPs I have. Sometimes I go through them all or only through a part of them and I think: Oh, that's beautiful, I just want to work on this now. Then I do exactly this. I love all my WIPs and no matter how many I have I feel comfortable with any number (says someone who has no idea what the current number is, lol). The right number is always the one you feel comfortable with - for some stitchers/ quilters it's 86, for some it's 22, for some it's just 1.
Like most of the other commentators, it all depends on your personal comfort level.
Personally I would prefer not to have quite so many stitching wips especially as most of them are from classes but I'm not in a place where I can get a lot of stitching & I'm not a one at a timer so I'm just going to focus on a few of them & try to finsh some eventually
I have 3 big WIPs and 1 little one. I agree with the others that if you're comfortable with more then why not?! I try to keep the number down low for myself especially with the bigger projects so I can work on smalls in between. I do have loads to finish up and turn them into something I can display. Love your quilting board by the way!!
I couldn't tell you how many I have, I can tell you that I have given a lot away just to whittle them down (one way to get the monkey off my back).
I can't even go there.....
Last time I tried to count my projects I kept finding more and more and more. Got way too depressing. It does help to know what you have though--I look at the list once in awhile, and sometimes even work on them. :)
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