26 Projects

For some reason I felt the need to count up the projects I have in process. In process, to me, means that some sewing has taken place

26.

Yes, I have 26 projects in process. Too many. I was kind of appalled, actually, but when I thought about it, I realized that many of them are more than 3 years old. Some are half class projects. I used to stop, put a project away and go on to something new. I thought that was what quiltmakers did.

At some point I decided that I did not want to do that anymore. I have changed my process so that I gear up, gather, test and then focus like crazy on one project and finish it. I might be working on more than one project at a time, because they are in different stages, but at some point in the process each of them gets my full attention and gets finished. Once I focus on a project, I can finish pretty quickly.

I don’t enjoy making the back or the binding, but I get it done and THEN, only then, move on to the next project. Projects frustrating me now stay on the design wall so I don’t forget about them.

This post is not about finishing for finishings sake. I need brain space. I need closure on some of these projects. I need to work on them, learn what I need to learn, finish, or abandon them. They are cluttering up my brain and my fabric closet. They don’t allow room for me to start new things. And I have plenty of new things I want to start, fabric to buy, blocks to test.

Now I am on a mission to work through some of these projects. Stay tuned.

Author: Jaye

Quiltmaker who enjoys writing and frozen chocolate covered bananas.

6 thoughts on “26 Projects”

  1. Well said Jaye; I use a similar process. I do have one more step, I review those pesky workshop projects and decide if I am going to complete the project or not. Sometimes a project is just a learning experience and I don’t finish it. I love closure.

    1. I am with you! I have taken a new tact with workshops. I go there to learn and not to make a quilt unless I know that I want to make that quilt. I know I have a few projects on te list that are workshop projects. I think I want to finish most that are still on the list, but am still evaluating. Thanks for reading and commenting.

    1. I am making a list for another post. You can see last year’s list on the Dec. 31 2010 post. Obviously, it has been updated throught this year, but a lot of the older projects have had no progress. Soon!

  2. Wow, I can totally relate. I was realizing just how many unfinished quilts I have because I have such a bad habit of starting and then moving on to other things. I feel like all of the unfinished projects are weighing on me and I have been planning to reassess them and decide what I am going to do with each (perhaps finish them smaller or differently than I originally planned) because I can’t stand leaving so much unfinished any longer. Best of luck with your process of bringing each project to closure.

    1. I decided a few years ago that ‘abandoned’ is a viable alternative. I think I have to be realistic about what I am going to finish and be ok with not finishing everything. It is a process. I am ok with having multiple projects, but 26 is just too many. Whatever I have in process needs to be in my mind as well. Thanks for reading and commenting, Misty.

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