The ART of finishing

As the end of the year closes in, it's time to reflect on the past year and figure out how to go forward. What do we want to do with our lives? our hobby? our stuff?

One thing I came to the realization is that in the quilting world, we all have a tendency to shop like we're running a business, yet we use it up like it's a hobby. Does that make sense?? Most of us do not just buy for a specific project. We see something we like - we buy it! We end up with so much.

The same would ring true for projects. We see something so cute that we can't resist starting it. Then we get distracted by the next cute thing and well - you know what happens.

I know that there are a LOT of projects hanging out in my studio that are not finished. Some are close, some are far from that final stitch. This past year, I decided that I need to get my act together and made myself a goal of completing 100 things. I set my own rules for this.

• I did not count any quilting/binding for paying customers. 
• I did not count any quilts that went in the "to be quilted pile". 
• I only counted items that I had actually finished. The majority of those items are mine, but there were a couple that I finished for someone that had passed and I counted those. 

So it didn't matter if the item only needed a label, I counted that as finished. Cheating? Nope - they were my rules after all and my goal was to get stuff cleaned up that wasn't done. It's so easy to let things slip. No labels, no sleeves, no bindings. Why oh why did I not put them on at the time?

This coming year, I'm going to keep track of three categories - quilts that get moved to the "to be quilted" pile. Things I work on for customers and things that I completely finish. That will give me a much better picture of everything that I worked on in the year. I'm OK that I didn't count the other items - well, I could count the customer quilts I quilted and I could find the number of items that went into the "to be quilted" pile, but there's no need. Going forward, I'll have three lists.

I have two days left in the year to complete stuff. Thankfully there are no urgent deadlines. Well, that's not true as I have an item for a magazine that I'm finishing off today and will get in a box tomorrow. I also have my little book with all the deadlines listed so I should be able to avoid issues going forward. This one is a bit at the urgent point because the backing for the item had to come from California and it only arrived on Friday. I thought it wasn't going to make the deadline!!!  That little item will be quilted and bound today.

Ronda was here bright and early yesterday and we sewed all day. The day passed so quickly that soon it was 4 PM and she left. Then I scooted to the library and the hardware store to do some errands. My FitBit was in heaven and did almost 17,000 steps yesterday. It was a beautiful day for a walk.

Then I got down to business and started some hand sewing to finish some things. Here's what happened. Oh - I did make Ronda a wee thing - I'll show that to you tomorrow.

As you may know, I've been debating about the label thing. Should the quilts have labels or not?? Well, darn it - I'm still torn, but I really think that listing the pattern name, the designer and the darn YEAR are important. That means I have a lot of labels to sew on!!!!

I mostly sewed labels and sleeves on last night but before I could sew the labels on, I had to make them. And in order to make them, I had to do some research. Yes - if I would have made the label at the time I finished the item, it wouldn't have been so bad. I even had to go back into my old blog on LiveJournal to get some of the information.

I do not believe that this quilt has ever made the blog. It's an Ocean Waves as you probably guessed.

Ocean Waves quilt

But read the label. You see why this quilt needed a label! When was the quilt was actually finished? I'm not sure. But I'm guessing that it was the year after I started it. I can't even remember if the quilt ever was on her bed. Isn't that awful????  Now it has a label with some of the dates on it. That quilt has been sitting in a bag under the long arm for a long, long time.

The label on THE quilt

I knew exactly what the book looked like that I had used for the pattern. Now that all the books are on the shelf, it was pretty easy to find it. It'll be even easier when they are completely sorted into categories.

The book that I used to make that quilt

I got the label on this table runner. Technically Diane finished it by hand stitching the binding down, but I put the label on so it's completely done now. Thanks, Diane for helping out!

I had to dig back to find the name of the ruler that was used to make it. It was made in 2014! That runner was sitting in a bag in the storage room for a couple of years!

Curved table runner made with Simple Curves tool by Phillips Fiber Art

The next quilt to get a label was this one. This is a version of Hopscotch by the girls at The Quilt Patch in Moose Jaw. The shop is no longer open, but boy - I loved that store and have many fond memories of Jeanne and Shelley.

Hopscotch by The Quilt Patch

I made and quilted it in 2013. No label, but now it's completely done.

Next up was this one that I designed with a Northcott panel. The panel was part of their Naturescapes collection and is long gone although you may find it in a shop. The sleeves were made, the label was made and the binding was partially attached. The binding is now on, the sleeves are hand stitched in place as is the label.

Fields of Gold panel by Northcott

I think that takes me to finish 93 of the year. Something like that. There's another stack of small projects that I hope to get done before the New Year rings in tomorrow night.

I didn't take a picture of the stack, but there are three small quilts left to bind, a bag that needs a row of topstitching and a quilt that needs a sleeve and a label.

And there's this pile as well. A rug and my portable display boards.

Things to finish before the end of the year

I think you get the picture that there's so much that is so close to being finished. That's my goal - finish those things. As I was searching for a date for a project, I realized that the date is one of the most important things to put on the label. I was searching for information about a quilt challenge that I had made years ago. After some searching, I realized that the owner had passed in 2014. And a previous challenge for the shop was made in 2008. My guess is that this challenge was made in 2009. A quick text to Carol and she'll let me know next week - so that one can't quite be finished this year!  What was on the back of the quilt? A paper label with not much information on it!!! 

And I've already got two piles of stuff for finishing in 2019. The back pile needs to have backings and bindings made and I think one small project needs the border put on. Oh - I have a FULL tub of other projects in the same boat!! The pile at the front needs some quilting or other work in order to complete the items.

Projects to be finished in 2019

I'm sure if I looked really hard, I could easily find 50 small things like above that are very close to being finished but are not. And let's not even think about the labels!!!!!

In the new year, I'll be sharing with you the mess of quilts upstairs and what I'm doing with them. You'll be shocked. I'm shocked. Let's just say that we have a very large hallway upstairs and the "walls" are closing in! OK - time to start selling some of these things! How to pick the favorites that I want to keep?????

Here's your assignment for today. Oh yes - If I'm going through the agony of all this - I don't want to go alone.

1. Make your list of 12 UFOs for 2019. I've made mine. I haven't been that great at finishing the items on the 2017 or 2018 list, but those UFOs are constantly on my mind and I'm getting them done - slowly. I wasn't kind to myself when I chose them. May were huge projects and some resulted in multiple quilts. The list for 2019 is much friendlier and will allow me some time to finish off the 2017 and 2018 lists. 2017 is almost finished. 
2. Find yourself a notebook so you can keep your lists in. 
3. Decide what lists you want to keep - things finished? things labeled? things started? things quilted? You decide - it's your rules!!!
4. Set some goals for yourself. Can be only one, can be small, can be huge. You decide - again - these are your rules! Remember goals need to be SMART. If you're not familiar with the SMART goal setting process, check out that link. 
5.  DO NOT attempt to keep your goals/lists in your head. It doesn't work. You MUST write them down. 
6. Set up a Task Master if you need help to break down the larger goals (like a full-blown UFO) into small chunks that you can achieve each week. I set myself small (SMART) goals (tasks) for the week. Look at your schedule for the week and determine how much time you can devote to sewing and then write down your tasks for the week. I don't roll anything over if I couldn't finish it that week. I left the task unchecked off and some weeks, I didn't add anything new - I went back and finished those tasks that I had not had a chance to accomplish. 
7. Remember that EVERYTHING takes at least twice as long as you think it will. Start off easy and only put ONE task on your weekly list. But BREAK IT DOWN into manageable chunks. 
8. It's OK if you don't get it done when you thought you would. Life happens. Be flexible. 
9. It's OK to buy, but try to buy only what you NEED to finish a project. Don't buy if you don't have a home for that item in your house. You're just adding to the existing clutter. 
10. Don't start anything that you have no intention of finishing that year. 
11. "Finishing" an item may be as simple as collecting all the bits and giving it away. You personally don't have to complete the projects if you don't like them. Count it as a finished item since it's no longer in your house!

If that isn't enough for you, here's a couple of handholding things that can help. 

• We have a Facebook page called Motivational Monday that has helped myself and others document what we finished and encourage each other to get things done. 
• If you live in my area, I'll be hosting a UFO class in my studio. Once a month, you'll come with your UFO project to get help, motivation, and assistance to break the project down into manageable pieces. You set your own goals. There's a class fee of $25 and there's a "bank fee" of $100.00. If you accomplish your monthly tasks, you'll get a portion of the "bank fee" back. If you accomplish everything, you get all your "banked" money back. If you don't, then I get to keep it!!!  I'll be posting more details on my blog in the next couple of days. 

On that note, I"m out of here. I'm on a mission and I will NOT miss that goal of completing 100 items for 2018!!!!!! 

Have a great day and happy finishing!!!!!

Ciao!!!!