Friday, September 26, 2008

Facing the Truth

I have finally finished stitching Block #5 of my Journey of a Quilter project. I checked back in my blog and discovered that I traced this block in October 2007...
that's right...it took me almost a year to finish this block!! And it was easy stitching too! (To read this humiliating evidence click here. ) The good thing about having a blog is documenting your progress on some quilting projects, and the bad thing about having a blog is the documentation of the lack of progress on others! Oh my...I just can't believe it has been a whole year! But in the meantime I have enjoyed all the experiences listed on this block...stitched, formed friendships, laughed, shared secrets, eased burdens, and learned lessons...and created many more UFO's!
I really am trying to be more disciplined about starting new projects, and forcing myself to work on my UFO's first.
Case in point...I did not start Bonnie's latest mystery quilt Old Tobacco Road because I haven't finished her first two mysteries yet (see mystery 1 here and mystery 2 here). I have the tops pieced and the backings and battings purchased, but they are not quilted, bound, or labelled, so that doesn't "count" as being finished. It's very difficult for this quilting addict to resist this enticement, and even though I would be using up stash (a very good thing), I would be making another UFO (not a good thing).
So I just had to say 'no'!
And now another temptation is coming along...a new mystery by Deb over at Quiltaholics - click here. The fabric requirements are posted and the larger size would be just perfect for the comfort quilts project at my guild. It is running next weekend Oct. 4 and 5th and now I have to figure out... do I have it in me to turn down 2 mystery quilts in a row?!?!
Maybe I will sew up a quick little paper piecing block just for fun while I decide what to do about this mystery quilt?!?!
Or maybe I should just finish the quilting on the many other mystery quilts I have started this year and written about in my blog, like the Quiltaholics spring mystery, or last fall's mystery, or the spring mystery before that !?!
This is like a quilting intervention on myself....I think I just made my decision!!!

7 comments:

Julie said...

Decisions, decisions!

Juliann in WA said...

Oh my, sounds so very familiar. I try not to keep track too closely but I do know that it has been way too long since I started my Leanne's House quilt. The question is, are you having fun?

Anonymous said...

I'm always amazed how we have the answers in ourselves; all we have to do is write out our thoughts and the answer appears. And, don't be too hard on yourself; quilting is fun, no matter how you do it.

Harmany Quilting said...

You are doing heaps better than I am - any wat it's all meant to be fun. Don't beat yourself up, just enjoy the 'journey'

Nicola in West AUstralia

sewnut said...

Here it is 3 unassembled quilts in the form of sets of blocks, 2 quilt projects cut into pices but not a stitch sewn, 2 stacks of fabrics for quilts that my daughters are waiting for, a few (ok, 10 or 12) sets of swapped blocks, some tops waiting to be quilted for donations and all the ones in my head... Kathy perhaps it is time to have some chocolate and read a new quilt magazine....

Kathy said...

I feel your pain! I have so many projects that are unfinished and now I'm working on a quilt for my son that I started back in JANUARY! Nine months ago! I just grew bored with it as it is a BIG quilt -- 110 blocks -- and I kept doing other things in between. I'm putting the last border on today and hopefully have it ready for quilting.

Go have some chocolate and things will be better *grin*

Sweet P said...

You sound like me when I'm trying to decide what to work on. Lucky for me I don't mysteries so I'm not tempted there. I'm tempted by free pattern links people post in their blogs or in my Yahoo groups.