Tuesday 26 April 2011

So little time, so much unfinished...

Finishing is something I find really difficult. I am about the worst person I know in the whole world for UFOs (unfinished objects), except for, perhaps, my mother - but then I must get it from somewhere!! I have so many UFOs, of all shapes and sizes, in all stages of construction, just waiting for their time to come.








A UFO - one of the many!

Appliqued circles - not sure quite what it'll be when it's finished.....
.......if it ever gets finished






I don't know why I find finishing so difficult. When I think about it logically, it makes no sense at all. I love the feeling of finishing a quilt. Completing a quilt makes me so happy; when I've been watching it grow and develop and then it's done and on the bed looking gorgeous. Perhaps even more so, I love finishing quilts that I give to other people - watching their delight as they unfold a piece made just for them.

So why do I find getting to the end so hard? I think one of my problems is the lure of the new. There is always an exciting pattern or intriguing book or fabulous fabric which is begging to be used. And although I know it will still be there in a week or a month when I've finished the current project, I can't help myself. It's like there's not enough time to make everything I want to so I make a little bit of lots of things - and then end up with nothing!

Or it might be that I love the sociability of sewing. I adore attending workshops and classes to sew with like-minded people so I rarely say no if there's one on offer. Or a friend asks me to join her in a new project - and again, I just can't turn them down. So then there's another UFO joining the pile.

And then perfection is a problem that I think many of us identify with. We invest so much time and energy in our crafting that we want our finished items to be perfect. But how many of us are perfect?! So, if we declare something finished then we're accepting its imperfections, whereas while we're still working on something, it might yet be perfect.

So how about you then? Are you a one project at a time person, carefully finishing everything you start? If you are, perhaps you would share some tips on how to do this? Or are you like me? Are the UFOs taking over your life?

9 comments:

  1. I'm so there with you! I say I have crafting ADD. And I also understand the perfectionism but feel I have been doing better the last few years, letting things go and moving on - not where I want to be yet but working on it! Love the circles!

    ReplyDelete
  2. me too with the crafting ADD - always thinking about new ideas.

    When I was beading I was much better because earrings are small so I would finish them

    and with knitting I find the sewing up at the end boring so I learnt techniques that incorporate sewing up into the knitting

    I love the colours in your applique circles

    ReplyDelete
  3. Another one with lots of UFOs. I find I am better at finishing stuff if it's a project for my son though.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Raising both hands high lol!! I have a list of unfinished stuff. I actually did a blog post about it earlier this year thinking that if I put it in writing and made it public that I would me shamed into completing them...guess that did not work lol!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow, what a gorgeous quilt!

    I do have a few UFO's (including my first quilting project!) First and last, I should say!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh I am so with you on this - I really don't know why though! I am a greater "starter" bur rubbish finsher - better if I join an online class - but still not great. Your quilt is lovely - J x

    ReplyDelete
  7. I've just been scrolling through your blog and I think it's amazing that you even start these quilts, they're beautiful! Once day I'd like to make a quilt and give that craft a shot, and I think I'll come back here for some inspiration.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Well, I'm glad I'm not alone in this! Knowing other people struggle with this makes me feel better. So much better!

    I think for me, the WIP issue is wanting to do it all. There are so many quilt patterns and ideas that are so lovely, I have to try them. So maybe 22 isn't that bad after all?!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm the 'mother' - and you are probably right Sarah! I confess to having quite a few UFOs - havn't counted lately - in fact not since you came to help me organise my craft room when we wrote them in a book. That finds itself at the top of the pile occasionally - so I bury it again!

    ReplyDelete