The Stash Is Winning - Episode 8

To start off with this time, I have a pile of 135 project bags, 46 of which have been started and are UFO’s.  Not long ago, I had the lofty goal of working my way down to less than 100 project bags.  Let’s just see how that’s going.

                To start, we take a trip to visit my parents in Michigan.  Not usually a good thing for my UFO list since mom and I almost always shop when we get together.  Luckily I was looking for border fabrics for a military outreach quilt.  This allows me to shop and buy without adding to my list.  Cheating?  Probably.  But I think we all know that I need all the help I can get. 

                Ten day later I leave Michigan with two outreach border fabrics, binding, and a few new pieces of fabric for the stash.  Off the clearance rack, no less.  That’s a win in my book.  

                Shortly after we get home, the largest quilting expo in our area is back in town.  This always gets me in trouble.  Amazingly, I leave with only one new book, one pattern, and a few more random cuts of fabric for the stash.  Not that there wasn’t temptation.  There is a new July Niemeyer pattern out that I really, really want to make.  Kits are running about $250 right now, and that’s a little outside of the budget.  Actually, it’s a lot outside of the budget.  I suppose someday, if I manage to make the two large Niemeyer patterns that I already own I’ll try to buy the pattern and make most of it out of the stash.  But we get out of the latest show without adding to the list.

                So I’m not adding to the list so far but I’m not getting anything off of it either.  Luckily, while I was out of town, a long-armer was working on one of my quilts.  That quilt is still unfinished because it also needs binding, but it is one step closer to completion. 

                Once again, this is where forward progress stops for me.  At a recent guild meeting I was asked to give a demonstration of paper-piecing.  Easy enough, but when you give a demonstration three times, you have three partially completed samples left on your hands.  Hmmm.  I suppose I could put them together into a tablerunner.  And another UFO is born.

                And then the guild hosted a workshop.  I wasn’t going to sign up, honest.  But somehow I ended up on the list and writing a check.  Huh.  At least I was able to pull five of the six fabrics out of the stash.  So now I only have to buy one fabric for the top and then find backing.  During the class I end up finishing 10 blocks.  Only 26 blocks to go!  And another UFO goes on the list.

                OK, you know what?  Our quilt show is coming up and it’s time to get serious.  I have two quilts finished and ready to enter.  Well I actually have one quilt finished and ready to enter and one quilt that still needs a label and a hanging sleeve.  I must do those first.  Next, I have my mystery quilt top that was partially quilted a month ago and hasn’t been touched since.  Oh dear.  I quickly finish the straight lines and get ready for the free motion sections.  With the show starting tomorrow, yes tomorrow (!), I finish up the quilting, square it up and get binding and a hanging sleeve on it.  An official label might have to wait, as I have once again finished a quilt mere hours before it had to be turned in.  Eight and a half hours to be exact.  In case you’re thinking that I cut it a little close, there were people turning in their quilts while we were hanging the show.  Seriously.  It happens every year.  To be fair, if I weren’t involved in the organization of the show, I’d be bringing my last quilt in while they were hanging the others too. 

                But we’re losing sight of the important things here, like I finished a UFO.  The only one that was finished this month.  Egad.  I’m going to have to start doing a lot better than this if I’m going to make any progress on that list.  Right now we’re at 136 project bags, 47 of which have been started.