Welp, the WIPs are stacking up… again. Near the end of last year as I was making my 2021 quilty goals, I wanted to clear the decks of old projects that I’ve been hanging onto forever. I went through all my projects, let go of the ones that didn’t bring me joy, and spent all of my free time in November and December getting every single project to the point of just needing the binding sewn down.
And I did it! On January 1, 2021, I had a clean slate. Nothing holding me back from focusing on my goals of color, modern, and the actual quilting of quilts.
Then Rebecca Bryan announced the Wildflower block of the month. Then Lee Heinrich announced Treeline. Then I subscribed to the Modern Makes box, and those started piling up. Then I just had to jump on board with a couple scrap projects. And then. And then. AND THEN!
The WIPs List
I know 14 projects might not be a lot for some of you, but I’m a little disappointed in myself for being so easily distracted by the shine of new projects. Some of these are helping me with my goals, but I’m so stinking quick to jump on quilting band wagons! And I have two upcoming BOMs I’ve bookmarked. Ugh!
The Storage
The thing is… I didn’t even realize they were building up until I had to move. Trying to find a place to store projects in a new set up was eye opening. I still don’t really have a permanent home for my project bins. Right now they’re just hanging out under my sewing desk.
And I can’t even store them in the same place! I don’t have enough bins; I don’t have enough cabinet space. It’s a true first world quilter problem if I ever saw one!
The Decision
The way I see it, I have three options:
- Turn myself into a machine over winter breaks to clear the decks again,
- Just keep working through the projects and try to not let the build up bother me, or
- Jump right into those BOMs I have bookmarked and maybe even find some more!!
I’m quite happy to turn this decision over to you. Please tell me what to do!
I’m definitely a follower of the bright and shiny new projects so can sympathise with your dilemma. I find it helpful to sometimes go for the ‘low hanging fruit’, a project that’s near to finishing, and see it through to the end. That often gives me a taste for finishing more of the projects on my list 🙂
I just keep chasing the new, and then I have an overwhelming stack I feel I need to power through to move on. It’s such a cycle with us!!
Wrong person to ask, I have the same problem! However, I’ve found that you’re not “committed” until there’s fabric involved. Until then, they are just “WHIMMS” (works hidden in my mind) and once the initial enthusiasm has time to pass, it may not seem like such a priority anymore.
Once there’s fabric, I’ve learned to sit and map the actual work tasks out: How many steps are there to make the quilt *and* to make each block or section in it? Is there any built-in deadline that needs to be met? How long would do you estimate that it would (realistically) take you to accomplish the piecing (and if there’s a deadline, is that actually feasible)? Does it fit in with what you are already doing and the time you have to work on things (can it be a leader/ender)? Actually mapping all of that out sometimes makes it easier to move even a committed project lower down the “To Make” list with NO GUILT because you realize you have other more important priorities at that moment.
Conversely, I’ve been working on more than a few projects where the work is done as “Daily Blocks” (one or more blocks made for each project each day) and have been surprised at how quickly I have gotten a few projects to the “ready to become a top” stage yet not felt burdened by the effort to get them there.
I think these “Squirrel” or “Dreami” (drop everything and make it) projects are also what makes quilting so exciting right now! Whatever you find interesting to potentially make does not have to become an actual, stand alone project. Some may eventually lend an idea to or become an element of one that does. So don’t shut them out but don’t feel they all HAVE TO be made or made “as is”!
That’s such a great way to look at it! I’m constantly playing with patterns and color chips, but never consider them actual projects… until I’ve found that I’ve pulled fabric from the closet. Uh oh!!!