UFOs and PHDs

Perhaps it goes without saying that the down-deep-and-dirty cleaning I've done in the quilting room has resulted in my finding a whole lotta' stuff I'd forgotten about. Now that all this has (mostly) been sorted and organized, I do believe I have earned my PHD.

In quilter lingo, that stands for Projects Half Done.

Early on in the excavating process, I decided I should list all the found projects I was unearthing. This is evidence that I really do like starting things a whole lot more than finishing things. I don't recommend trying to make sense of my list; I abbreviate and misname things. I know what I'm referring to, for sure, but it's likely gibberish to anyone else. Suffice it to say that my list contains 23 items, some I am eager to finish, others, ehhh, not so much. A few might never be finished, actually.

Let's talk about the ones that I am excited about; I've actually shared them on the blog, so they will be familiar, possibly.

For the life of me, I don't know why I have not finished Polka Dots and Posies. It appears that all the blocks are made; all I need to do is construct the quilt top. It will definitely be a high-priority item for July.

Some projects I have not shared. For example, Sharon gifted me a gorgeous Kaffe Fassett panel which I immediately buried in a pile on the table. What was I thinking!? This can be incorporated into such a gorgeous quilt, and I sure do have all the necessary KF fabrics to choose the prettiest combinations. Initially I was thinking pillows, but now I am thinking of cutting these into squares and teaming them with fabric cut to the same size, and stitching up a very easy throw. It would be so fast and fun -- and so satisfying.

Of course, we all know I have dozens of full-size quilt tops needing to be quilted; I have a whole lot of little quilts needing it, too. In 2016, I made two Market Day (pattern by Pam Buda) mini quilts. These are still flimsies; haven't done a thing with them. Geesh. If I would just quilt them, I would have two ready-to-go patriotic decor items! Gonna' try to do at least one of these ASAP.

Probably the most embarrassing thing to admit is that I get sooooo close to truly finishing something, and then just stop. What's up with that?? 

I even bragged (not once, but twice!) about how close I was to finishing this Christmas table topper, and had a mere handful of remaining stitches in order to complete it. Guess what? It still needs those final few stitches. Somehow I allowed myself to get side-tracked. Honestly, no excuse adequately explains this behavior.

One more, then I will stop. Recall, if you will, that last fall I was nearing the finish on hand-quilting Fall Foliage. It was set up in the family room, and I worked on it most evenings while watching sports or movies. 

Well, the holidays interfered; I dismantled it and put it upstairs to get ready for Christmas decorating and entertaining. It has not had another stitch taken on it since. I do have a plan, though. Next week, the Tour de France will begin, and I will stitch on this while we watch the cyclists and enjoy our yearly 'visit' to France. Yes, we watch as much for the scenic vistas as we do for the biking.

Wish me luck with my plans for checking several of these UFOs and PHDs off my list. Already, a couple are done -- progress, slow and steady.

Happy Quilting, Friends!