Are you overwhelmed with incomplete projects? Able to start but not finish? Wondering if it's mere coincidence that the words "quilt" and "guilt" only differ by one letter? Well, read on because I have a time-tested solution to your problem. If you follow this method, you'll have more space, fewer UFO's, much less guilt and possibly more creativity.
The first step is to define "finish." Personally, I think is should mean a finished top rather than a finished quilt, as I have many tops that I use for teaching purposes and never intend to quilt. If you hold yourself to a higher standard (quilted, bound and labeled, for example), this method will still work but it will take longer. Next get out all your unfinished items. Take them out of the drawers, the kids' closets, the plastic containers, the shelves, under the beds—all the places we stash them when we don't want to admit that we have another one. This may be painful, but remember that it will help you in the long run, sort of like getting your smallpox vaccination.
Once everything is out, examine each project critically. Decide which ones you really want to complete and which ones you're willing to let go. Generally speaking, not finishing a particular project for more than 10 years is a hint that you probably never will. Try to be a little bit ruthless—remember you're aiming for a net loss of projects here, not just a rearrangement of what you already have. Pretend you're sorting through your kids' toys to see what to give to Goodwill. Sort everything into one of 3 piles: Keep, Get Rid Of and Not Sure. Then go back to the Not Sure pile and repeat the process to see if you can move anything to one of the other 2 piles. After that, everything in the Not Sure pile goes into the Get Rid Of pile—if you haven't decided to keep it, you're probably not going to finish it. I know that it's hard to give up the fantasy of the finished project, but just keep thinking about the extra space, both physical and mental, that you'll gain.
At this point it is imperative to actually get rid of the stuff in the Get Rid Of pile; if you don't, you will certainly backslide and keep some of the projects you've just decided to chuck. You have a few options here. If your project is still at the uncut stage and you still like the fabric, disassemble it and put the individual pieces back into your stash. This won't help in the increasing space department, but it will definitely help in the guilt department. If the project is farther along than that or if you no longer like the fabric, some guilds have an annual White Elephant sale in which members pay a nominal fee for a table, then sell extra fabric, unwanted quilt tops, UFO's, unused beads—anything quilt- or sewing-related. If you can take advantage of this or initiate a similar plan in your own guild, you'll get a twofer by getting rid of the project while gaining a little cash. Ditto as to a friend who's having a garage sale. If that doesn't work and you can't stand the thought of trashing it, try using a middlequilter. Middlequilting is a time-honored service that may be accomplished in one of 2 ways. Some middlequilters take a project thinking that they will finish it, then keep it for an unspecified period of time before coming to their senses and saying, "Why did I ever think I wanted this?" Then they either throw it away or pass it on to middlequilter #2. (Occasionally the middlequilter will actually complete the project, thereby giving you a feeling of satisfaction very similar to that of actually having finished it yourself.) Others, usually close friends, take the item with no intention of finishing it; they're just trying to help you get rid of it by taking it out of your hands and placing in their own trash can. This eliminates the need for you to toss the project yourself while still achieving the goal of getting rid of it. If you are lucky enough to have a middlequilter of either type, NEVER ask if the project was finished: if it is, you'll be told and if it isn't, hearing it will only upset you.
Next examine the Keep pile. Does anything have a deadline? If so, get that project out, grit your teeth and finish it first. Inspect the Keep pile again and decide which project will take the least amount of work to finish. Your new mantra is JUST FINISH IT. Maybe there's a top that was done until you realized that you had to rip out a block and turn it 90°, or one for which you couldn't find borders. Get it out and JUST FINISH IT. After that, find the project that needs the next least amount of work, get it out and JUST FINISH IT. Keep proceeding in this way until you get to a project in the Keep pile that makes you say, "Gee, I'm not sure this is worth the work." When that happens, go through the pile again and repeat the sorting process.
If you follow these instructions, you will eventually eliminate many of your UFO's, either by finishing or tossing. But the sad truth is that you will probably never achieve net zero, as while you are finishing you will also start new projects, some of which will inevitably become UFO's. All you can hope is that you can keep up over time by re-sorting periodically. I wish you well on your journey.
© 2010 Jane Hardy Miller
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