Just how much fabric do you have????

So what's in the UFO bin? A big project or some practice blocks? If it's a project that turned out to be too big for a first project you might try re-thinking the overall size to something you feel you can manage and move it from the UFO pile back to the WIP pile, or you could begin a new smaller project. Practice blocks can make a nice little sampler, three blocks can make a table runner, and single blocks can be quilted and used as placemats or doilies depending on the size. Once you finish a small project you will feel like you can tackle bigger ones. Debra in VA See my quilts at

not to mention you are allowed to change your mind about how a quilt is finished somewhere along the line ;-)

Eep! I hit the send button on the other message before I was done writing. Sorry!

I was just going to say you made me feel a lot better about my UFOs and WIPS. I have about 5 of each, although to be honest the WIPs are coming along very very slowly. So slowly that DH has been kidding me that there is no progress even though there is.

Ah well, at least the stash pile is growing. Debra in VA See my quilts at

LOL not to worry!

yes 80 - I'm exceedingly good at starting and terribly bad at finishing - the only reason I have finished anything lately has been due to magazine deadlines and swapping - and the swaps have all been block swaps.

I will not go into the amount of Wips I have... nope no way.. and now I'm certain you are feeling even happier ;-)

I feel kind of badly for you. I know how hard it is to finish something rather than starting something new though. I have the same problem and I'm trying to overcome it too. I've got about 4 tops to quilt, a BOM started but not up to date, two other quilt tops started but not finished, fabrics for a candy jar quilt from a fabric swap, and several PIGs. And this is just the quilty projects. I'm not mentioning the cross stitch and embroidery projects. Debra in VA See my quilts at

this magazine work has been a learning experience LOL I have learnt that I prefer smaller projects I can cope with PP but hate joining the sections (I have taken to hand basting so they always go together nicely straight away instead of praying the line up and having to undo machine basting) I enjoy hand work especially reverse appliqué I love art quilts I need several projects going at once to keep me happy

but I also need to get stuff finished every now and then - I hate not being able to show anything I have done lately so I am going to start finishing a UFO so as to have a practice piece to get my machine quilting going before starting the important work - it will help I hope ;-)

x-stitch, crochet and knitting projects are totally ignored for this - the floss is perfect for art quit embellishments!

You and Jessamy are far more prolific than I am. That, or it's just that you have both been quilting longer than I. Debra in VA See my quilts at

Debra wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Hi,

I don't have many... Certainly not 30!! :o) I have one particularly that breaks my heart. Because I used a fabric that I LOVE and I made it into small peices that don't show how gorgeous that fabric it. A learning experience!

As for practice blocks: Most of the time I make practice blocks out of some cheap fabrics, ones I bought that I feel "buyer's regret" or I make them with charm peices.

Ok, I have to admit, I need to work more & make less excuses as to why I don't want to cut the fabric! ;o) Humm.... I guess I could be in the sewing room & not on the computer..... humm....

Emilia

Refuse to count projects: including 3 that are ready for the Pro Quilter (gotta FIND one out here---recommendations accepted). Don't wanna find the 'list' of WIP, need to do, collected for, have collected for but NO definite design yet, and the still collecting for.

Butterfly

Did you try

Quilter's Delight

Patti Cook might chime in here on this? Jeanbaby

Haven't tried anyone as I haven't opened the bin that they're in as of yet. Got to get busy and find someone as I would LIKE them to be under the tree this year. Sure hope that isn't wishful thinking.

Butterfly

Wait a minute!!! You mean quilt tops aren't finished projects? Oh, tell me that isn't true.

I'm very good at mak> On Fri, 15 Sep 2006 20:06:26 +0200, "Jessamy" thecolour_orange.nl> wrote: >

well that depends on what you have in mind for them - if you are in the business of making tops then yes they are finished :-)

So far I have avoided that problem by only making large blocks, 10 inches square or bigger. I grew up looking at quilts made of big blocks so I like that look. I am drawn to the simpler blocks like Ohio Star and Churn Dash and less formal applique styles, which means my pieces are not as tiny as they would be in a very complicated block. Since I like big bold prints and they look best as big pieces, the big blocks work well for me. I'm even using a really large print in a quilt for my DH. The fabric has 12 inch tall people on it and I am using it as a 30 inch whole cloth medallion in the center of a king sized quilt.

Your fabric choices will change over time and you will begin to be drawn to a fabric print because you want it for a specific quilt you have in your mind's eye, or because you can use it in more than one way. I've done enough piecing and applique now to know I prefer doing applique rather than pieced blocks, so I've been buying stash intended for large block applique lately. The prints are smaller than the ones I once bought, but most quilters would still call most of them medium in scale. The fabrics sing to me in a different way than the larger novelty prints once did. I consider it a good thing since a quilt top made only of many different novelty fabrics would not look very pretty.

Debra in VA See my quilts at

B'fly, will get with you later. There are lots of pro quilters here in the Valley. I even know at least a couple personally. Depends on what you want and so on.

Pati, > Refuse to count projects: including 3 that are ready for the Pro Quilter

Thanx :)

Butterfly