English Patchwork UFOs

I thought I should confess to my main sin (after buying too much fabric). I have a big problem with starting projects and then not finishing them. This is the first post in a series that owns up to some of my collection of UFOs and WIPs (Works in Progress). I'm not sure how many I have - every time I do a count, I find more somewhere else later.

Also, how should we define the difference between a UFO and a WIP? UFOs are, in the patchwork and quilting world, Unfinished Objects, and WIPs are Works in Progress. We also have Orphan Blocks, which are left over from otherwise finished projects. But when does something become a UFO? I am assuming that the label WIP applies to a project which is planned - you know what you are making, but you haven't finished it! A UFO however, is a something which you start without a clear idea of what it is going to be/look like - but how much do you need to make before it can be called a UFO? Is a single block a UFO or a sample?

Anyway, today I have collated a few of my English Patchwork WIPs and UFOs:

At the top left we have a hexagonal piece that was inspired by the More Colours selection facility in Microsoft Office (yes, really - go look at it!). I don't know what this is going to be, or what it could be, so it is a UFO rather than a WIP. Either way, I really love it, and need to do something appropriate with it. On the right of that is another hexagonal piece. This one was originally going to be a small wallhanging, then a cushion, but I have enough cushions. So, I think this should be a bag - but what kind of bag! I'm thinking tote, but I will have to see what other fabrics I have that complement the panel, and then we will see. So, as I know what kind of object this is going to be, it is a WIP! Bottom left is just pastel/kid print hexagons tacked over papers. Originally I was thinking of making something similar to the panel that is now going to be a bag, but I'm not so sure any more. What will these be useful for? Finally, on the right, there is an ambitious set of blocks at various stages, for a full size quilt. This one was definitely to use up fabrics and scraps. The pink kite shapes, as the stem of the posy, come from a man's shirt that was dyed pink and purchased from Flip in the 1980s. The background fabric came from a sale find, and the florals are all Liberty or Liberty-style cotton lawns. I'm not at all sure I like this, it isn't my usual style at all, but I felt I should explore some of the old-style classics. Should I add sashing or not?

More to follow another time. Meanwhile, happy sewing everyone!

Something old, something new

Well, my New Year's resolution is to keep doing things I've started, and to make 2009 the year of FINISHING things that are overdue. I'm not just talking about quilting, but it goes for that too. I've got much better at finishing quilt UFOs, and I will keep that up, I hope.

I hope I will also keep up posting to this blog, because I didn't manage much in 2008. Anyway, today, I have finally scanned in a picture of a quilt I made for my mother about 3 years ago. She is a piano teacher, hence the musical theme. You can also see that the quilt is a part of my hexagon fad.

The other picture is the hand sewn UFO I dug out the other day. Thanks for the advice about quilting it - I have taken that advice, and changed it appropriately. So I used the sliver of soap trick to mark out a simple pattern, based on my 60degree diamond template, which just happened to be the right size.


I've then used big stitches, using Gutermann silk threads, and resisting the temptation to add anything more. Consequently, this is now on the wall! Yippee.

Hand-sewn UFOs

Well, I've been giving some thought as to how to find essential therapy whilst my sewing machine is broken (credit crunch delay ensues...). Karol-Ann's shining example has led me to pull out my UFOs, and I have found some likely candidates for finishing and here are some photos. Suggestions as to how to finish these off would be welcome!


Firstly we have a sideways view of my favourite UFO. This was started in one of my (many) hexagon phases, and was intended to make the most of a small quantity of Dutch wax print strips that I purchased at a show. They were only 2 1/2 inches wide at the most, so there wasn't much flexibility. However, they are all used up, and this is all I managed. I am planning to fold the backing to the front, to create a border all round, but I don't know what to do about quilting, if I am hand-quilting it. I'm not very good at delicate hand-quilting - what do others suggest? This is a wall-hanging rather than anything else...Secondly, this is an octagon/squares quilt, inspired by Lucy Bolton's piano quilt. The rather garish black and white unit is going to be replaced. However, this one has stalled because I have run out of the rather lovely white background material. It was a heavy cotton jacquard weave skirt that I wore in the 1980s. I hope you can see from the close-up what it looks like, and why I have a dilemma. I shall have to haunt the second-hand shops to find anything suitable.

Thirdly (and finally for now, although I have many more, I didn't dig them out today), I have another hexagon/diamond effort. This is as big as I'm going to make it, and I'm thinking another border provided by folding the backing to the front. However, I could add along the zig zaggy ends to make it longer. At the moment, it is good for nothing except a cot quilt.