NEWS ALERT: I don't do buttons!

Why is it that when people know that you like to quilt, they want you to hem pants or sew on buttons?  Listen up people: I  DON'T DO BUTTONS OR HEM UP PANTS/DRAPES/SKIRTS!!

There, I got that out of my system....I have a pair of my DH's pants waiting to be hemmed hiding somewhere under a pile of UFO's. They have been there for so long I bet he forgot about them being there. (I sure have) I even have a shirt of his that needs buttons sewn back on.  If my family really needs to have something altered, they should take it to the cleaners and have them do it.  I might take a few days, months or even years to get the article altered.  It might not ever happen.   

Don't buy a dress that is too big just because you really like the color and then expect me to fix it for you.  Don't buy pants that are too long and hand them to me to shorten them up so you can wear them to the dance this weekend.  When you lose 30 pounds don't even think about asking me to take in all your clothes.  

My son bought some curtains that were WAY too long for his apartment. "Mom, can you hem these up?" Silly me, I agreed to do them.  Last night he called and said "You have had the drapes for three weeks now...when are they going to get done?"  UGH!  ungrateful child.

I bought some fabric tape and used that so I wouldn't have to sew them up.  I will finish them up later but for now that will suffice!

If you want a quilt for a friend's baby, or for another loved one, I can do that.  I would love to do that!  I just won't sew on any buttons....

Piece!

Adding to the pile of UFO's

Last night I remembered that I did not list a few more projects.

One is a project that I sewed together before I really learned how to make corners match and not cut off points. I ripped out all the sewing and stuffed it into a bag and left it. That was over 10 years ago. It is being stored with my orphan blocks. Another 10 projects in that bin....shhhh don't tell anyone!

Then I remembered that I have some fabric that has US flags on it and I was going to make a table topper out of it for 4th of July, which is fast approaching. So I sandwiched and basted that little feller and will be getting it quilted this week (or maybe next).

I also have a landscape quilt that is still on the "design wall" (fabric I brought to the class that the pieces are rolled up in). I need to piece that guy together. It was a fun class just not enough time to get it all sewn together.

I knew that if I left them alone for too long they would multiply! UGH!

Being accountable for my addiction......

When I was a child, I had many stuffed animals. At night I had to sleep with each and every one of them. I would stretch my arms straight out while laying in bed. My mom would lay each stuffed animal on my arms. I loved those stuffed animals/friends! When it came time to "grow up" and get rid of these stuffed animals I cried for days. I couldn't get rid of all of them. I still have one or two....I am nearing 50 and I still have some of those stuffed animals.... I guess I have turned my need to have my "friends" near me to the quilt tops that keep accumulating in my UFO pile. I have realized (this morning in the wee hours) that I know that if (& when) I finish these up and get them quilted I will probably give them away or sell them and that is why I can't get myself to finish them up. What an epiphany! This makes me sad....

I received a lot of encouragement from yesterday's post. Most women are in awe that I have that many UFO's, and some even confessed to having more UFO's than I do! WOW. Some suggestions are to post pictures of the progress of the UFO's. I will take some pics this weekend.

Another suggestion was not to cut myself off of new projects completely, but give myself a reward for finishing up, say 5, quilts, then I get to start a new quilt. This might work, but I really think that I will modify it by saying if I finish 5 quilts (quilted, bound and labeled) I get to work on one of the kits I have laying around. I just can't justify buying more fabric when I have those kits just sitting there. I will feel a lot better about getting these UFO's finished!

Today I spent 20 minutes sewing 1.5 inch squares together to make the border for my Scrappy Crossroads top. I will need 775 1.5 inch square for the border....this is very boring for me so I have to be diligent in my efforts to finish this up. I just zone out and go to my virtual vacation spot and just sew. It is sometimes better than meditation.

Off to work now.......

My UFO list

Sit down when you read this because the list is very long. I think I shall stop calling myself a quilter and start telling people I am a "piecer". I just can't get through the final step of quilting the tops! I get to a point in the project where I am easily distracted with other projects. Ones that are prettier, faster, or I want to learn a new technique.

The list is broken down into categories: almost done (minimal work to be done before adding label), tops done, tops almost done, in-progress as "leaders & enders", kits (either purchased or made by me), PIGS (projects in grocery sacks), & WHIMM's (work hidden in my mind).

Almost Done:
Scrappy Irish Chain. I need to finish machine quilting a few more of the squares in the ditch, add the binding and add a label.

Tops Done:
Antique Tile
Purple Row Robin
Reversible Sport Nut
County Lines (a)
Strip Cocktail
Windmill
Sunflower
Card Trick
Star Round Robin
Color Explosion
Christmas Mountain Majesties
BQ
Egyptian
Boxed in
Poppy's baby quilt.

Tops Almost Done:
Scrappy Cross Roads
Gordian Knot
Jungle Kaleidoscope

In Progress:
Blue Ridge Beauty
Crumbs
Zodiac
Whacky Waves
String
Asian nightmare

Kits:
Outdoorsey
maple leaf
snowball
town square
wine country
medallion stars
Flag
Simply Strips
County Lines (b)
Yukata Cut it
Bento Box in Batiks
beaches
carpenter's wheel
catnap
woodsy

PIGS:
Christmas Mystery
Baby 9patch pizzaz

WHIMM's:
native american panel
underwater
fishbowl

OMG!! That is waaaaaay too many projects for one person. If you would like to help me get these down to a manageable stack, let me know.... I propbably will be donating some of the tops to our quilting group for charity. Even if I finished one quilt every other month, that would take me almost eight years! Repeat after me....do not buy any more fabric for a new project
do not buy any more fabric for a new project
do not buy any more fabric for a new project
do not buy any more fabric for a new project


really?? but I wannnaaaaa.

off to get the top on the frame for quilting. We are having a quilt show in August and I should have something to show.
B-