UFOs and One Completed Object

By Kaelyn Angelfoot

My favorite UFO

I was reading a quilting blog about bargello quilts and came across the term "UFO stack" and realized, I have one! Only its not a stack, its scattered all over the place. And I'm perpetually looking for the next creative outlet, which means the stack typically gets bigger instead of smaller. UFO in the crafting world... Un-Finished Object. If you craft at all, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.

So, I started making a list. And it is a long list. And the sad part is, some of the projects on the list I haven't technically started yet (planning stages), and I've come up with several I want to add to the list. Oh my goodness, if I could only quit my job and sew full time. So I had to make myself a deal. The list can be of static length. As soon as I complete a project, I can add another one! "The List" is sewing projects only. That means it does not include reading, writing (NaNoWriMo is next month! I still haven't completed my novel from last year), cleaning, organizing, cross-stitching, needlepoint, finishing up my house, experimenting with new recipes, or half a dozen other things. Yes, I have more things I want to do than I have time to do them.

So here is a small sampling of the projects.

Triangular log cabin

Practice quilt, using leftover kaleidoscope blocks

Dagorhir surcoat for me!

Not really sure where this one is going, although I love the pattern

Curtains for my mother-in-law.

Flannel quilt to donate

My very own design - a Penrose square quilt

Started this a year ago to donate, quilt top completed.

T-tunic in red for Jack. It was based on a pattern for a Roman short-sleeve shirt, but the collar is uncomfortable, so I need to merge it with another pattern to create a shirt that works.

 Other projects not pictured here: a watercolor landscape wall quilt (in the cutting stages); three medieval shirts for myself, long sleeve in purple, brown, and black; a heralding surcoat for Dagorhir practice; a knight's surcoat for Jack; Jack's Ranger Coat (needs sleeves, but I can't find the ones I had cut out); curtains for my craft room, and one more misc practice quilt, using purple diamond blocks that I found from a project about 10 years old and never completed.

I did finish one project! When I have more time, I'll post a tutorial on the details of quilt binding, because its not as complicated as all the tutorials make it seem. I finished my purple stripes practice quilt and gave it to my niece to use for her stuffed animals.

There are several obvious mistakes on the quilt, but it was a great learning experience and I know how to make it better next time. Most notably, the top is not quite square, the binding was too short and had to be patched, and some of the quilting has skipped stitches or tension issues. I'm very proud to have completed it so successfully anyway.