PhD & UFO

There are lots of phrases out there for partially finished projects.  There's UFO (unfinished object), WIP (work in progress), PhD (projects half done), and many more.  I tend to call all of mine UFOs, regardless of where in the process they are unless they are finished.

In the spirit of completing those UFOs, I'm joining two motivational link-ups.  The first is the PhD in 2018 program with Gail @ Quilting Gail.  Her program is that you must list all your PhDs and finish at least half in 2018.  I have a list of 24 projects, so I must finish at least 12.

picture/document by Quilting Gail

But the hard part is that to earn my PhD, I must also complete all projects started in 2018!  This is a hurdle.  Part of my problem is that I do a lot of scrap and/or donation quilts that don't have a deadline and they tend to be leader & ender type, so they get done when they get done.  And because I get time off at the holidays from work because I work at a community college that closes for almost two weeks, I tend to piece a lot of donation quilts during the very end of the year.  (This year I pieced 7 tops in the last week and a half of the year!!)  So here's my alternate rule: I will finish any project started before the end of September.  If I'm involved in any Quilt Alongs or Mystery Quilts, I will finish anything that reveals the last clue or step before the end of September.  Otherwise, I'm free to roll it over to 2019.  (I'm counting the Rainbow Scrap Challenge as not ending until October, since that's when the last color is revealed.)

I'm supposed to do before and after photos, but many of these are my Q1 list of goals for the Finish Along and I didn't want 2 identical lists.  Plus, I'd rather work off a chart.  So here's my chart:

Project	Date Completed
Laura’s Quilt
I Spy for our bed
I Spy for Mom
Food themed picnic blanket
Bookshelf quilt
I Wish You A Merry Quilt Along
Rin
Growth Chart for friends
Elephants
Canyon
Snowmen
Doggone Cute
Mollie’s baby quilt
Savannah (there is a chance this one will be given up on and given to someone else)
Magical Forest
Lion Pillow
Giraffe Pillow
Secret Project version #1
Secret Project version #2
Monopoly
Aqua/Brown doggies
Scottie Dogs
Owls
Happy Weekend/Green I Spy

In the interest of full disclosure, I am not including my 2 hand sewing projects on this list (one applique, one embroidery).  I always have a hand sewing project prepped but I usually work on those only when traveling, so two or three times per year.  My last hand sewing project took me over 2 years.  The purpose of those is more about having something to work on and less about finishing, so I've kept them off the list. If, however, the hand work is completed in 2018 and it just needs to be quilted and bound, the other rules apply and I must fully complete it by 2018.

Tish @ Tish n Wonderland is doing a UFO busting motivational link up.  My plan is to use that to give some focus to what I work on.

For January, my main goal is to finish We Wish You a Merry Quilt Along.  I'm almost done!

It's also likely that I can finish the growth chart for friends.  This is much farther along than the picture suggests.

And at yesterday's Project Linus meeting, I got some quilting done on two of the projects that were part of that big group of tops completed at the very end of 2017. (5 of 7 pictured, since 2 are secret)

When I'm not working on those, I'll be piecing Ohio Star blocks.  These are for Laura's quilt.  I'll be seeing her some time in 2018, likely summer, and I plan to give her this quilt then which means I need to really get cracking!

Here's hoping I'll earn my PhD in 2018! And say good bye to those UFOs!