When Does a WIP Become a UFO?

All right!  There's no need to snicker and point.  We all have them.  We all have those pesky little WIPs (Work in Progress) that have become a UFO (Unfinished Object) and now it is in your PhD (Projects Half Done) box.  Exactly when does a Work in Progress turn into an Unfinished Object?  Is it based on time?  So anything I started and have not finished in this year is a UFO? Is it based on loss of interest?  If I look at a half-finished project three to four times and still have not finished it, is it a UFO?  I decided that anything in my PhD box definitely qualifies as an Unfinished Object and I am determined to finish some of them before I need to buy a new box.

Each year I try to figure out new ways to motivate myself to finish those projects.  Every few years I will make a New Year’s Resolution to work on my UFOs.  I would make a list of twelve items that I would finish that year.  Each item on the list represents a month and in that month I vowed to finish that item.  Sometimes I can make it to March before my resolve wears out.  I have never made it thru the entire year. 

My quilt guild every year does a UFO list.  At each meeting they draw a number and announce it to the group.  You then finish the item that corresponds to that number.  At the next month’s meeting you share the completed object with the group in the Show and Tell segment of the meeting.  I have the best of intentions every year but I have never been able to share more than two completed items (and those were not even quilts but orphaned blocks made into potholders and a Christmas wall hanging.  Sigh!)

But hope springs eternal and when Erica@SaintAffair come up with the idea of the Summer Stitching Stash Blast Link-Up Party I jumped on-board.  Erica has designated 16 week this summer for the linky party.  (I love to party!)  The idea is to pick a project, finish it, blog about it, and move on to the next one.  What makes me think I can do 16 weeks.  I have never been able to do 12 months?  My plan is to make myself accountable here on my blog.  I will add an additional post to my schedule and each week for 16 weeks this summer I will finish at least one UFO.

So here we are with Week One!  What did I finish?  First things first.  I got out my PhD box and sorted thru the items that are in there.  Just like in an exercise routine I need to start out with a warm up phase - nice and easy does it.  So here is my warm up:  I picked a few simple projects.  Two half finished Christmas stockings to start off.

2 Christmas stockings

I wish I could say this project was from Christmas 2014 or even 2013 but no. . . more like 2005.  I don't remember why I first put it aside but it's definitely time to finish it. 

Sewed up quickly in an afternnon

Including the lining

 My oldest granddaughter was here the afternoon I finished them  Ashleigh recently started fostering twin 8 year old girls.  She was telling me about how little the girls came with.   I asked if they had Christmas stockings.  She said  they didn't so I sent her home with the stockings for the girls.  Later she told me how excited the girls were with their new stockings.  They had never had a Christmas stocking before.  They wanted to hang them immediately.  Ashleigh said it took a lot of persuasion to get them to agree to wait until December.  It is awesome how two little half finished stockings sitting in a box for years gave so much joy to two little girls when they are finally finished.

On another afternoon this last week I pulled out a baker's dozen of baby bib tops - 12 girl bib tops and 1 boy bib top.   I ironed them, cut terry cloth backs, and got out my snaps.   In no time I had a stack of bibs ready to go.  The boy bib went before I could even get a picture of it for the blog.                                                                                                                                                                    

these are not the only bibs in my box but just the ones I decided to complete this week. 

A half dozen bibs went with me this weekend to visit my newest great granddaughter, Amelia.  She just turned two months old and she will need a bunch when she starts teething in a month or two.  My granddaughter says she has already started to drool a lot so they will come in handy now.

Half a dozen bibs to go to baby girls

Don't you just love the heart shaped snaps?

Ready to go to the hospital to welcome a new baby girl

The last half dozen bibs went to the hospital to welcome a brand new baby girl, Leila, born just this morning to my daughter's BFF. 

What's in your UFO stash?  Come join the fun with the Summer Stitching Stash Blast!  Those UFO aren't doing anyone any good in your stash.  Get them out, finish them up, and share the wealth!