What to do with Unfinished Quilt Projects

We talked the other day about unfinished crochet projects and what we learned from them. Today we’re going to talk about unfinished quilt projects, also known as UFOs, that is UnFinished (quilt) Objects and how to decide what to do with them. Who might have one of these, or maybe two, three, more?

First, I want to say Congratulations because you are not alone! Quilt tops can be so much fun to cut and piece together.  Who’s with me?!

And then you get the top done and there’s a whole other process of sandwiching and quilting and binding. It’s as if it’s an entirely different project. It’s not that I don’t like this part of the process, it’s just…..different than piecing the top. 

Second, if we didn’t have UFOs, it usually means we’re not D.O.I.N.G. Instead we’re watching. We’re hoping. We’re thinking about how great it would be to do a project. (Or maybe we just get bored with it.)

But when we have unfinished quilt projects it means we tried. We did something. We started, and for most of us, there was either a squirrel moment, or something of importance took us away from it (family death, sickness, or other unexpected but quite common events).

Either way, the UFO is always there for us to fall back on.  If nothing else, we likely learned something from it.  Even if it was to learn that you really don’t like using that technique or pattern.

How to decide what to do with unfinished quilt projects

So how do you decide what to do with your unfinished quilt projects?  From my prior professional organizer experience, these are my 3 tips for deciding what to do with your UFOs.

1. Discard

Which UFOs are just ugly? You know what I’m talking about. That warm shade of yellow you thought would look great but is reminiscent of fluorescent yellow. Or the green that looks gray. Or maybe you were learning a technique and well, you can tell that and so the item might be slightly wonky. 

If you’re not in love with it, or wouldn’t even consider finishing it to donate it, pitch it. Feel free to re-use what you can, but don’t spend a lot of time on it.  Just get rid of it.  It will lighten your mental load. Trust me.

2. Reuse, Recycle, Donate

When I made my mother-in-law’s quilt, the first round of squares I created were too small for the quilt I had in mind. I ended up with dozens of 5.5” squares I wasn’t going to use.

Instead, I’m going to throw them together into a smaller quilt (or I could do a pillowcase, or valance, or any other number of possibilities) and donate it.

Try to think outside the box. Is there a way you could re-purpose it?  If you can reuse it, recycle the items for a different purpose, or complete it and donate it, then do so. Giving is always in style!

This is a quilt I plan to cut up and not only re-assemble but put back together in a smaller size. When I do that, I’ll let you all know. 

This is a quilt I plan to finish and donate.  It’s called a potato chip quilt, because you can’t just make one. And if you read a little further, you’ll see the truth in that statement.

I originally had it in mind for a good friend of mine, but the design seemed so overly busy to me that I was afraid it would trigger a migraine.  Maybe there’s a dog somewhere that would like it (see the dog prints?). 😊

3. Finish it

I find if I love the item or even the color palette enough it ends up in my I’m-keeping-it-until-I-finish-it pile. Set a goal to spend just a little bit of time each day or week to work on it.

I’ve had a couple of years where I set a goal to finish a quilt. I didn’t always meet the deadline of the goal, but I usually finished shortly after the deadline, which is better than where I would have been had I never set the goal.

Decide which one sparks your creative muse and set a goal to finish that one. Just ONE. Set goal, complete, repeat.

These are just a few of the quilts on my list to finish.

Concluding thoughts on Unfinished Quilt Projects

Three simple ideas to address your quilt UFOs, but ideas you could use in any area of your life where you have unfinished projects.

• Discard
• Donate/Recycle
• Finish

What quilt UFOs do you have? Why do you have them? And what technique are you going to apply to your UFO stash? Drop me a note in the comments! We UFO collectors have to stick together!

What to do with Unfinished Quilt Projects