The 2017 UFO (Unfinished Project) Challenge encompasses anything that you want to finish - whether it is quilting, embroidery, knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking, painting, or whatever you have that you would like to complete.
By finishing projects, the space that the materials were taking is freed up. Perhaps in the process, too, of identifying which 12 projects to focus on that some UFOs can be let go. There may no longer be the interest or desire to finish them.
To participate in the 2017 Challenge:
1. Download the chart here.
2. Fill in twelve projects that you want to finish this year.
3. On the first of each month, All People Quilt will randomly draw a number between 1-12. That number will correspond with which number project you work on throughout the month. Fill in the description of where you were in the project before you start.
4. At the end of the month, fill in your progress on the chart and post pictures of the finished project for everyone to see using the hashtag #APQResolution. There's a Facebook page to share your results.
5. By the end of the year, you'll have 12 finished projects...or at least you will have made a significant dent in your stack of UFOs.
This challenge is timely for me because I have quite a few projects that I've wanted to do, but not made the time to do them. Volunteering, homeschooling, and - frankly - poor time management (at times) have resulted in bags and bins of projects waiting to be completed.
In addition, when my mom died, she had many quilting projects and sewing projects that were unfinished. I would like to complete these and pass them along to Sophia, Olivia, my sister, and brother. If there are more projects (once I go through everything), then they would go to nieces and nephews.
So, my 12 quilting UFOs are:
- Repair antique quilts from Mom plus tulip one on Sophia’s bed.
- Finish 1/4 of quilts that Mom started.
- Finish 1/4 of quilts that Mom started.
- Finish 1/4 of quilts that Mom started.
- Finish 1/4 of quilts that Mom started.
- Finish snowflake pillow, snowman & crow wallhanging, and horse and cabin wallhanging. (Done on January 18, 2017.)
Three projects that I finished on January 18th.
- Finish fall table runner.
- Do ½ sensory/tactile quilts for CCHO. (Done on February 26, 2017.)
Front and back of one sensory quilt.
The back of the quilt was actually half of a quilt that someone else sewed.
I purchased it at a quilt show.
It was someone else's UFO that I repurposed.
Front and back of second sensory quilt.
- Do ½ sensory/tactile quilts for CCHO. (Done on February 26, 2017.)
I only had enough items to create three sensory quilts,
so I decided to finish them all rather than
holding onto the supplies until later in the year.
Above is the top of the sensory quilt that will be used at the nursing home
with people who dementia or Alzheimer's Disease.
Below is the reverse of the quilt.
(It's the other half of the quilt back pictured above.)
- Finish antique tulip quilt that’s in Sophia’s closet.
- Do 3 memory quilts with Dad and Mom’s clothing. (Do in April 2017.)
- Finish bear/northwoods quilt. (Finished on April 21, 2017.)
The concept of setting 12 specific goals to work on during the upcoming year is one that I thought would be good for other aspects of my life as well. So, while I was at it, I created several additional lists:
12 non-quilting/handiwork UFOs:
- Make padded hangers. Use this Source.
- Go through “Unfinished Projects” bin and complete projects I still want to do.
- Go through “WIP – Embroidery Journal, Quilt, and Doll Clothes” bin and complete projects I still want to do.
- Do embroidered dish towels. Use this Source.
- Make a pair of socks using the sock-maker and yarn I have on hand.
- Make aromatherapy products using up what I have on hand. (Did quite a few different blends in in March 2017. The other products [not essential oils] had expired so I tossed them. Kept soap molds and bottles for blends and sprays.)
Two different blends that I made with essential oils that I had on hand.
- Make items in “Patterns” bin.
- Make pre-printed Christmas table runner. (Done on 4/8/17.)
- Make Christmas stockings and donate to nursing home
- Finish felt project that Mom started.
- Go through bag of patterns and samples of things I want to make. Determine if I still want to do them. If not, use the samples rather than just keeping them in a bag. (Do in April 2017.)
- Finish going through bag of patterns and samples; and make what I want to do. (Do in March 2017.)
12 household UFOs (these are all indoor projects):
- Fix all antique clocks. Hang or put back clocks after they are repaired.
- Fix spindle on stairs and kitchen threshold. (Handyman needs to do this.)
- Replace all contact paper in cabinets and drawers.
- Do wood filling and paint on stair area.
- Get blinds for upstairs bathroom.
- Replace heating vent and top in dining room. (Top done on 1/11/17. Heating company out on 1/17/17 to assess the job. Completed the job on 1/26/17. Also replaced the duct work and vent in the front home office on 4/5/17.)
Duct work replaced on January 26th.
- Paint upstairs bedroom and fix wall in the process.
- Find a lavender paint and cover plaster repairs in north bedroom. (Done on February 19, 2017.)
Before and after - by light switch.
This was not the best patching/painting job because
the original painting was done in the lazure method by an artist.
I cannot replicate her beautiful work or find colors that matched the paint.
So, the goal simply was to cover the plaster.
Before and after - south wall.
Before and after - the east wall.
- Get blinds for upstairs bathroom.
- Help Sophia with stenciling her closet door.
- Paint the kitchen.
- Get a screen for the south kitchen window so it can be opened during the summer. (Do in April 2017.)
- Put up curtain rod in Sophia’s bedroom after painting the window. (Painted the window on March 28, 2017. Still need to put up the curtain rod.)
12 decluttering UFOs/key areas I want to tackle in 2017:
- Clean mudroom. Donate or toss what no longer is needed.
- Go through bookshelves and cabinets in family room.
- Clean northwest office and remove anything that is damaged.
- Go through tablecloths, napkins, and cups in living room bureau and take out what I don’t want. Show my sister and brother to see if they want anything from Mom and Dad’s home.
- Go through Grandma’s bureau and donate/toss what we don’t need.
- Clean all kitchen cabinets and get rid of what we don’t need. (Done on January 29, 2017.)
Got rid of 2 bags of garbage, 4 bags of recycling, and
4 bags for the thrift store...just from the kitchen!
One of the cupboards that was cleaned and organized.
- Go through blue room and donate toys and costumes we no longer want. (Did on March 5, 2017.)
Got rid of several bags of items -
some to donate and others to toss.
- Clean Olivia’s closet.
- Clean master bedroom closet.
- Clean both bathrooms. Toss old products. (Do in April 2017.)
- Go through books on my bookshelves in bedroom and donate ones I don’t want. (Did on March 5, 2017.)
Bookshelf 1 - Before (above) and after (below).
Bookshelf 2 - Before (above) and after (below).
12 home office UFOs/key areas I want to clean in 2017:
- Files A-I gone through. Recycle what I no longer need or plan to do. (Done on April 9, 2017.)
Example of the files for one letter (above) and
the bags of recycling and remaining files (below).
- Files J-R gone through. Recycle what I no longer need or plan to do. (Done on April 18, 2017.)
Another batch of files (above) and
the result of going through them (below).
- Files S-Z gone through. Recycle what I no longer need or plan to do.
- Clean west closet.
- Clean south closet.
- All paperwork filed and files off the floor. (Done on 1/15/17.)
Above and below: a significant part of the floor was covered with
files and bags of paperwork that needed to be filed.
Feels good to have everything either filed or
recycled (if I no longer need/want it).
- Go through items under desk.
- Go through photos and choose which ones to keep. (Do in March 2017.)
- Clean desk top and do the things that I want to get done.
- Go through personal files. Recycle what I no longer need or plan to use.
- Go through fabric. Donate what I no longer plan to use. (Do in April 2017.)
- Clean by the bookshelf. Find a place for everything so there’s nothing on the floor. (Did on March 15, 2017.)
By bookshelf: before (above) and after (below).
12 Outdoor Project UFOs (most of these need to wait until Summer):
- Dig up dead tree and replace it with tree from backyard.
- Trim front tree with red berries once the birds eat them this spring.
- Fix both ponds (by front door and backyard).
- Seal along the wall (exterior and interior) where drain tiling water discharges. (Did this on February 11, 2017. While I was at it, I also sealed the walls next to the steps leading to the cellar and around two water pipes - one of which led outside.)
- Fix numbers on mailbox. (Done on February 11, 2017.)
- Finish putting bark chips by back door and the black small fence; and revitalize the butterfly garden.
- Fix outdoor furniture (sofa) from Mom and Dad.
- Fix fencing in areas where it low and the t-post tops are missing
- Replace swing set.
- Do simple repairs to the hobby shed (windows), mower shed (door), and barn (where there are holes); and then paint barn, sheds, and playhouse.
- Get rid of garbage, paint cans, etc. that are sitting on the ground by the wood pile. (Do in April 2017.)
- Burn fire pit. (Do in March 2017.)
County Fair Projects (these only go from January-July 2017):
- Make a crocheted project.
- Write 2-5 poems and 2-5 short stories.
- Do a needlework picture (redwork, blackwork, needlepoint, or cross-stitch).
- Make a rug (braided, crocheted, or loom woven).
- Make 1 pair of pillowcases. (Did on March 1, 2017, using this tutorial.)
- Make a memory book or scrapbook.
- Make 1 guest or dish towel (hand-embroidered or appliqued).
- Make a hand-embroidered infant bib.
- Machine sew 2 potholders. (Do in March 2017. Use this Source.)
- Make a holiday decoration with yarn, fabric, or thread. (Done on 2/5/17.)
Embroidered wall hanging I made in February 2017.
- Make a wheel-thrown clay object.
- Make a greeting card and envelope. (Did on February 6, 2017.)
Greeting card and envelope (not shown) done in February 2017.
- Make beaded earrings, bracelet, and/or necklace. (Do in April 2017.)
- Do a decorative craft (e.g., silk screen, tie dye, mosaic, textile painting). (Do in March 2017.)
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