A UFO Challenge At Jo's Country Juction

O.k., I said I wasn't going to join any finish challenges this year.  I have to admit that the impending end of the year always makes these so appealing to me!  I've been doing my monthly "Get It Done!" reports and they have definitely been helpful in keeping things on the radar which pushes me to get them done.  However, I'm also realizing that without definite deadlines, I've let projects nag at me for a lot longer than I'd like. 

To that end, this morning on Jo Kramer's blog at Jo's Country Junction, I saw that she has hosted a UFO Finish challenge for the last two years in preparation for Bonnie Hunter's annual post-Thanksgiving Mystery Quilt project reveal.  For Jo, it has been about getting some of the many Quiltville mysteries and projects she has going finished up before adding the new one to the list.  Actually, her post would have been a great link up for this week's "Tuesday Archive" at Val's Quilting Studio where UFOs are this week's theme.

I also usually check-in for Bonnie's mysteries and while I have downloaded many of them, I've never actually been "in a good place" to do one.  In fact, the only Bonnie Hunter project I've ever done is "Floribunda" (the instructions for that are here and see my finish here).  Jo's plan is to have everyone pick and gather their UFO and try to have it completed by the time Bonnie releases the new mystery -- which is usually the Friday after Thanksgiving -- and then do a finish link up by December 3.  This turned out to work right into my plans for my biggest UFO:  my Autumn Double Wedding Ring!

 

I was so sure I'd get back to this either during the summer or in September at the latest and by now be layering it up or even finishing the quilting.  Not only that, I've been saving Jennifer Chiaverini's "The Wedding Quilt" book (from the Elm Creek Quilts series) to read while I worked on it.  My cousin gave me the book a few Christmases ago (actually, she gave me Ms. Chiaverini's "Union Quilters" but I had already read that so exchanged it for the WQ book) and I've been holding it for just this occasion ever since. 

Right now I'm working on a scrap quilt (for the Fabrics 'N Quilts challenge) and a Halloween quilt (doing them leader/ender style like Bonnie has taught us).  My plan was to work on the DWR next month so Jo's challenge is a chance to make sure I make good on that plan.  In fact, I realize I might be able to squeeze in starting to cut the leaves and vines I need for the DWR border applique while I'm cutting for the Halloween quilt. 

Hey, this now can also be a post for Val's link up, so I will link there too!  For those coming from there, Val also asked how we store our UFOs.  In contrast to a WHIMM (Work Hidden In My Mind so no stash yet), a PIG (a Project In A Grocery Sack) which is usually a HSY ("Hussy" or Haven't Started Yet"), a UFO usually winds up in a box like these:

From left to right: "Heart & Home" my Wool & Taupes BOM, "High Strung +2" this year's Christmas quilt and the DWR project.  In this case, size does matter since the size of the box is an indicator of the size of the project stash!  The box needs to be big enough to hold the project stash, finished blocks or tops, the backing, the project scraps (until the quilt is done and they get processed for general scrap projects) and any books or printouts of ideas specifically for those scraps.  I'm actually hoping to finish all three of these projects before the end of the year (she said, fingers crossed!). 

Now, if my UFOs are TBQs (To Be Quilted) then they're up on the Flimsie shelf with their backings (if I have them already):

So head over to Jo's to find out who else plans to join her in her challenge or to link up yourself!  Head to Val's to see what other UFOs are lurking out there in blogland and are pointed toward a finish!  May we all end the year with our UFO lists a little shorter!!