This article was in our local paper this morning. Very interesting story.
Attachment 86686
Printable View
This article was in our local paper this morning. Very interesting story.
Attachment 86686
Probably 10 years... but I don't think I'll ever finish it so it's just fabric that happens to have seams.... ;)
I don't like to collect unfinished tops, I try to go right from start to finish. At the moment I have 2 tops sitting here, one is about a month old, the other is not quite a week.
Since I've only been quilting since December 2013 mine is only 6 mos but I can see where it's probably going to turn into 6 yrs.
40 Years!!!!!!!!
I'm a quilting newbie so quilting UFO's haven't occurred yet HOWEVER........ when I was putting my sew-wing area together and gathering everything I had pigeon-holed. I found a little yellow knitted ripple blanket I was making for my first child. It was still on the knitting needle. So... here I have one knitting needle, about 1 yard of yellow yarn attached to this unfinished little blanket. I didn't have another needle to cast of if I could even remember how to do it. So my dear little friend took it and just returned it to me a few weeks ago, finished off and blocked to boot. Love that gal! That is why I don't knit. I'm giving it to my son for his new little baby boy. Hey-yellow worked for him. :-)
That was a really nice story. The history of it was so interesting. I think about two years, but i still want to finish it!
Love this story and all like it.. I have taken the "knitting" of many friends Moms' and finished or re worked the item for their first grandchild... complete with the "paper notes in their handwriting that were found with it".... Yep, I'm a bit of a "preservation and sentimentality buff"....
As for my oldest project... that's a hard one.. many things are waiting to be "re-configured"..LOL,, but the one that stands out is the "YO YO project I started at least 30 years ago... something I was making up... all calico fabrics... I used a "Rubbermaid" container top as the template... which made them about 3" diamenter finished... then stitched then into 12 YO YO squares... and planned on putting the squares together,,, I have approx.. 80 now,,, and have told my DD that I will finish it before I die and she can call it at "LIFE'S WORK"... LOL
I found a tub of UFO's when I was moving my sewing room to another room in my house. I have way more UFO's than I thought! I would say the oldest one is about 10 years old. I am looking forward to finishing a few of them up this winter.
:icon_hi:
I love these stories, at our local fair this year was a quilt named gift from the past. It told a story about a quilt given to a quilter to cut it up to use for scraps it was a hand pieced quilt though stained. She was able to save it and finish it. The story attached to it was better then the quilt for many reasons. To often we throw the past away, so I am trying so hard to finish everything I start.
Almost a year. I didn't think it had been that long until this thread got me thinking. I started a top and never finished it because I was just learning. It was too large for a beginner and probably still is. I am going to get that out and work on it. I need to practice.
So, I was thinking I might be the UFO queen, but I see I am not, in age or number! I have one I'm not sure I am going to finish, though. I like the fabric & the piecing just fine, but it was one of the first things I tried to machine quilt & it did not go well so I'm not happy with the quality of the quilting; & furthermore, it's baby size, I don't need it myself, & it's not sufficiently well sewn to be a gift. All it really needs is binding, though. Any recommendations for a good home for this thing? Or should I just keep it as a practice piece for quilting?
Thread hijack! Oops.
PS it's prettier right way up :)
Wow, what a great story! That quilt will surely be a treasure forever in that family.
I only have 3 or 4 UFO's, they are all about 1 year old. I don't like having things unfinished either. I joined the UFO group and was doing really well until I started getting orders for quilts. Not a bad thing, but I'm hoping to get back to the UFO's next month.
I think you should finish it and donate it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Claire OneStitchAtATime
Where do you think might be interested in a donation of a not-very-high-quality quilt? Like I said, the fabric is fine -- it has a cozy flannel back & cotton batting -- it's the quilting that's not good. But maybe it would look better finished, washed, & wrinkly -- the flaws would blend in a bit more!Quote:
Originally Posted by Madeforyouinma11
My oldest UFO is 30 years old. I started a seaside quilt for my daughter when she was very small. I didn't have a lot of quilting skills, but managed to get a landscape done with some directions I had at the time. Work and children got in the way and the quilt stayed something I didn't know how to finish. Over the years I would try different ideas, but none was what I wanted.
So it got put away. When I retired and had time for quilting again, I pulled it out. I decided if I could find some material I liked for a border I would finish it as a wallhanging, thus I wouldn't have to figure out what to add to make it the size of a true quilt. I ordered some yardage from M* for something else, but all of a sudden the quilt told me it had to have the fabric as a border. (I don't know about you, but sometimes quilts just tell you something particular has to happen. At least mine do...)
So I put the border on the thing and sent it off for longarm services. It has not returned yet, but I am hopeful it won't be long. It will be a summer wallhanging for now.
absolutey finish and donate to a charity... those quilts get loved and used no matter what!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Claire OneStitchAtATime
You know,it's good for me to get it out & look at it. It's not an award-winning quilt, but the colors are pretty & it's cozy. Maybe I'll see if Marilyn could take it for the PICU group. Thanks, everyone!Quote:
Originally Posted by GrammaBabs
Anybody else have a UFO that may never be finished?
5 or 6 years old. I was going to make a queen quilt with 72 Ohio Stars all from different fabrics. I have the fabrics and the stars cut out, that's as far as I got.
About 15 years old. I had it machine quilted once and picked it all out to do it myself. Otherwise it would be finished. Its a scottie quilt, so I want it to be the way I envision it. I have had 3 new Scotties in my life since I pieced the top, so I need to make some adjustments.
My oldest UFO is about 3 years old. It is a table runner that only needs binding. I made it at a quilting class, used muslin for the backing and used it to practice my stippling. I really don't like the muslin backing. I should consider attaching another backing, do some SITD, and then bind it. Other than that, my other oldest UFO is about 1 - 1.5 years old. But I also have projects in bags that are 3 years old.
I finished 2 for my great grandmother and 1 for my grandmother. My great grandmother's went into a nursing home when I was in the 3rd grade or so... I remember visiting her there with my grandmother on my Birthday. When I was 33 I moved into my granny's house while DH was deployed with my kids... curious as kids are... my kids wanted to crawl in the attic. My granny had lived there as long as I can remember. Building it with "Elmer" (grampa). She passed in 1974 when I was 18. My aunt and uncle moved in and lived there until about a year before I rented it. So... my kids wanted to explore and go in the attic, I got out the old steps and up we went... We found all kinds of things up there. But, one bundle I picked up was brown paper wrapping tied with twine.... it crumbled in my hand and fell away. There in my hands, lay two perfectly new, hand pieced quilt tops, my great granny had made. I almost fainted.
I called my sister who had executed granny and mom's estate's when they passed, I asked who they would belong to. She said... Well, since granny left everything in the house to mom when she passed, they would belong to you, since you found them. WOOT! I almost passed out!
I had them for a few more years and jumped off the brave cliff and had them quilted. My quilter, told me, those were some of the BEST hand stitches she had ever seen in her life.
They are 30's- 40's Fabrics.... so if she made them at that time, I finished them in 96... That would be... 60 years to being finished.
Right now, I have a King size UFO in the closet that is about 6 months waiting on borders. LOL.
Funny that this subject would come up today. I've just started a home renovation that had me remove some things, and so I found the very first quilt I had started, about 6 years ago. I didn't know about rotary cutters nor cutting mats. I just found an old magazine with the pattern for a double Irish chain that gave me the inspiration to recycle some old sheets. I scissor cut the pieces, and sewed without caring for the mandatory 1/4" seam, so it all came out completely wonky. The backing was also pieced and crooked, but nevertheless I attempted to quilt it. It was such a mess that I packed everything in a plastic bag and forgot about it. I was convinced my sister had thrown it away when we emptied closets after my father's death.
But there it shew up, and I thought that after all the fabric was soft and full of memories. So I mended the worst parts and finally bound it yesterday. I doubt it would even pass the galloping horse test, but if it survives the laundry stage, I'm going to keep it.
This said, it means that my oldest UFO is now my Celtic Solstice quilt, started last fall. I haven't made up my mind yet on how to quilt it (hand or machine) and therefore I haven't purchased the batting.
What a sad but heart warming story.
I've only been at this for about two years and I very recenly finished the top of my first UFO. Since it's not quilted yet, it still counts!
Neat story. My UFO is probably around 25 years old.
I have one started by my GGrandmother and worked on by my Grandmother. I hung on to the blocks for years and years. Finally put them all together, sandwiched them, bought a hand quilting frame and now I'm trying to force myself to get started on finishing it. This one's been a UFO since the early 1930s.
My oldest UFO is around 6 months old. That's not so bad...If I finish it soon that is!
I've only been quilting less than 2 years so not too old. I have a log cabin that was the third top I made and then was afraid to finish it because it's large. Since then I have finished several larger quilts so I need to get it done. Didn't make it with anyone in mind, it was just a low cost jelly roll that I wanted to practice with. I guess I need to donate it if none of my kids or grands want it.
I have 3, however the oldest is a king Water Color quilt. Been working on it off and on for (ohhh my) five years. Lots and lots of little squares. I do love the quilt really need to finish it.
I started a Corners in the Cabin wall hanging for my son's room when he was in Kindergarten he's now 44 and it's still a UFO, shame on me!
Well, I started quilting in the late 60's when I was still in school. Then came marriage and four children and I continued to quilt to keep my sanity. I have a double wedding ring quilt top about a third of the way done that I'll probably never finish. It is at least 35 yrs. old from a long ago life as another man's wife! I pieced it all by hand sitting under the cottonwood trees in Golden, CO while the children played.
What a beautiful couple of lines........:)Quote:
Originally Posted by Thirdpewback
Mine is only about 3 months since I put it on hold not enough fabric but have since found the fabric on my trip to the west coast. My Mom sent home with me 2 of her unfinished does that count : D hers are old not 7 decades old but old.
My personal oldest - 2 years. I do have a grandmother's flower garden handstitched by my mother and her grandmother in the 30's (Grandma Rose passed away in 1940). It is only lacking ONE hexi (they ran out of fabric) and the quilting/binding. Hope to finish it someday, but it will never be used, just displayed. I also have several other UFO's my sister bought that are quite old.
One year and counting - it's such an ugly duckling it may never be finished. But, I love the story in the article, and would love to see that finished quilt!
I only work on one thing at a time. I have zero UFO s. Do I win a prize or anything???!!
Yes! We will all be happy to send you a UFO as a prize so you can join the UFO club :)Quote:
Originally Posted by jjkaiser
This has been a very interesting & sentimental thread. My oldest UFO probably is a queen size quilt that I made prior to "learning how to quilt" the right way. It's probably >25 yrs. old, b/c I think I was working on it when my kids still were home. It was enveloped. I cut the pieces with scissors using a square paper pattern (made from a brown groc. bag). I'm sure not all the seams lined up perfectly. I hadn't learned how to do binding yet. I was tying it with yarn, but couldn't finish it b/c I was down on the floor working on it & it hurt my knees. It's folded in the closet still needing the rest of the yarn ties done.
Of recent years, probably my oldest UFO is the sampler made during my beginner's quilting class in 2010. It just needs to be sandwiched & quilted. I have several quilt tops waiting to be sandwiched & quilted. Most of them are from watching Jenny's tutorials. I get excited about trying a new pattern & go on to the next project before quilting the ones I have done. I know I have at least 10 quilt tops finished, just waiting for batting & quilting. Most of these are baby/crib size.
In the mean time, I'm working on "Little Ark" #3 (most of the blocks are cut out, but not sewn together) & have a panel ready to be sandwiched & quilted. So I guess that makes at least 12! LOL JCY
I would love to have it for the PICU. It would certainly be loved and cherished.
I am usually pretty good about finishing what I start, but I do actually have a king size top that I need to do something with. Maybe rip some of it apart and turn it into 4 smaller quilts. I made that top and another for niece in law to decide between 2 for her mom for a gift. She picked the other one. I finished it (hand quilted) and just put the other one aside. I went for so long not quilting after Gabe was hurt than I just didn't think about it much. Then when I started again, I mostly made smaller quilts to donate. Other than the smaller charity quilts, I have only made 3 twins and a full in the past couple of years. Time to get that out and do something with it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Claire OneStitchAtATime
I have a 2 year old table runner waiting to be quilted.
