UfOs and WIPs

Stitching is a great hobby. I don’t generally feel the need to write about it because to do it is an end in itself. I like hand stitching best, and my favourite things are patchwork and freestyle embroidery. In the past, I did loads of cross stitch, made clothes for children, and took a massive C&G creative embroidery course. Like most people who sew, I do most of the work as gifts, so aside from my overstocked work room, you wouldn’t know that I spend around 20 hours a week with a needle in my hand.


Another thing I have in common with almost all fellow stitchers is that I have masses of UfOs (that’s Unfinished Objects). Sometimes they’re unfinished because the project just isn’t working out (I could write a book on desasters in felt-making), sometimes because I’ve lost half the materials or the instructions (I have enough lavender quilt blocks to make a double sized quilt, but it was a class project from five years ago and I’ve lost the instructions for making up), more often though, I’ve just gone off the colour. The most dangerous thing is to get hold of a new book with nice pictures. That tends to get me all excited by a new idea and before I know what’s happened, I’m on to a new project and my WIP (Work In Progress) is a dusty UfO.
I have two current WIPs. One English patchwork that I’ve been on for a few weeks. A simple design that I stitch while watching TV. It will be a quilt for H, and I’m allowing myself two years to complete it. The other is Nina’s college quilt. I started it when I was poorly and it was put away as a UfO for a few years (I went off the colour and lost a template). When I got it back out, I decided that the colours weren’t too bad, so I started to experiment to see if I could re-make the template. Nina saw it and fell in love with it, so it became her quilt. It has to be completed by September. I’m quilting it at the moment, so if I keep working as I have been, it will be ready.

Trouble is, I have a UfO that is coming to mind. It’s one I started three years ago, intending it to be for myself to take to Cornwall when I was looking after my Nan. It is a machine sewn patchwork and I ran out of time to complete it, not wanting to take my machine with me, so it has remained in a carrier bag, sewn into strips, the strips ready to be joined, border added, quilted and bound and then it would be done. I got to thinking about it because Nick’s Dad is poorly and feeling the cold even though it is summer. I’m not sure about the colours though, spring green, yellow, sherbet orange, purple and white. 1950’s repro prints. Too girlie for an 82 year old man? Nick says it would be OK, Nina says not. Does it have to be blues and browns for boys? Wouldn’t it be quicker to just buy him a throw from the supermarket and pop that in the post? I’m fighting the compulsion to get some fabrics out and try them against what I have so far. It’s getting harder to stop myself though. I’ve already looked at the shelves. There’s a dark green leaf design that isn’t girlie, and a spots on sherbet that’s geometric. I could go with a plain yellow.
Poor Nina. I’d better quilt extra fast, otherwise she might have a cold time in Swansea.

In other, non sewing related news, I’ve booked the B&B in Edinburgh. Tania Guest House on Minto Street. £70 per night. I could hear Mrs Roscilli sing ker-ching and do a little dance.