Where Do PIGS Come From - April 2oth

Jill over at Ramblings of a Fabric and Yarn Obsessor started a support group for those with chronic UFOism and PIGS (Projects in Grocery Sacks) tendencies.  This week's questions: 

• What part (or parts) of the process of making a quilt are your least favorite?
• The part (or parts) that you just dread and that make you throw your projects back into the dark recesses of your stash closet?
• Have you found any tricks to break the cycle of being held up on the parts that aren't your favorite?

I've mentioned before that I really have a lack of enthusiasm for the fabric cutting part of quilting.  I have a couple of UFOs that have stayed UFOs because they need a lot of pieces cut. It's this tendency that drives me to choose BOMs.  It's a lot easier to convince myself to cut out the fabric needed for just one block each month, rather then cutting 20 strips of a single fabric, then 20 more of another just so you can make whatever.    

Do I have any tricks to break the cycle?  The simple answer is no.  I have tried using 15 minutes of most every sewing session to cut fabric for a project that needs to be finished (or even started).  That helps some, but it is a slow process.  No magic fabric cutter at my house.  How do you convince yourself to cut all the fabric for a project? 

If you want to learn more about the origin of PIGS, check out Jill's post. 

Year of the PIGS - When You Want to Hide in The Bag

Jill over at Ramblings of a Fabric and Yarn Obsessor has asked everyone to help Libby out of her motivational slump.  The questions:

1.  What do you do when you have no desire to sew? 
2.  Do you ever get bored with your fabric and look for a different direction? 

Question 1:  This is one reason why I started challenging myself to spend at least 15 minutes every day in my sewing room.  I find that even if I don't think I feel like sewing, making myself go upstairs and spend 15 minutes at my machine will usually change my mind.  If if doesn't,  I do my 15 minutes then move on. I'll at least make some progress on my projects.    

Question 2:  I don't think I've ever gotten bored of my fabric, but I have had projects where I was just tired of the assembly process.   When I get to that point, there are two options.  I might decide to work on a project for 15 minutes every time I sew.  Or if it is simple enough, I'll try to use Bonnie Hunter's Leader and Ender technique.  I've finished projects using both approaches. 

I also usually have more than one project working at a time.  If I get stuck or tired of a given project, I'll switch to something else on my project list. 

I hope Libby found lots of great motivational ideas from all the posts.  If you are looking for motivation too, check out Jill's Year of the Pigs. 

Year of the PIGS - Encouraging Creativity

Jill over at The Ramblings of a Fabric and Yarn Obsessor is hosting the Year of the PIGS.  Which is a support group for those of us with more fabric, kits, UFOs, and Projects in Grocery Sacks (PIGS) then we know what to do with.  This week's question is:

"Is there anything you can do or change in your sewing room to encourage your creativity?" 

Actually, I made a change to my sewing room about two weeks ago with that thought in mind.  I didn't think to take before pictures, but here's the after picture.

What did I change?  I switched the location of the bookcase and the secretary desk.  Why?  Mainly because the little nook that ends with the window seat is a bit cramped.  It was just hard to get into that corner and work at the desk.  Secondly, I couldn't see the TV from the desk, due to my fabric bins (I'm working to make those go away, but I'd rather sew than iron and fold fabric).  Thirdly, it moves the desk to a location just behind my sewing machine, making it easier to check layouts (and blogs and email) on the computer while I'm sewing.  I like this layout a lot better.  The other half of the room has the sewing machine, cutting table and both design walls.  (A picture of that half is posted here.) 

To be honest,  the biggest challenge to my creativity isn't the organization of my sewing room, it's getting myself into it to actually work on something! 

Check out today's Year of the Pig post over at Jill's to see other thoughts on jump starting your quilty creativity. 

Year of the Pigs - March 9th

Jill over at Ramblings of a Fabric and Yarn Obsessor is hosting the Year of the PIGS support group.  Where we seek and share our thoughts on the process of acquiring, storing and maybe eventually completing our PIGS and UFOs.  This week's questions:

Do I have a separate room all to yourself?

Am I messy or Princess of Tidy?

Are there things that I find a hindrance to my sewing mojo?

I'm very lucky that I do have a sewing space that is all my own.  It's the spare bedroom at the very end of the hall.  I can close the door and shut out most everything else (except for Kiddo's "Mom call"). 

This is pretty much how the room looks most of the time, except I did vacuum it for this picture.  The bookcase in the corner has all my quilting books.  Yardage being used for current projects is folded up and stowed on top of the clear tote under the cutting table (on the left of the picture).  Cut pieces and finished blocks that are in progress but not the center of attention are stored on top of the chest you can just barely see at the right of the picture. 

I usually have several sets of blocks for the different projects up on both design walls, but I was finishing up a large project when this picture was taken so everything was stowed away.  You can just see the top of one of my rulers back behind the totes.  That's where they are stored when not in use.  The white door leads to the closet where my stash is stashed. 

I got in the habit of being organized when I shared my sewing space with My Guy when we lived in TX.  If I didn't put things away when I was done, he'd move them so he had room to do his thing and I'd spend a lot of time having to find all my stuff when I next wanted to sew.  That used to be a big hindrance to my sewing mojo.  Now my biggest challenge is just getting myself into my sewing room to sew.  I've started challenging myself to spend 15 minutes every day in my sewing room, which seems to be helping me keep my motivation up. 

That's it for me this week.  Check out how the other PIGS live over at Jill's. 

15 Minute Challenge Day 8 - It's All About the PIGS

I've been following along with Jill's "Year of the PIGS" over at Ramblings of a Fabric and Yarn Obsessor.  As I was considering her questions for this week, I remembered that my 15 Minute Challenge was really all about UFOs and PIGS.  I want to finish my UFOs and start on some of my PIGS, but I have to commit the time for that to happen.  It's so easy to just piddle the time away, especially when you are tired.  It's amazed me how energized I feel once I get myself upstairs and start working on something.  Another lesson learned. 

On to Jill's Year of the PIGS questions for this week. 

What was my last finish?   Last month I finished the One Day Mystery Quilt from Planet Patchwork.  I wrote about that one here. 

What UFO am I working on?  I spent about an hour last night sewing the binding on the 2008 BOM.  I covered that one here.  This quilt is so big, it's going to take me forever to get that done!  I'm going to have to work for more than 15 minutes a night to finish this one before the end of the month.

Where Do PIGS and UFOs Come From?

We survived the storm of 2011.  Not sure we can get out of the house due to all the drifts in front of the doors, but we are warm and dry.  Despite the snow and the high winds, we've didn't loose power, though it did flicker a few times yesterday.  No school today, work is opening at 11:00 AM and closing at 4:00 PM.  We have the option to work from home with supervisor approval.  I'm going to check on that option, my office will be an ice box in this cold (it's all windows).  I'd get more done from home! 



http://jillquilts.blogspot.com/2011/01/year-of-pigs.html

 
Moving on to today's topic, PIGS and UFOs.  Jill over at Ramblings of a Fabric and Yarn Obsessor has challenged us to share why projects became UFOs and how enticing pattern/fabric combos morphed into PIGS. So how is a UFO or a PIGS created in my sewing room?  

The number one activity that results in the creation of UFOs in my sewing room is taking quilting classes.  When I first started quilting, I was lucky enough to live in a town with a quilt shop that offered great classes.  And I took a lot of them.  I wouldn't finish one class project before I started a new class project.  Before I knew it, I had 4 or 5 projects that I'd started but didn't have time to finish.  Maybe it's a good thing I moved, or my UFO list would be a lot longer! 




http://moosequilts.blogspot.com/2010/09/layer-cake-quilt-along-2010.html

The other UFO generator is Block of the Month programs.  I love BOMs and typically do a really good job of keeping up with the monthly assignments, but once the program is over I have to decide what to do with the blocks.  Designing a final setting that I really like can take me a year or more. 

Most of my PIGS came about because I was in the middle of other projects that I wanted to finish before I started on that bundle of new fabric.  Here and there I've had projects with definite due dates, so those got started and completed before I dug into my pile of PIGS for the next new project. 

That's where my UFOs and PIGS come from.  With the move to OK in 2006, I don't have the opportunity to take classes like I did, so my UFO list is gradually shrinking.  Since I've been on a "No New Fabric" binge since last October, I've not accumulated any new PIGS. 

How about you?   Do you know where your UFOs and PIGS come from?   Jump over to Jill's and check out other original stories about where UFOs come from. 

Year of the PIGS Update - Jan 19th

It's time for a PIGS (Projects in Grocery Sacks) update.  This week Jill of Ramblings of a Fabric and Yarn Obsessor is asking us to reveal more about the secret life of the PIGS and UFOs that live in our stash.  Such as:

Do I have a list of my PIGS and is it current?  Yes, I have a list of my PIGS.  When Jill proposed the "Year of the PIGS", I excavated my sewing room closet earlier this month to see what I had.  So the list is current. 


How many PIGS and UFOs do I have?

PIGS  = 10
UFOs = 5

UFOs have been a big focus in my sewing room since 2009, I've more than halved the number on my list.  I'm hoping to get the list down to one UFO by the end of this year.  PIGS are the planned focus for next year.  I do have one that I pulled out of the pile and started last year.  It's a Buck-a-Block BOM from 2006.  It's one of my PhDs for Myra's PhD Challenge (that post is here). 

What are my oldest PIGS and how old are they?   To be honest, I'm not sure.  Most of my early quilts date from classes and I was pretty good about keeping the papers (supply lists) with the class dates on them.  But for the grocery sack projects, I didn't keep any type of records.  There are two PIGS that were conceived in the same year (I think), though I couldn't tell you in what order.  I bought the fabric at the same quilt shop, at about the same time.   In one case the pattern came first, King's Hiway from the book "Quilts from The Quilt Makers Gift" by Joanne Larsen Line and Nancy Loving Tubesing, illustrated by Gait de Marcken, published by Scholastic, Inc in 2000.



I saw the fabric and thought it would look great made into that pattern. 

The second PIGS was a fabric first, pattern second project.  This was supposed to be a second quilt for kiddo who couldn't decide who she liked best, Little Mermaid or Buzz Lightyear.  So I bought both fabrics. The Little Mermaid quilt did get finished but I never got to Buzz.

Kiddo knew what she wanted and she helped me design a quilt in Quilt Pro 4.  This was the pattern she had decided on.

The fabric for both PIGS was probably purchased in late 2004 or early 2005 (Kiddo was 4 or 5).  I'll probably finish the Buzz quilt and donate it for the school auction.  With Toy Story 3 out, I'm sure some little kid would like it (unfortunately kiddo is too old for a Buzz quilt, though she did like the new movie).  I'm undecided on what to do with the Kings Hiway project.  I still like the fabrics, but I'm not sure they will work well in the chosen project.  I should mock up that quilt in EQ7, see if it works or not. 

Check out the all the details on the secret life of other PIGS over at Jill's blog.

Quilting ABCs: PIGS, UFOs (PhDs) and WIPs

Jill over at Ramblings of a Fabric and Yarn Obsessor, has proposed a Year of the PIGS support group. All you have to do is answer a question twice a month and share your deepest, darkest secrets about your PIGS and UFOs.  Well maybe not those kinds of secrets, but tips and techniques you've found to tame all those PIGS which are hogging shelf space in your closet.   (PIGS are Projects in Grocery Sacks.  Those projects you have the pattern and the fabric, but stalled on start up). 

Jill's question for this week is "How do you store your UFOs and PIGS separate from your fabric stash?"  

I use various storage containers for PIGS, UFOs and WIPs.



The top bin with the vinyl window contains all the purple and yellow fat quarters that are being used for the purple and yellow scrap quilt (a WIP/UFO).  The little yellow sticky note tells me what project the fat quarters are associated with. The bottom gray container has the patterns and fabric for 5 or 6 PIGS.  Both of these containers reside at the back of my sewing room closet.  I use the same gray containers for some of my fabric stash. 

These "Super Satchels" are stored on a shelf in the sewing room closet. They contain UFOs and PIGS.  You know, out of sight, out of mind?  All the fabric associated with a project is in these satchels. One of the UFOs has more than one satchel for that reason.   

Here is the one PIGS that is actually in a sack of sorts.  It's one of those Minky strip quilts and it stays in the bag so as not to shed all over the other projects. 

I have more satchels which sit on the chest in the sewing room.  These are the WIPs and UFOs that I'm actively working on.  Once I finish sewing the binding on a quilt, I empty out the satchel.  Extra yardage gets rolled back into the stash.  Scraps go into my scrap bin.  I don't do any preparation of the scraps, but I'm going to start cutting the smaller scraps into squares, strips and bricks for scrap projects this year.  The recently vacated satchel usually has a new project in it within a day or too, so they don't stay empty for long. 

So that's how I store all my past, present and future projects.  Check out Jill's post to see other storage solutions.