First, to me UFOs and WIPs are the same thing – something started but not finished. Correct? Or, are they different somehow? I use the terms interchangeably but can switch to one or the other if I’m using one term incorrectly.
Second, what I’m writing probably in this post and all posts, is just my feeling. About so many things, I don’t see a right or a wrong but we all have to know what’s right for us.
Before I get into that, I want to tell you about Addie’s spelling. She detests spelling and it’s because she rarely learns her spelling words and almost always does poorly on the tests. In all honesty, I see that as a problem of the parents not working with her because, the way I see it, anyone can memorize 10 easy words in 7 days. I suppose there are learning disabilities where children truly struggle with words but I don’t think that’s Addie’s problem.
Nicole emailed me her spelling words for this week and I told Addie . . we’re going to learn the spelling words before we have fun so Thursday night I called the words out to her and she wrote them. She missed 6 out of 10. I had her write them all five times and then I called them out to her again. I told her if she missed three or less, we were done for the day. She missed three so we were done.
By the time I took her home Monday, she had them all totally memorized. She walked into the house and couldn’t wait for Nicole to call the words out to her so Addie could show her that she knew them. She told me “Granny, how did you make spelling words so easy?” I asked her . . do you want to sit down to take the test and be nervous because you know you’re guessing and going to probably make a bad grade? Or, do you want to sit down and say . . I’ve got this! Bring it on! I’m going to make an A+?” I asked Nicole to keep working with her – the test isn’t til Friday. I’m going to call Addie tonight and have her spell the words for me just to be sure she still knows them.
The reason I told that story is that it seems to me with our crafts, whether it’s knitting, quilting, cross stitching . . whatever . . there seems to be a push to finish what we start. Especially for those of us who are older and have already purchased too many charts . . I think what matters is that we do what we enjoy. If we start a chart and realize we don’t enjoy stitching it, I think we should put it aside for a while and see if we change our mind. If we don’t . . pass it on to someone who would enjoy stitching it. Don’t keep it in the “to be finished bin” and feel guilty about it. Get rid of it . . forget it! Move on to something more fun.
I go through spurts. Sometimes I want to start a dozen projects. Sometimes I only want to finish projects. Maybe it all works out in the end . . maybe our heirs will come in and say bad words about all the things we left unfinished. We won’t be around to hear it.
My advice is to do what makes you happy. I think most of us are to the age that we’ve spent a lot of time doing what we had to do to raise our children to become good, productive adults, to make others proud or to please others.
I did sign up for a UFO Challenge through a stitching guild but I have til the end of October, 2023 to get my piece finished. Yep . . about October 1 I’ll start thinking about that one! Not really. My UFO is For the Love of Nature and I’ve already started working on it.
Rachel Summy says
Judy, your question is a deep one, ha!
They are almost the same. But I think a UFO was set aside and had a long pause in the construction. WIP are just that, a project you continue to create. A BOM this calendar year currently is a WIP. A BOM that was begun over a length of time, like past year or more is a UFO.
My humble opinion expressed 😉
Blog Reader Rachel
DarW says
For me, a UFO is a project I have started and set aside with no plan or schedule to return to it except for “someday I’ll finish that.” A WIP is something I am actively working on, even if it gets set aside temporarily if I need to work on something else more important at that time. A quilt I am working on may become a WIP while I work on Christmas gifts, for instance. I will pick it back up when those gifts are finished (or they become UFO’s!! LOL) I also have PIGS – Projects In Grocery Sacks (which are really tote boxes so technically I guess they are PITs – which are projects I have pulled fabrics and pattern for or a purchased kit which has the pattern and fabric included. By far the PIGS outnumber anything else: I see it, love it, buy it…with no plan to start let alone finish. Apparently I enjoy collecting!! LOL I have 2 WIP’s moving along, one superseding the other as it’s a Christmas project. I have at least 4 UFO’s: the oldest is…. Oh geez, 36 years old!! Yes, I’m ashamed. No, I’m not gonna finish it this year. Maybe next year. Unless I forget. Again. LOL Please don’t tell my husband. LOLOLOL
Becky says
I like your thoughts. I think some of my projects become UFOs because I got what I needed out of it. I don’t always need a finished quilt or stitched piece, sometimes I just need to work with certain colors or try out a pattern. Once that itch is scratched I can move on.
Dottie says
My WIP’s are things I’m currently working on – my UFO’s were put aside “once upon a time” to work on later and fortunately/unfortunately when they are “found” they generally go back into “I’ll work on that later” places, LOL.
Nancy says
I have a kit that I look at every week but haven’t started. Just feeling guilty about spending the money and then not liking it enough to take the time to stitch it. So I’m going to take out the linen which I really like, and put the threads in with my stash, and pass on that chart. Thanks for giving me permission! LOL
judy.blog@gmail.com says
Yes! That’s a great way to relieve the guilt and get rid of a chart you don’t want to stitch.
Helen says
I agree about doing what makes you happy in the things we make. I had a UFO/WIP that went haywire on me. I felt nothing but failure and disappointment in myself every time I tried to finish or work on it. One day I gave myself “permission“ to get rid of it. It was so incredibly freeing.
And as for Addie and her spelling words—-great job, Granny!! You are a wonderfully positive influence in her life.
Dorothy Matheson says
Oh spelling words are my bane. I chalk it up to lack of phonics and lack of being forced to study them. However I could learn all the medical words without problems.
Karen says
I wholeheartedly agree with you. It took me years to allow myself to quit reading a book when I wasn’t enjoying it. For whatever reason I felt like I had to finish it. Now, if it’s not a ‘good’ read it’s gone. (Or I give it to Bob to read. LOL) As for craft projects, most of them I really enjoy but I see something new and I can’t wait to start it. So…..the current project gets put aside so I can start the new one. Eventually I get in the ‘want to finish things’ mode and I’ll get a few done before I stumble across that ‘I’ve got to start this’ project and off I go again.
Donna in KS says
I am in the process of finishing UFOs and it feels so good! Well, ready for my long armmer (is that an acceptable word?). One is one of yours from 2010; a Bonnie Hunter class start which will go to a grandson (past due high school graduation); currently working on a piece I saw in Blue Valley Guild show in 2013. It may get put aside for a bit as we’ve got two babies on the way and they need quilts! I am just beyond thankful that I have found my JOY in fabric and my machine again!!!
judy.blog@gmail.com says
So glad you’re back to enjoying quilting! That’s a good feeling, isn’t it?
carol says
totally agree on the spelling tests. my 2 boys may not have done well in other classes, but they learned their spelling words every week, no question. and they are both excellent writers/spellers as successful businessmen!