UFO challenge prizes

Do you want to clean up some of those UFO's that have been collecting in your sewing room?  Just say yes, you know you want to relieve some of the guilt and besides finishing feels so good!

At Quilting Weekly we have the answer.  Quilting Weekly has started a UFO challenge to help motivate you to finish at least one project a month, should you decide to take on the challenge.  The best part is "It's free" and you could win some fabulous prizes!

The rules are simple:

1. Register for Quilting Weekly (which is free) You can do this by either filling out the form here on my blog, or go http://www.quiltingweekly.com and on the upper right corner you will see "register"
2. Once registered go to our Forum, and post a photo of your intended project.  
3. Finish the intended project by the end of the month.

All members who post and complete a project by the end of the month will be awarded a "Coupon for a Free Quilting Class" plus other donated quilting goodies! We will hold a monthly contest.  Each month there will one winner drawn from all those who enter.  Enter each month and you could win multiple times!!

February's Prize will be these batik fat quarters from my personal stash! These are quilt shop quality fabrics, no discount fabrics here! Plus the Free class coupon! These fabrics will be great to play with in your free class. Aren't they pretty??

Finishing quilts, allows you the opportunity to start new projects, and we all know how much fun that is.  UFO's happen for many reasons.

Don't feel bad if you have a pile of UFO's, this is very common and can happen for many reasons.

You loose interest because..........

• You don't like the fabric choices
• You wanted to master a new technique, but found it to difficult
• You made too many mistakes in cutting or sewing
• You don't like the pattern
• You found a new pattern 
• You found new fabric
• You are a quilter with ADD (aren't we all?)

These are just a few reasons for leaving a project on the side, if you have others please share them in the comments I would love to hear them.

Suggestions for how to move past the "I just don't like it"..................

• If you hate the fabric, try adding other fabrics to the project.  Make a scrappier look and use up some of your scrap piles too!
• If you hate the pattern, try adding other blocks to the design. Mix in solid blocks between the pieced blocks.
• If you find the technique too hard, add other blocks, or techniques and make it a sampler.
• When you finish it, give it away! Shelters never complain and neither do those at the shelters.  

We need to make a few ugly quilts, or imperfect quilts so that we can get to the masterpieces.  The only way to learn new techniques is to try them.  We cannot make perfect quilts from the start, we need to make many UFO's and sometimes even ugly quilts as it is part of the learning process.  Ask any artist........in any craft.......how many mistakes or tests they did before they got the masterpiece made?

No more guilt over wasted time or materials.....fix them, finish them and then move onto the next one......who knows the next one could be the masterpiece you were dreaming of!

Chris
p.s. Don't forget to register first, you can not post in the forums unless you are a member! The form is on the top of the page, or go to http://www.quiltingweekly.com  to register

p.p.s. If you post about this challenge on your blogs with a link back to both my blog and Quilting Weekly, I will send you a free class coupon just for sharing the linky love! Just tell me about it in the comments with a link to your blog, and be sure you leave a way for me to contact you!