If you have been quilting for any amount of time, you probably have some, just a few LOL, unfinished projects (UFOs). Let’s use 2026 to decide to finish up some of those projects. List 9 projects that you need to finish. It could be binding or a whole project, that is up to you.
Fill out the UFO Challenge Form with those nine projects, or list your 9 projects on a piece of paper.
- The duration of this challenge will be from the February 2026 guild meeting to November 2026. The first number will be posted on the day of the February 2026 guild meeting. Turning in your UFO challenge list at the February meeting will earn you one ticket with your name on it for the prize at the end of the year.
- On the day of the Guild meeting throughout the rest of the year, a number will be randomly selected. That number will correspond with a project on your list. For example, if we select #4, you work on the project number 4 on your list. If you have already finished #4 and want to work on another project on your list, that is OK, too.
- Post starting pictures and finished pictures for each project on the Guild Facebook page or email me. State precisely what you hope to accomplish such as “I will sew the binding onto this quilt.”
- Participants will earn points: 1 point for working on the project during month and another point for finishing the project either that month or throughout the year. If you show a finished project with the number selected for that month’s finish, you can put two tickets into the drawing for end of the year prizes. If you finish a project that is not of the number for that month, you will put one ticket into the drawing box.
- As an extra challenge, we will add a 10th item to your list if you want to participate. Challenge yourself to learn one new quilting skill or technique this year.
Struggling to find motivation with your UFOs? Here are some tips that may help you.
- Sort through your UFOs and put them in separate categories. Ones you want to work on and ones you may have fallen out of love with a few. Go ahead and donate those to the guild or a local organization. Don’t be afraid to just let it go! It feels good.
- Don’t be afraid to break up your UFO into multiple months. Make block one of the guild BOM could be a challenge all by itself. Make block 2 of the guild BOM could be a second challenge, etc.
- If you have a lot of UFOs, just pick out your top 12. The rest can be saved for the 2027 UFO Challenge or they can be sprinkled in when you have extra time.
- If you have UFOs that won’t take much time to complete, consider adding more UFOs to that number. If you have three quilts that you would like to bind, put them all under the same number.
- Set aside a few hours, one day, or weekend in a month that you will dedicate to working on that project. Even if you don’t finish it, it’s closer to being finished. Having a dedicated time to work on your UFO will help.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you get in a bind, consider asking a friend to help finish the UFO.
- Don’t be afraid to change up your UFOs. Just because you wrote them down doesn’t mean you can’t change them. The last thing you want to do is not work on a UFO because you’re not “feeling it” that month. Grab another UFO and get it done!
- And last but not least, don’t start another project until you have finished your current one! That doesn’t mean you can buy all the materials you need, just don’t start it. I need to take my own advice. I move on so quickly. Try to let that new project motivate you to finish your current one.
Bonus Challenge: learn to FPP (foundation paper piece), learn to EPP (English paper piece), learn to applique, take one quilt class, etc. The possibilities are endless.