March Unfinished Objects Report

My rate of finishing craft projects has been dismally low in the last few years. I keep a spreadsheet of all my UFOs (Unfinished Objects) which records what date I started them, approximate finished percentage, how many of each type, etc. I also have a tab for keeping track of future project ideas. It reminds me of what I've got in progress, and helps me decide which project/s to work on when I'm feeling overwhelmed.

I tend not to post projects to my blog unless they're finished, and with such a slow completion rate, it means that this so-called craft and hobby blog has very little craft! I wanted to try and change that a little bit, and maybe motivate myself at the same time. So, inspired by Hedgefairy's regular UFOs blog posts, I decided to start my own monthly series. I currently have 41 UFOs on my spreadsheet, which is quite a lot any way you look at it! Especially considering I've just realised that somehow none of my clothes sewing projects ever made it onto the list.

So hopefully the act of pulling UFOs out of the cupboard and photographing them for this series will encourage me to start actually working on them, and maybe even finish them. And, well, to be honest, some of them are so old that perhaps a process of 'naming and shaming' might help to move things along...


Project: Grannyland Blanket
Craft: crochet
Started: March 2014
This project is well underway. I've crocheted 34 squares so far. I haven't decided on the final dimensions just yet. A 7 x 5 square blanket would be nice, but a 7 x 6 would be even bigger and cosier. I think I prefer a squarer shape. Then there's the question of how to attach the squares together -- sewing them, or using a crocheted joining method? I haven't decided yet.
This is the project I usually take with me on car trips as a single square and one ball of wool is very portable.

Project: 70s-Style Cushion
Craft: crochet / sewing
Started: April 2014
I decided to create a colourful, 70s-inspired cushion with a crocheted cover. The crocheted part was over relatively quickly. I need to sew a backing and a custom-sized cushion to fit inside it, and that's where the project stalled. My sewing machine has been packed away for a very long time. I draped the square over the back of my couch so that I could still display it in some way while it was waiting to be finished. It got lost down the back of the couch for a while but I dug it out for this post.
I'm planning on unpacking my sewing machine again very soon, and this project would be a good simple one to give me some sewing practice.

Project: Bracelet
Craft: kumihimo braiding
Started: Mid-2014
I first discovered the craft of kumihimo when I visited Japan ten years ago. I was very enthusiastic about it but only managed to complete one bracelet and half-finish this second one. The repetitive action of braiding on the wheel is quite soothing, but it's a little tricky to remember the sequence if you're trying to pick it up again after a break. Perhaps that's why I never finished this bracelet. I really do love this craft though and I'd like to make more braids.

I'm hoping to continue this series on the last weekend of every month. Maybe I'll even have some Finished Objects to share in future!