Generally, I like to call my unfinished projects WIPS, or Works in Progress, not UFOs. This is because I actually like having a catalogue of things to pick from when I get the chance to sew. It doesn't stress me out - usually. But this, this project must definitely be called a UFO.
I've been quilting for 16 years now. This project is 15 years old.
Going again into the Way, Way Back Machine this project started in 1999, when people were all up in arms over Y2K. Quilters, of course, put their positive spin on it and started swaps. Put 25 mini charms in an envelope, repeat that 80 times, and swap them out. Bang, 2000 charms!
These days people call it Scrap Vomit. I call it a bag of envelopes I found buried in my garage.
(To find out what else I found in my garage check out my Instagram feed. Oh boy. #thingsifindinmygarage)
The smart people with their Y2K swaps took the charms as they came in and sewed together the 25 into one block. Then they were able to quickly put the quilt top together, and keep things manageable. I, of course, wanted to get all fancy. I have sketches and math on trying to figure out creative ways to put my top together. And that's why they are all still in envelopes.
Now it is time to move this into the WIP stack. But me, being me, I need to catalogue all of this first. Into my sketchbook will go the addresses as I unpack. And then I think this will become my next Leader/Ender project. Let's hope it doesn't take another 15 years to finish this!
Update: I found a book where I wrote down all the people I swapped with! Now to just get these organized in piles.
Did any of you participate in a Y2K swap?