Tips for Finishing Your Quilting WIPS (Works in Progress)

I’m so excited for this guest post today from Holly Lesue of Maker Valley: Rip Through Your WIPs: How I Finished 30 Quilts in One Year.

Not only does Holly have some motivational tips to help you get organized and finish those unfinished quilting projects, but she’s got a handy free-printable (for a limited time!) to help you do it!

Hello everyone! My name is Holly Lesué. I’m a quilter, fabric collector (hoarder?), and mom of four girls.

Together with my graphic designer husband, Dave (a.k.a. Stately Type), I own and operate Maker Valley, where we design and sell sewing-themed graphic tees, quilt patterns, and enamel pins. (You might have seen our collaboration with Amy from a few months back where we created these two cute quilting tees and three ADORABLE enamel pins!)

I also recently set myself up as a fabric wholesaler, started buying even MORE fabric (Shhh! Don’t tell Dave!), and now sell quilt kits for my Happy Christmas quilt pattern.

If you follow me on Instagram (@makervalley), you know that I quilt a LOT and that, for the most part, I finish my WIPs (my Work-In-Progress quilting projects). In fact, for the past two years, I’ve finished 30+ quilts each year. Looking back, that amazes me—because I am NOT naturally an organized, driven, “finisher” type of person.

I LOVE the thrill of starting a new project, but many projects can become… boring to me after that initial rush. The fun wears off. And it becomes really tough to work up the focus/interest/drive to finish them. They start to feel like a chore—almost like more housework.

And then, in the middle of that slog, more often than not, a shiny new project idea will pop into my head! Magically alluring, exciting, not at all tedious. FUN. …and I drop the WIP to start yet another project. I’ve struggled with this in the past—jumping from one project to another and slowly building up a backlog of unfinished WIPs that starts to feel insurmountable. Left unchecked, it can get to the point where quilting ALMOST stops being fun. Does any of this sound familiar?

Pixelated Utah Quilt Pattern – This is the Place

Today, I’m going to share the 3 keys I have discovered and used to break this cycle, motivate myself into finishing my WIPs before moving on to new projects, and get the FUN of quilting back in my life.

To help me overcome the vicious WIP cycle, a few years ago, Dave and I created a Quilting Organizer Pack PDF. We normally charge $3 for the digital download, but with the exclusive code AMY50 for Diary of a Quilter Readers, you can get them 50% off at makervalleybrand.com! 

Ok, now that you’ve got the PDF and can refer to it as you read along, without further ado, here are 3 motivational keys I’ve used to rip through my WIPs:

American Flag Yankee Doodle Quilt Pattern by Maker Valley

Key 1: Declutter your brain! (get those WIPs right out of your head)

I found that the biggest problem with accumulating all those unfinished WIPs was the mental toll they took on me. It was like my brain had too many browser tabs open and my mind (my creativity) started to run S-L-O-W-L-Y. Even when I started a fun new project, the ghosts of all those unfinished WIPs quietly haunted me—stultified me. This might sound overly dramatic, but they seriously sapped my joy and creativity! I realized that just like a computer, I needed a reboot. I needed to get all of those WIPs out of my head and into a more manageable spot where I could see and deal with all of them at once.

I created the “WIPs to Finish (The Terminator)” sheet to give me that reboot. As you can see, it gives you one place to write down all of your quilting projects (and finally get rid of the mental clutter they are creating in you). Take a few minutes and write down all of your WIPs now. Declutter that brain!

One final note on this key: over the past couple of years, I’ve found that the best part about decluttering my brain of my WIPs, is that it recharges my creativity and drive! Once my brain was clear, I was able to focus on new ideas and projects (like my quilting patterns and my Happy Christmas quilt kits).

Key 2: Break WIPs up into bite-sized chunks (then generate momentum through easy wins)

Once you’ve written down all your WIPs on the “WIPs to Finish (The Terminator)” sheet, use the columns to mark your current state of progress for each one. Each WIP will be in a different spot—are you working on your blocks, your borders, your binding? Whatever step you are on, mark it down. I found that these progress columns helped me to see each WIP—not as one giant, insurmountable project—but as a finite set of bite-sized (totally finish-able) tasks.

Once that’s done, look for the WIP that is closest to being done. Which one would be the easiest project to complete? I love to focus on those low-hanging fruit WIPs and knock them out because they generate energy in me—I get SO motivated when I see that I can complete these projects!

One of Holly’s trademarks is photographing her quilts in front of famous places!

Key 3: Track progress and reward yourself

Finally, with your WIPs written down, their current progress marked, and a few easy wins checked off, start using the “WIPs to Finish (The Terminator)” sheet to track your overall WIP progress. There’s something magical about checking things off of a list! Seeing progress over time helps to keep me motivated and on track. I also like to use rewards like the 2-for-1 Rule: tell yourself you can’t start your next fun project until you check two WIPs off the list.

That’s it! Thank you all so much for your time! I hope these keys help you to rip through your WIPs!

P.S. If you haven’t seen our sewing/quilting-themed tees and enamel pins before, you should check them out at makervalleybrand.com They make great gifts for quilting friends.

Thanks Holly! Some great motivation to just tackle those WIPS (works-in-progress projects).

I used these same Organizer Sheets in 2016 and 2017 and can attest to their effectiveness. It just feels so good to track your progress. Especially when you mark another quilt DONE.

I’ll admit to falling off the wagon for 2018, so I’ve already printed my new pages and this weekend I’m going to make lists and assess my WIPs!

If you don’t follow Holly (Maker Valley) or Dave (StatelyType) on Instagram, then I highly recommend following both of them. Not just for gorgeous quilty-inspiration, but just for happy, good vibes. They are a great team.

Thanks so much for sharing your tips and your Organizer Sheets, Dave and Holly!

Remember, the Organizer Sheets are 50% off exclusively here with code AMY50, so grab them and get organized!