15th Annual Final Countdown
Posted on December 28, 2023 by prairiemoonquilts in The Final CountdownIt’s time! We’re starting tomorrow!
It’s the final few days of 2023 — how did that happen so fast? — and I’m going to be offering up a few organizing challenges over the next few days, mainly to help give myself a fresh start on the new year. Will you join me?
Over this past year, my organizing took a more drastic turn as we are getting ready to move, and in order to do that, I must downsize a lot. The construction delays have afforded me time to practice patience on a grand scale, and to keep working on the downsizing of my studio before having to move anything.
The move is forcing me to examine every item I have, determine if I will use it, and if so, decide how and where I will store it, and if not, to get rid of it. It’s showing me what I have too much of, what I don’t use or will never use, and what I need to pare down. It’s an eye-opener, even tho I’ve been at this organizing thing for 15 years!
In last year’s announcement post, I listed out a few things I’ve learned over the years of doing this. Here’s a few things I did this past year to help myself along:
- • I didn’t start as many new projects this year as I have in previous years. Digging through the UFOs was a lot like starting new projects, simply because they’ve been languishing so long that they seemed new to me again! I DID start several new ones, but each one had a specific reason for being started, and it wasn’t nearly as many as I usually allow myself to start. And I finished quite a few! My UFO number stayed exactly the same this year, which now gives me hope that I can turn it around and start making it smaller from here on out.
- • I didn’t buy much fabric. Almost all of the fabric I bought was to put into quilts I have started that needed a little something more in order to get finished, or it was backing. I bought a LOT of quilt backings this past year. There was one exception, and it’s something I hardly ever do: I bought a kit! But I already have it all cut up and ready to sew, so it’s not gonna be hanging around unfinished for long.
- • I tried to finish as many quick-to-finish projects as I could in order to be able to give them away so they will be gone and I won’t have to move them or store them. I gifted several quilts, donated several to our guild for Comfort Quilts, and sold a few. This will continue.
- • I began working my way through the UFO pile — again — to see what it’s gonna take to finish them, or if I even want to finish them. Some will get downsized, some will get finished (maybe differently than originally intended), some will get ditched altogether, but it’s good to have a plan. A lot of them only need to be quilted and bound, which I tried to concentrate on this past year as well. I started the year with 58 quilts in my to-be-quilted pile. In spite of finishing several tops into quilts, I now have 59 on that list, and the extra one is a top I found the other day that wasn’t on the list already. And one of them is a wholecloth piece I bought that I want to turn into a finished quilt, so if it weren’t for those two, the list would actually be smaller.
And there are still many “moving projects” on my list — things that I hope to finish before it’s time to move, so that I’ll be organized right from the start in my new studio. And there’s always the day-to-day ongoing organizing that needs to happen in any sewing room, just to keep it a nice, calm, fun place to work in, right?
So I think The Final Countdown will help with that, and I’m glad it’s rolled around again.
If you’ve joined in on the The Final Countdown before, I’ll be thrilled to have you join in again!
If you’re new here, welcome! I hope you’ll join in this time to try and get a fresh start on 2024 with me.
Here’s how it works . . .
- • Beginning tomorrow, I’ll post a task for us to do each day for three days in a row; a different task each day.
- • Your job is to do the task, if you so desire (totally optional). If it’s not a task you need to do, then you can pick any task you feel fits your situation better, and do that one instead. You can look back at previous year’s tasks HERE.
- • After you’ve done the task, leave a comment on the post that you did it, and how it went for you. If you want to write a blog post of your own and link back to it, that’s great — we all love stories, and I love those random peeks into other people’s sewing spaces! If you’re already so organized that you don’t even need to do the task, you can still leave a comment to be eligible for the prizes.
- • I’m offering up a prize for each task, so be sure and leave a comment for each task that you complete. You’re only eligible for the prize for that task if you did the task and left your comment (or left a comment that you already had it done or didn’t need to do it). I try to make the prizes something that will help you with organizing, or things that you can use up, so as to not cause you more clutter or disorganization. If you do all three tasks, you’ll have three chances to win. How many you choose to do is completely up to you. Easy!
I’m giving us till January 8th to complete all the tasks and leave comments. I’ll draw for the three winners late in the day on the 8th. That should give us plenty of time to work on all three tasks.
So once again — simple rules, and prizes!
I’ll post our first task tomorrow, so be sure to check back in. Or if you’re not subscribed already, you can subscribe to the “News From the Ranch” using the form at top right, so you’ll automatically be notified when the tasks are posted.
Are you ready for The Final Countdown?
I’m ready! I’m still not sure where the year went though.
yipeeeeeee, I look forward to this. We lost electricity for 4 days just before Christmas and let me tell you I was a cat on a hot tin roof. I am doing the Bonnie Hunter Mystery, so if I couldn’t quilt I cut and stacked piles for blocks. I have been sewing twice as much since the electricity went back on. …
My arm is still a bit sore but improving every day so I’ll try doing the tasks! Wishing you all the best in the new year 😊
Moving will certainly motivate you to pare down! And that’s not a bad thing. Our last two moves have resulted in smaller sewing spaces for me. I’m getting a little ‘long in the tooth’ and have gotten a bit ruthless in my sorting. I had a really good friend pass away this year and she had asked me to help her family deal with her ‘stuff’. Fortunately we found good homes for a lot of her things, but of course some came to live with me🥰. Sweet memories! Happy sorting! I’ve discovered it’s quite therapeutic 😜. And as usual, thank you so much for all you do to keep all of us motivated and moving ❤️❤️❤️
Sounds fun to me. My sewing room is a mess, I have block units on the floor, bits of fabric piled in different spots, a crazy day when I tried to find something to sew with my new quilt ladies group – I feel young – show and tell bits and now they want me to show them how to do Bonnie Hunter’s scrappy trips watercolour style (Debbie – Stitchin’ Therapy)!!! Yikes – I’m not a teacher – panic! But it is very nice of them, so more prepping for that and another quilt on the way. I might do 2″ squares for a small top.
Ribbons and wrapping and presents for my mum – didn’t get to her before Christmas as I got a cold and will have to wait until I’m no longer icky! But pottering in the sewing room I can do!
Happy New Year Everyone!
Moving has a way of making you sort things out and pare down! Our last two moves have resulted in smaller sewing spaces for me and I’ve had to become quite ruthless! Actually it’s been kinda fun to find new homes for things and have more time (and space) for stuff I really enjoy! Happy Sorting! And thanks again for all you do to keep all of us motivated and moving!
I can try!
Bring it on…I will try to be with it each day!
Can’t wait to get started. Still recovering from a broken hip. Wasn’t able to finish all quilts for Christmas. I finished 12 and two got bags of cut blocks. They all laughed. Much fun!!
Hope all had a great holiday and a happy healthy new year!!!!
Still working on appliqué blocks. Made only 6 blocks this month.
Bring it on! My sewing room is a disaster! I’ve been thinking a lot about it but avoiding going in there. I’m looking forward to the inspiration from the final countdown to just get started. I spent some time yesterday looking at your final countdowns from past years. Lots of good ideas to jumpstart and manage the overwhelm! Thank you!
Today I am going to see if I can fix a tension problem on the longarm and finish a derailed Christmas project. Get the longarm room ready for a fresh start for the new year. (Now that I’ve put my intentions in writing I guess I need to get up and do it!)
I’ve been looking forward to this for a while. My studio isn’t in too bad of shape but there’s always room for improvement. Thanks for the encouragement.
Ready for the countdown. I did it last year.
2023 I finished 20 quilts including 9 UFOs that are done.👏🏻
I did start several new, but finished them because they were gifts with a deadline.
My sewing room is a mess because I bought fabric from a store that is closing. 😳
🥳
Yep, I’m ready!
I love playing the Final Countdown game (and the song too).
I am in. Already been trying to clean up. That is the same room where Christmas gets stored, so it is a mess right now, boxes everywhere. I made the rule for this year, that I could not buy fabric, unless I needed it for a specific project. I did pretty good with that. I also have finished a few UFOs this year. Memory quilt is done. Got to go this weekend to pick up from the quilter. Can’t wait to see it.
I’m ready! Count me in.
TOTALLY IN! I look forward to it every year. Thanks so much for sponsoring. See you tomorrow!
Thanks for those tips that have helped you declutter. I’ll have to work on those, too. And I’m definitely looking forward to the challenges again. I’ve already started moving things out of my sewing room, as it became more of a storage room, than a craft room. But I hope to change that for the coming year, and get some projects done. So count me in, too!
I’m in!! I love your motivation.
I’m in! For quite sometime I’ve been thinking that my studio was in very good shape. Then the week before Christmas I realized I had been avoiding sewing there- bringing one of my featherweights downstairs and working on the dining room table. Then it hit me – the way my “stuff” is set up made it too hard to sew. So, I’ve decided to move furniture, etc. and reorganize the space. So this challenge comes at the perfect time!
Sounds great! I can’t wait.
I’m proud of myself !! I make two 9patch quilts for my twin great-grands. A little llarger than a full size. I used fabric from my starch, all shades of pink for the girl, all shades of green for the boy. I did purchase white to use in the quilts. I finished several Linus quilts, some UFO Christmas things. I’ve finished a lap quilt for the cancer center also. I’m now working on a UFO that may drive me crazy. I went on a quilting cruise last February and didn’t get very far on my kit. It was much harder than I expected. So, I came home and put it away. Well I’m working on it now. Couldn’t remember if we were doing a throw or twin. Finished the blocks for a twin and discovered it must have started as a throw because I didn’t have the fabric to do the fancy border. This is were you stop, scratch your head and make up a new border. I think it’s going to be fine but it’s not going to look like the pattern. Good that I had to figure it out. I’ve been sorting through fabric and organizing once again. I pulled out all the children’s fabrics and passed it on to Linus to design kits. So I’m ready for whatever you assign us. Should be fun
I want to try! It helps me think.
One of my deep desires is for less clutter. I’m in!
I will give it a shot. Have been under the weather and haven’t sewn for a couple of weeks. Just getting back into it.
Yes, count me in. Thanks for motivating us.