Sewing UFO's - 7 tips to get them organised & finished.

[original image here]

If you sew, and unless you are a very particularly organised kind of person, you probably have a few "UFOs" (Un-Finished Objects) lingering around the house.

Today I'm going to share 7 tips I sorely need to take on board myself to help you get organised and ultimately finish your unfinished projects. Please make sure you share any tips of your own in the comments!

1. Sort them out.

Find all of the pieces, fabrics, notions etc and put them all into a large Ziploc bag with the pattern. I just buy mine from the supermarket. You can label them if you like but I usually don't as I like to reuse the bags once the project is done, and since they are clear you can usually tell what's what anyway!

Just a few of my many, many, MANY unfinished projects

2. Organise into categories.

Some of my UFO's are clothing that needs alterations to fit/repair, some are almost finished, some are just simply cut out. Organise them into categories - like those above - and store them in order. This way when you come to wanting to sew something you will know exactly what needs to be done to each one and roughly how long you will need to complete it. This is handy when you have a spare 20 minutes and want to finish something quick, or if you have all day to spend on something longer!

3. Store them all together, somewhere visible but neat.

I have all of my projects together in a tub, which just currently sits on the floor of my sewing room. You could get creative with this, or even super-organised and put them into separate tubs by type etc, or hang them all up but I don't have that much space. Do whatever works for you - just make sure they are out in the open, not thrown in the bottom of some cupboard.

My as-yet-not-organised box of UFO's. Nothing fancy, but it does the job!

4. Go and buy anything you don't have. 

I know a lot of the projects I've abandoned were because I realised part way through that I needed something I didn't have (I know, a terrible habit).. And then I just forgot to go get it. Look through all your projects and make a list of EVERYTHING you need to finish them, then go buy what you need. And only what you need - no fabric for new projects allowed!

5. Sew when you can vs create allotted time.

There are two ways to slog through your pile of UFO's - you can either sew whenever you have a moment, instead of (or whilst) watching TV etc, or you can plan out a specific time space for finishing something off. I like to do a mix of both, I'll set aside an afternoon on a weekend day to finish large projects but also finish little bits and pieces after work during the week.

6. Start with the simple. 

Got a bunch of skirts that just need a zipper installed? Or an almost finished dress that just needs a bit of hand sewing? Do the little projects first. Once you finish one you'll feel like you're on a roll and will be motivated to finish the next one, and the next..

7. If you get stuck, take a breather. 
But pick it up again the next day or move onto a different project for a while. There's nothing worse than getting stuck and frustrated with a project and then making a mistake. Put it down for the day, go do something non-sewing related and come back when you are refreshed and ready to tackle it with a clear and level head!

So, spill, how old is your oldest UFO? Mine is about 3-4 years I think, yikes! Do you have any other tips or tricks you use to get yourself organised to finish them?