There seems to have been a few UFO sightings in my sewing room lately.

And no I’m not talking about little green aliens flying around overhead.

I’m talking about UnFinshed Objects – unfinished projects quietly piling up in baskets, bins, and stacks around my sewing space. Sound familiar? I have a feeling I’m not the only one.

Table stacked with bins and piles of unfinished projects.

After pulling several of them out recently I realized something surprising. First, I had completely forgotten about some of them. Out of sight, out of mind I guess. But more importantly, I realized many were actually closer to being finished than I thought. A little more attention, a few more stitches, and they’d finally be ready to be displayed, used, and enjoyed!!

And that got me thinking… what if I spent the summer intentionally finishing a few of those forgotten projects? Not in a stressful, race to the finish kind of way. More like a gentle creative reset. A simple plan to make progress on the things I already started.

Why I’m Focusing On Unfinished Projects This Summer

Why summer you ask? Well, summer has always felt like “project season” to me. Back when I was teaching, summer was the time when life finally slowed down enough for me to dive into creative projects. And I think that feeling has stayed with me — even into retirement.

So this summer I’m embracing a Summer of UFOs. Not really a challenge… more of a creative approach. A reminder that unfinished projects still deserve a little love, and that sometimes finishing something can feel surprisingly satisfying.

Quilting fabrics, thread, and cutting tools on a table.

My Simple Summer of UFOs Approach

I really want to be intentional about how I approach this Summer of UFOs. After all, it is summer, and I still want to have plenty of time for all the fun that comes with it. — beach days, time with the grandkids and family, travel, and simply enjoying the season.

So instead of turning this into a stressful “finish everything” marathon, I’m keeping things simple and realistic. I’ve set a few guidelines for myself this summer. Not rules… just guidelines. No pressure allowed!

Summer of UFOs Guidelines

Select projects that are already close to being finished
No large, or overwhelming projects
Focus only on a small handful of projects — maybe 2 to 4.
Make progress without losing the joy of creating.

My hope is that by keeping things manageable, I can clear out a few UFOs while still leaving room for everything else summer brings.

Summer of UFOS printables displayed on table.

To help stay organized and focused I also created a simple Summer of UFOs project tracker and planner. Nothing complicated. Just an easy way to keep track of the projects I want to work on this summer. Download the free Summer of UFOs printable here.

Possible UFO Projects To Work On This Summer

Let me show you a few of the projects I may be working on this summer. They’re a mix of cross stitch, quilting, and machine embroidery — which gives me a variety of creative options depending on my time, energy, mood and motivation.

Serendipity Cross Stitch

Supplies to finish the Serendipity cross stich project.

I completed this cross stitch project back in 2021. Yikes!!! The pattern is Serendipity, one of Fat Quarter Shop’s charity stitch-alongs. The stitching itself is completely done —all that’s left is the “fully finishing” process of mounting the piece onto sticky boards and attaching it to the frame.

This project became a UFO simply because, at the time I didn’t have the knowledge or confidence to finish it myself. But now I do. And best part? I already have all the supplies I need waiting in my sewing room, ready to go.

To Each Their Home Quilt

A quilt pattern and partially completed quilt top and border fabrics needing to be attached.

This quilt pattern is To Each Their Home by Sandy Gervais. It became a UFO because those quilt blocks were a huge challenge for me at the time. Some of them had to be ripped apart and redone multiple times. Truthfully it was just one thing after another trying to complete this quilt. Grrrr!! Eventually I just got tired of it. So it got folded up and tucked away.

But here’s the thing —it’s actually soooo close to being finished. I only need to add two more borders and the fabric is cut and ready to go. Two borders feels completely doable. Once those are added the quilt top will finally be complete and ready to hand off to my longarmer.

Home Sweet Home

This is another cross stitch project that simply needs to be “fully finished”. It’s been waiting since 2022 to be mounted and displayed on the decorative board…just like the original sample. The pattern is Home Sweet Home from the Fat Quarter Shop.

The good news? I already have everything I need to finish it. And now I have the know-how and confidence to do it myself. I even have the perfect spot picked out for it once its finished and displayed.

Garden of Dreams Quilt

Finished quilt top with center panel with quote surrounded by blue and yellow roses and other flowers.

This next project is a panel quilt made with fabrics from the Sunshine and Blue Skies fabric line by Create Joy Project. The quilt pattern is called Garden of Dreams, also from Create Joy Project.

After much decision making about fabric choices and placement the quilt top came together rather quickly. My original plan was to quilt it myself using my embroidery machine along with Kimberbell’s Clear Blue Tiles system. But then life happened —including the arrival of a new grandbaby and several trips to visit him — and this project slowly got pushed to the back burner.

Even so, I haven’t given up on it. I’m hoping that sometime this summer I might carve out a small chunk of uninterrupted creative time to finally get it finished and quilted.

Kimberbell March Mini Quilt

Mini quilt embroidery design CD along with fabric and embellishments to complete it.

This project is the March mini quilt from Kimberbells’ Mini Quilts Series Volume 1 CD. Now technically, this one may not qualify as a true UFO because I haven’t actually started it yet. But I’m counting it anyway.

I have made several mini quilts from this series but somehow haven’t made the one I wanted the most — the March quilt. And since March is my birthday month, this project feels a little extra special to me.

It’s been sitting on my “want to make” list for several years now without getting sewn, so I decided it officially deserves a spot on my Summer of UFOs plans

So those area few of the projects I’ll be choosing from during my Summer of UFOs.

And the best part of all… there’s really no way to fail at this. Some may get completely finished and some may simply move one step closer. And I’m okay with that.

Even if only one project gets finished this summer, that’s still one more finished project than before. And that feels like progress worth celebrating.

So I’m choosing to focus less on perfection and productivity… and more on enjoying the creative process, making a little progress, and finally giving a few of these forgotten projects the attention they deserve.

And I’m calling that a win!!!

Summer of UFOs Printable Download Graphic .

Join Me This Summer

If you have unfinished projects tucked away in baskets, bins, closets, or sewing drawers, I’d really love for you to join me this summer as we work on finishing what we started.

No pressure. No deadlines. No guilt.

Just pull out one unfinished project, take one small step, and see where summer takes you!

Maybe it’s adding a border to a quilt, fully finishing a cross stitch project, sewing a binding, or finally starting something that’s been waiting far too long. Every little bit of progress counts.

And if you’d like, I’d love for you to share your progress here on the blog or over on the Hello Creative Me Facebook page so we can encourage each other and celebrate those creative wins together.

Whether you finish one project or several this summer, every step forward is worth celebrating. Here’s to making progress and finishing what we’ve already started.