Nothing beats the enthusiasm of a sewer embarking on a new project. The patterns! The fabrics! The joy! Similarly, nothing beats the despair of a tailor tired of an old, unfinished project. The sadness! The self-recrimination! Well, time to let that go. Instead of hating on yourself for that as-yet-unquilted quilt, why not put it to good use? Here are some of our favorite ways to use unfinished quilting projects today. We’re always happy to help you think of more, but this should get you started! 

Note: These easy quilting project ideas assume you have already sewn some of your pieces together. If you only have pieced fabric, that’s okay! Each of these ideas is significantly smaller than a full-sized quilt. With an hour in the studio, you should be able to run those pieces together into a large enough panel for all of these. 

Wall Hangings 

Quilts are art, plain and simple. If that art isn’t going to make it to your bed because Good Old Life got in the way, hang up what you’ve got. There exist multiple methods for doing so: 

1. Stretch your pieced quilt over a wooden frame and hang. 
2. Glue your quilt to a strong backing, such as canvas. 
3. Finish the edges and hang up with a dowel on top and bottom to stretch it naturally. 
4. Frame it. 

Pillows 

Naturally, pillows are much smaller than your average quilt. If you already have part of a basic quilt pattern sewn together, you’re mostly good to go. Even something as small as 18 x 18 inches will make you a decent throw cushion. Simply: 

1. Get a pre-made pillow or cotton stuffing. 
2. Sew the front to the back, leaving a hole large enough to insert the insides. 
3. Insert. 
4. Use piping or edging to finish the seam around the outside. 
5. If you want, you can use two panels at the back to enable you to remove the cushion and wash your creation. 

Quilt Piece Art 

Don’t have the energy to “put the pieces together”? Not a problem. Use the cut-up fabric in kid crafts. (Or let’s not lie, grown-up crafts.) Here are some ideas: 

1. Glue it to sturdy paper and then frame it. 
2. Use the pieces in decoupage. 
3. Fill a jar with colorful fabric for decoration (This works well for scraps also!) 

Tiny Quilts 

Okay, this is kind of a cop-out. It only works if you’ve already got a good-sized square or rectangle pieced together. If you do, guess what? You’re most of the way to a baby quilt or dog bed covering. Take your pieced quilt and finish up any gaps. Then back with batting and fabric the way you would a regular quilt. Sew some edging around it, and voila, you’re done! 

Have any other ideas? We here at Cathey’s would love to know all about them! Serving the Greater Tucson Area for more than six decades, you won’t find a more enthusiastic shop or staff anywhere. We invite you to stop by or call with questions today!