If you are like me, you probably have a stack of unfinished projects, “fondly” known as Unfinished Objects or UFOs.  Whether you ran out of time, didn’t have the right materials, or just got sick of the thing, unfinished projects pile up easily. They also take up a lot of space. Therefore, we are encouraging you, our customers, to make a resolution this year to clean out some UFOs. So, get ready for a UFO Challenge! This year, we’re challenging ourselves and our customers to finish up to 12 UFOs. Follow instructions below for a productive year of sewing.

Instructions

1. Download the 2018 UFO Challenge entry form. This is a PDF form so you can type in your name, store, projects and % complete. Of course, you can print a blank form and also fill it out with a pen.
2. Fill in twelve projects that you want to finish this year. You can choose from any of your UFOs. If you have a kit you bought but never opened, or fabric you’ve been holding on to for too long, add using it up to the list. Any unfinished sewing project can be on the list. Estimate the % complete. Add any details on the project that you’d like.
3. Print your list and bring it to a store for validating by January 31^st, but preferably by January Sew Fun.
4. Start working to complete your projects. You can do your projects in any order.
5. When you’ve completed your project, fill in the month you want credit for on your entry form. Then, either bring it into the store along with your project list to be checked off by store staff OR bring it to Sew Fun for Show and Tell to be checked off. Please be sure to bring your form with you, so the project can be stamped as complete.
6. By the end of the year, you could have 12 “OFUs (Object Finished Up)”!

Rules

Definition of Complete:  ALL DONE! That object is an “OFU”.

Contest is conducted at each store separately.

Criteria: A UFO project should be a project that you have started. It could also be something you have been meaning to start and likely have most of the materials already. It can be at any stage of completion, including “not yet started”. You may purchase materials if you find that you need something to finish the project.

A project can be any type of sewing project – quilting, fashion, craft, home décor, etc.

All projects must be declared, on the form, and validated by the store by January 31^st. Projects added AFTER January 31^st will not count toward the UFO contest.

Monthly Prizes

1. If you complete a UFO challenge project and present it at Sew Fun you will receive a small monthly gift and two entries into the grand prize drawing.  One Grand Prize entry for completing the project and one for showing it at Sew Fun. UFO challenge projects can be checked off at the monthly Sew Fun or by store staff at any time. You must show your completed project at Show and Tell to receive the monthly prize and one of the grand prize entries.
2. You must be a Sew Fun member to present your completed projects and receive the monthly prize at Sew Fun meetings. If you are not a Sew Fun member, you can join the challenge and receive an entry for the grand prize drawing, but are not eligible for the monthly prizes. If you are not a Sew Fun member, you can join during the challenge and be eligible for the monthly prizes. 
3. You are eligible to receive one prize for each challenge month except as noted below in Exceptions.
4. If you cannot be present at Sew Fun, you can get one entry for the grand prize drawing. Just have your finished project checked off by store staff prior to that month’s Sew Fun.

Exceptions

1. If you complete two projects during a UFO challenge period, the second project will count toward the next deadline, except as noted in #2 below.
   1. For example, you have completed one project in January, one in February and two in March. The second one completed in March will be credited for the April challenge. You will need to present one project at the March Sew Fun and one at the April Sew Fun to receive the monthly prizes and the Grand Prize entry for presenting at Sew Fun. If you do present at both Sew Fun sessions you will receive 4 entries into the Grand Prize drawing. One for each Sew Fun presentation and one for each completed project. If you do not present at Sew Fun, you will still receive two tickets for the Grand Prize drawing for completing the two projects.
2. If you are registered for the contest, but do not complete a project on your list one month, you can still get a Grand Prize entry for it when you do complete the project. Just bring it in to the store and indicate what month you missed, and that you want one to be credited for that missed month.
   1. For example, you did not complete a project on your list for February, but got two done in April. You can mark two as complete. Credit one completed project for February and one for April. You will receive a Grand Prize drawing entry for each completed project. However, even if you show both projects at the April Sew Fun Show and Tell, you will only be awarded one monthly prize and one additional Grand Prize entry for presenting at Sew Fun.

Grand Prizes

1. You will receive one entry into the grand prize drawing for completing a project. You can receive a maximum of one entry per challenge deadline (monthly Sew Fun sessions), unless a project is being credited to a previous month (see Exceptions #2 above).
2. If you complete 12 projects, you will receive one additional entry into the prize drawing for a total of 13 entries for project completion plus whatever entries you earned by presenting at Sew Fun.
3. We will award a grand prize at each store at the December, 2018 Christmas Sew Fun.
4. Winners of the grand prizes will be determined by random drawing of names of those entered as projects were completed.
5. Winners of the grand prizes need not be present at the Christmas Sew Fun Open House to win.

These criteria and rules along with a entry form can be downloaded here.

So What is the Grand Prize?

TaDa!

Rob has generously agreed for each grand prize winner (one at each store) to receive a Brother NS1750D ! It has a MSRP of $1049!

This machine sews, quilts and embroiders, doing all three, brilliantly. You’ll love how smoothly it operates with the longer J foot and feed dog. With sewing speeds of up to 850 stitches per minute, this machine has 181 built-in stitches. Stitches include 10 styles of one-step auto-size buttonholes, and 4 sewing lettering fonts. It also has 125 built-in embroidery designs, including 45 designs featuring Disney characters, 140 frame pattern combinations and 10 embroidery lettering fonts.

Additional Features

My 2018 UFO Challenge

So, guess what? I have some UFOs, too. I know, you’re probably shocked to hear that. I’ve posted my list below, and I’ll post the results each month as I try to meet the UFO challenge! Some of these will be great blog “how to” posts.

We hope you’ll join the UFO challenge. Not only will you be eligible for some sweet prizes, you could also end the year with 12 completed projects that have probably been bugging you to get done!

The number of UFOs you complete determines the number of entries into the grand prize drawing. So, maybe you don’t have that many UFOs. Really? Wow! Good for you!  Just list, on your UFO challenge sheet, the UFOs you’d plan on finishing this year. Whether it’s one or 12, we hope you’ll join the fun.