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From: oklahomanana
Date: 02-15-2005, 08:07 AM (1 of 17)
 Hi, I was wondering how other people organize their stash of quilt patterns? I have tons that I have ran off the internet free and have stapled them together and punched holes for notebooks. I have them in notebooks but there is no organization to it. It would take hrs to find a pattern like this. Do you prefer by pattern name or pattern topic ie: Cats, or (patternname is called Stairway to Cat Heaven). I value your opinion on this. I have a file cabinet that is available to use and file folders too. Thanks! ( For all you cat lovers that pattern is at www.mccallsquilting.com
One of the best gifts to give a child/grandchild is your listening ear.
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User: oklahomanana
Member since: 09-07-2004 Total posts: 406 
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From: MaryW
Date: 02-15-2005, 08:36 AM (2 of 17)
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Hmm, what a good question. I would think it would be organized according to topic or perhaps method. Mine would definitely be topic. I don't paper piece or try complicated methods. MaryW
owner/editor of Sew Whats New |
User: MaryW
Member since: 06-23-2005 Total posts: 2542 
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From: Julia's Nana
Date: 02-15-2005, 12:20 PM (3 of 17)
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This is a great question. I have several notebooks full of patterns I have printed off the internet and they are like yours, just in the notebooks. I have forgotten most of what I have and I keep adding more. I have thought about dividing the notebooks by topic but past piecing and applique, that isn't much help as most all of them are just pieced blocks. I would think a index would be needed but that would take more time. I do have one them divided into holiday and things that are quilted but not full size quilts like table runners, etc. Dh suggested downloading everything on to a disk but without a picture to catch my eye I think they would be of even less use to me and I would hate to have to open each and every one to find what I wanted......... Really looking forward to the answers on this one. Norma |
User: Julia's Nana
Member since: 08-28-2001 Total posts: 361 |
From: kittendodie
Date: 02-15-2005, 04:26 PM (4 of 17)
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I do the same thing. Print them off and then put them in a notebook. I hope there is someone out there more organized than I am and could give me some pointers on how to divide them. I tried doing it on my computer and divided them by buildings, triangles, flowers, states....... but, I am a visual person and I need to see the design. dodie Husqvarna Viking Designer 1 ; Husq. 936 Serger ; and lots and lots of fabric.
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User: kittendodie
Member since: 01-22-2004 Total posts: 19 
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From: oklahomanana
Date: 02-15-2005, 10:40 PM (5 of 17)
Hi ladies, I hope more will respond to this question and help us all. I am thinking though Mary is on the right track with going with topics: Flowers, then you can be flower piecing, flower applique', flower paper piecing, etc. I like the idea a lot of doing the holidays too! My notebooks are so full, I don't even know where to begin. I do however, have my 3 hole punch, and stapler right next to me when I am at the computer, so as I run a copy of it off, i punch those holes, staple it al together and then throw it in the basket to be filed later. My basket is running over again! LOL! Tis, Tis, Tis, So many quilts, so little time!!!!!!!!!!!! Boy does that ring true here for me!!!!!!!!!! Thank you ladies for emailing me with ideas. Hopefully we will get more and all be neat and organized together~! (((((((( I can see that happening!!!!!!!!!!!!))))))))))ROFL~ 
One of the best gifts to give a child/grandchild is your listening ear.
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User: oklahomanana
Member since: 09-07-2004 Total posts: 406
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From: oklahomanana
Date: 02-15-2005, 10:42 PM (6 of 17)
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Hey Dodie, I almost forgot to mention Dody is my nickname too! My twins is Lody! how cool! I know another Dodie! I love being an Aunt Dody too!
One of the best gifts to give a child/grandchild is your listening ear.
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User: oklahomanana
Member since: 09-07-2004 Total posts: 406
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From: shirleyp
Date: 02-15-2005, 11:36 PM (7 of 17)
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I have downloaded quite a few of patterns from the internet. I file them in project ideas. Such as, tablerunners, wallhangings, lap quilts or by sizes. I have paper piecing , blocks, or foundation piecing. It has worked for me. A word of advise. I have only done two of the actual patterns from the internet and both had mistakes in them. I now try out the pattern with scrapes. If it works then I use my good fabric. I learned the hard way and have ruined some nice material. One pattern I tried called for a 6 1/8 inch sq. but after measuring and tearing apart I realized it was a error. It should of been 6 7/8. |
User: shirleyp
Member since: 02-12-2002 Total posts: 352 
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From: Julia's Nana
Date: 02-15-2005, 11:39 PM (8 of 17)
I don't hole punch mine, I put them in plastic page protectors...........each one has two, a front side and a back side. They look so lovely..........all four huge binders of them!! And I have NO clue where anything is or to be honest after all this time, what is there! They are nice to look through and dream, however you could make a entire quilt top in the time it would take to find what you were looking for (if you knew that is..............). Got to be a better way.  However, after thinking about this...........I am not printing anymore out unless it is something I am going to use NOW! I am drowning in stash and patterns and books, pretty soon there won't be room for the sewing machine! Glad to know there are others out there with the same great ideas I have.......you know the ones that end up eating you alive! LOL Norma |
User: Julia's Nana
Member since: 08-28-2001 Total posts: 361 |
From: oklahomanana
Date: 02-16-2005, 12:50 AM (9 of 17)
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Good advice for us all to take heed to and to be careful! thanks Shirley~
One of the best gifts to give a child/grandchild is your listening ear.
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User: oklahomanana
Member since: 09-07-2004 Total posts: 406
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From: oklahomanana
Date: 02-16-2005, 12:55 AM (10 of 17)
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Norma, You and I must run along the same track a lot! I have 4 huge binders as well! And can't find nothing when I want to find something! lOL~ I do confess I have a box full waiting on me to buy some more notebooks for them so they can be filed away too! LOL! I had told myself I was not going to run off any more patterns. I had enough!  Well that lasted a whole weekend and what did I do for a solid hour and a half tonight. I went to www.hgtv.com and downloaded their blocks for a year (2002)! I have to confess, I am addicted to patterns as well as the quilting part!Maybe I need therapy! LOL!!!!!!!!!!!! Quilting therapy I am thinking! LOL~ Nite nite. One of the best gifts to give a child/grandchild is your listening ear.
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User: oklahomanana
Member since: 09-07-2004 Total posts: 406
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From: Julia's Nana
Date: 02-16-2005, 11:06 AM (11 of 17)
Are the hgtv patterns the ones for the houses? We were just at a quilt show and one of the quilts was made from those patterns..........it was wonderful! I wasn't too impressed with them at first but seeing them made up into a quilt was great. Lots of ways to express yourself with fabric. Maybe I need to print out those...............NOT!!!!  Did decide last night that I should alphabetize my patterns as most of mine are just pieced blocks. Then if I did have a idea what to look for at least I would have a clue. Norma |
User: Julia's Nana
Member since: 08-28-2001 Total posts: 361 |
From: eisvik
Date: 02-16-2005, 12:13 PM (12 of 17)
| I tend to find a lot of patterns on FreePatterns.com . I typically download them, but don't always print them until I need them. I also like to catagorize mine by type of project: tablerunner, wallhanging, crib quilt. I will also catagorize by holiday too. I have bunch of 4th of July patterns, christmas projects, etc. I also get several quilt magazines, and if I like any of the patterns that month, I will pull it out and add it to my binders, and then I get rid of the rest of the magazine that I don't need once I'm done reading it. |
User: eisvik
Member since: 01-21-2002 Total posts: 3 |
From: mlbrown
Date: 02-16-2005, 02:17 PM (13 of 17)
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I, too, use the notebook method. BUT...I put "star" patterns (all kinds of stars) in one notebook, animal blocks in another, etc...then go on the computer and list them in the order in which they are in the book, saving my list each time. If I add one to the list, all I have to do is pull up the list on the computer and print in exactly where I put it. This makes it very easy to go to the contents page in the front and find any pattern. Try this...it sure makes it easy!!! mlbrown |
User: mlbrown
Member since: 05-21-2004 Total posts: 5 |
From: oklahomanana
Date: 02-17-2005, 07:59 PM (14 of 17)
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Julia's Nana, No the blocks on hgtv are not the house blocks we are using. They were just some I liked. I may use some of their ideas though! Use the ones that are posted under the Advent Block thread! We will make the same house each month it will just be a different theme each time. Sorry If I confused ya! Dorene (Oklahomanana) One of the best gifts to give a child/grandchild is your listening ear.
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User: oklahomanana
Member since: 09-07-2004 Total posts: 406
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From: Julia's Nana
Date: 02-17-2005, 11:10 PM (15 of 17)
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Dorene, That is ok, I know that you are using the BOM pattern for the house quilt........just wondered if you were going to MAKE the hgtv house quilt. I follow you lady! LOL I want to make a monthly house quilt someday but not now, got more going than I am able to work on right now and I am very frustrated. Need a whole day with the fabric and the sewing machine......................still need to do my flower block before the third one is upon us and I am really behind. |
User: Julia's Nana
Member since: 08-28-2001 Total posts: 361 |
From: calcharlie
Date: 02-18-2005, 04:25 AM (16 of 17)
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I save all my patterns on my computer and when I get time I download them to a cd. Then all I have to do is bring the disk up on the computer and it will sort them however I want it to. Saves space, doesn't get lost, doesn't get worn out from thumbing through looking for what I want. Charlie 
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User: calcharlie
Member since: 12-14-2004 Total posts: 28 |
From: oklahomanana
Date: 02-19-2005, 12:11 AM (17 of 17)
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I don't know if I will make that particulart hgtv quilt or not. I did run off the patterns but I have got so many irons in the fire right now. I drive myself nuts at times with getting myself in these situations! LOL! I guess I work better under pressure! LOL! Take care! Thanks for the message. One of the best gifts to give a child/grandchild is your listening ear.
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User: oklahomanana
Member since: 09-07-2004 Total posts: 406
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