My Journals

Hello

I don’t  know about you, but I am a born list maker, at least in my mind.  I make a list at night of the stuff I need to do but it never quite makes it onto paper, and of course, by morning I have already forgotten half the stuff I need to do for the day!  I am somewhat organized but once I get started on my projects, then there goes organization out the window, again!  I honestly try to keep my table cleaned off as I have 5 very nosey and messy kitties who like to “help”, so every night I do put away my fabric and other breakable items.  I even have lids on my fabric bins to keep them out of there and a closet with a door that is an absolute “no-no” for them!  Please tell me I am not only the quilter out there who has this same problem!

Sew, I am now attempting to organize my evergrowing list of quilt/fabric/swap projects on paper.  Right now I have one of those wire mesh see through inboxes that I keep on a shelf that the kitties can’t reach and it has multiple lists of things I need to finish.  I am very good at finishing swaps on time and have no problem with that area.  My main problem is not starting a project but actually finishing it from the top stage to the binding.  I even invested a little money in the June Tailor Quilter’s Planner/Organizer, which are really helpful.  Especially if you use them!

Right now I have one of those mesh laundry organizers on wheels that I pull out.  I have it somewhat organized by, what else, plastic grocery bags!  Gosh, how those things multiply!  I can clean out my pantry where they are stored, recycle them and have nothing left, and BAM!  in less than a week I have more than what I threw out!  I have small address labels that peel off and I use those to write down the project, what stage it is in, and the pattern, and then stick it onto one of the bags.  Thank goodness, I don’t have as many projects as I have plastic bags, I would never finish!

I have 3 separate mesh bags in that laundry sorter, the middle one is for my friend that I’m teaching how to quilt.  Her quilt top is over a year old, but that’s cuz of our schedules.  One is for projects that I have started cutting out, blocks already made and need more blocks added, projects not sure what to do with, and BOM that are going on.  I also have a few blocks in there from different swaps that just don’t play well together and am not sure what to do with yet.  Some of the blocks that just don’t match anything will wind up as a table runner or another small project.  The last one is for tops that are finished and ready to be sandwiched or need backing material, and need quilting and binding, or need the final borders.  I keep all my swaps that need to be made separate, so they don’t get mixed up.

Of course, we can’t forget those Orphans.  Those are in  a separate bag waiting………

As for keeping a record of what I am doing, it’s a simple file system that I update periodically.  With the little tags on the UFO bags, I have a bunch of posties with the same information and have several pieces of paper with them stuck on the paper.  Each paper has room for about 6 posties and at the top of the paper I have written down a title, like if it is from a swap, a magazine, or whatever.

And that, my dear friends, is my attempt at trying to keep a record of my quilts.