In a Bind....er . . . . . .

I got a few questions after yesterday's post about my binder system, so I figured I would expand on it a little today......

I maintain four binders, and keep them right there on the top shelf in my sewing room. I have a pattern binder ( Favorites), a general quilting binder (Thelma's Very Special Quilt Binder), a finished projects binder (Patterns) , and the top ten patterns binder (I Can I Will Dream Big).

Everything you need to create a binder system of your very own is at your local office supply store. The Favorites binder, the one that holds most of my patterns, is a 3 inch binder.

I like to get the binders that have the clear plastic cover so I can decorate them up.

Inside I open up the patterns to reduce bulk and store them in a plastic sheet protector. The big binder has two patterns per sheet holder, so I as page through the binder, I have the pattern pictures on both sides.

The sheet protectors are also great for keeping everything together. This is my finished projects binder, and those are the templates I used for the snowmen heads....all together and ready to go if I ever want to use them again, or loan them out. (quilt # 40 "Under the Stars" by The Rabbit Factory)

At first I kept my finished projects in with the unfinished projects, but it seemed like I was looking for them all the time, having them together has been a real time saver. Plus, I needed the extra space in the unfinished binder.

I also use these handy dividers, here's how the patterns are categorized... #13 has the most patterns....I seem to just love star patterns. I didn't realize it until I sorted my patterns and noticed the huge stack of the ones with stars.

My miscellaneous binder (Thelma's Very Special Quilt Binder) has the following categories:

Blocks - for clever block ideas. Sometimes I like a certain block but not the whole quilt.

Bindings/Borders - pretty self explanatory - I have handouts from classes on binding and pictures I've cut out of magazines of borders I like.

Backing - Sometimes I see a quilt top that I think would make a good quilt back..or other clever ideas for the backs of my quilts.

Quilting - Even though I don't quilt my own tops (yet) if I see a quilting pattern that I like I store it here, that way I can pass it along to my quilter. It's so much easier to show her what I want instead of trying to describe it.

Craft and Gifts - this is where I store my Tuffet patterns, and other clever gifts ideas I see.

Great Ideas - these aren't my great ideas, these are ideas that I read about and then think, "Clever, I should have thought of that", but would forget if I didn't store them here.

Shopping and Web Sites - this is where I file the latest flyer from my LQSs, the business cards I pick up at quilt shows, and links to my favorite shops online.

Misc - this is for the things that don't fit into any of the other categories, I have some newspaper clippings of some of my quilts and some notes from quilting friends that are special to me.

Templates - this is for templates I've pulled out of magazines but have no pattern, I have a flip flop template and a sunglasses template.....

When I get new patterns or pull something out of a magazine for my binders, I throw it in a filing basket and then when I get a few things in the basket I just file everything at once.

Well that's it, it's a system that started with one binder and grew as my needs changed. I hope my organizational system helps you with your sewing room!

Here's something else I picked up at the "Road to California" quilt show.....

Inside this little bag

is the makings of a cupcake! They have the applique glue already attached.

So all I have to do is peel away the paper and press....I thought I would start putting these on the back corner of my quilts... then add my name and date.

I bought the cupcakes from the Quiltin' Cousins booth and they are by Morning Glory Productions.

Thanks for stopping by, it's a cold winter day here, perfect sewing weather.