Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Thoughts on Labels & Quilt Journals

Labels – I’ve only finished two quilts in my 18 months of quilting (that WAAAAAY bad, I know) and I didn’t put a label on either of them. For the quilt I made for a friend of mine I did write out a special card for the mom and she has put the card along with a picture of the quilt in her baby’s journal. The other quilt I finished was my All Stars Quilt for DH. Know real reason why I didn’t put a label on it, I just never did. I will put labels on the quilts I make, once I start finishing more of them.

Quilt Journal – I have an 9 X 12 journal that I’ve converted to a quilt journal. When I start a new project, or thinking about a new project, I start a page for the quilt. At the top of the page I put the name of the project and the date I started the project. I include who or why the quilt is being made. The rest of the page is filled with my notes about the project – what blocks I used, calculations for making the blocks, doodles and diagrams of the project and even some comments about my progress. For example I took an afternoon planning the Ohio Star Blocks for last summer’s Challenge only to decide to use a different design and that comment appears on both pages for my blocks.

I only use this book when I don’t have a printed pattern I’m following. When I sew one of Dorothy’s mystery quilts I make notes all over the margins of the pattern instead of in the journal. I keep all of those patterns in a 3 ring binder.

I’ve also started using Excel to do some design work and haven’t transferred any of that work onto paper yet to put into a binder.

As for pictures all of them are still in my I-Photo program on my computer. I haven’t printed any of them out yet.

I’m also in the process of creating a database for recording UFOs. While I like the ability to “play” with my UFOs on the computer I’m trying to decide if I should print out the form I’ve created and make my own journal or just take the time to write them all in my journal.

2 comments:

Linda C said...

My, what pretty fabric has come home with you lately!

Good job on getting a quilt journal started for your work. I use a spreadsheet from Works sheet for my multinidous UFOs and that seems to work. Before stashbusters no way, no how did I want to have a number to own up to but I have to admit it has helped me get a few done this year.

Granny said...

I've been trying to do better with labels. I gave my mom a few quilts this past week and none of them had labels. I couldn't remember when I made them, even though they were all made within the past 5 or 7 years. I am really going to work on labeling all the quilts I make.

Judy L.