Here is the beginning of the spreadsheet. I made it in Excel, you could just as well make it in the Open Office equivalent. There are tabs for all the pattern companies I have so far. I've only done 1 plastic shoe box so far. I have a long road ahead of me, but this way I shouldn't have to look through every plastic shoe box in order to find what I want. Here is 1 shoe box full -
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| Each bin has a number, so I know which one to look in. |
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| If you click on this, it will open really big, so you can see all the words and details. It took me awhile to come up with the headings, and they were changed several times. Most of my patterns are grouped by the headings you see - Baby, Children etc... |
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At least I've begun!
Very cool, Karen. I have a photocopier and laminator at home, so I set my copies at 50% reduction and took photos of the front and back. Then I laminated them and punched holes. They now reside in the small ring binders according to craft/womens/mens and children.
ReplyDeleteThen, I have them filed in my cabinet by subject and in number order within the groups.
Whatever system we use, it's so much easier than having to go envelope by envelope!
Thanks for another idea!
xoxo
Donna
That's a great idea too, I like having the picture available. I also have a copier and laminator, so maybe that will be my next project after this wall is finished. For now, this spreadsheet will be better than what I have which is nothing lol :)
ReplyDeleteI wonder how other people keep track of their pattern stash? Let's get all kinds of ideas going on here!
This is a fantastic idea! If you've got one of the smart phones, you can even take your list to the store with you. For those of us with awful memories, it would keep us from buying the same pattern twice. (Not that I've ever done that...) I like Donna's idea as well. I wonder how we could marry the two ideas and add the fabric and notions requirements to it?
ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea, Karen! I like Donna's idea too, because while I was looking at your spreadsheet I thought it was too bad there is no way to tuck a pic in there.
ReplyDeletePretty much, all of your spreadsheet info is ON the envelope except the OOP info....So, Donna's idea which includes front and back is great and especially if you put it in a SmartPhone, then you have your pattern inventory with you wherever you are....Really creative thinking...thanks for the inspiration...Right after I finish adding to my studio on my blog, I think I will do what Donna did, but no laminator and no smart phone, here, so I may just scan to a file and at least have that to start with!!! Thanks, ladies for all the great ideas and inspiration. I HATE going through all my patterns knowing which one I am looking for, but...(well, you know). :)
~Louise
Louise as I was reading your post, I realized I could copy the front and back of the pattern, put the two pieces of paper in a clear page protector, and put them in a large binder, with tabbed dividers for the different companies. I have large binders and LOTS of page protectors. That way I'd have ALL the info on hand, without having to drag out all the plastic shoe boxes and look thru every pattern.
ReplyDeleteEach idea we list here, is giving me more ideas! Although I do have a Smart Phone, I don't know how I'd get the spreadsheet into it. (?)