Monday, February 11, 2013

Some Sewing Some Organizing - Design Wall Monday

Well I had a nice productive weekend. . . .for a change. I can happily report that all three ladies are individually sewn. I wasn't quite sure what type of thread detail I wanted to add to them so I just let the curves talk to me. It was nice for a change to just use a regular foot instead of going the free motion foot route. It took a five hours but I'm happy with them. It gives them so much more texture!

Now the next step is to get them pinned down right and finish the designing. I decided - since I'm still in my sewing hole - that I'll tape the piece to a wall (using blue tape of course) to pin the ladies right. I'm sick and tired of pinning through the background and onto my design wall. Then I have to take out the pins to get it down! So we'll try it this way. Still I wanted to refer back to the original sketch to get the placement of the ladies just right.

The first praise ladies

So what did I do?? I reached for my handy - dandy - flowered binder. I bought this cute binder just to hold the paper work on every project. When a project is done, I take all the patterns, sketches, overhead plastics and anything else that went into the design and put it in its own sheet protector in the binder. That way its always there if I need it. Just like today! Cool huh?!? 

Shady Sadie and last years lily quilt
Anddddd while I had out the binder - it occurred to me that I had the last couple of projects paper work still on my sewing table and design wall. So I took some time and reorganized my binder. It was fun looking through it and seeing all the past projects!!

How do you organize your old designs - do you keep them??

See more great design walls on Judy's Patchwork!

14 comments:

Living to work - working to live said...

Gosh - you are so organised!

I ought to keep a binder a bit like this. Instead I have random sketch books all over the place (and the blog!) but this feels like a good discipline to follow.

Terry Aske Art Quilts said...

I started keeping a binder - just like yours with sketches, etc. in a sheet protector for each project - a couple of years ago. I make notes about sewing machine settings, measurements, etc. If I want to duplicate a certain look, I just refer to my notes for the details.

Rhonda said...

The binder is a great idea. I now have 4 large three ring binders filled with notes, photos, magazine pages, my drawings and even fabric swatches.

Marti said...

I love the movement of your ladies.
I have a couple of binders, but also lots of loose stuff. You have inspired me to get a bit more organized. :)

Teaquilts said...

Love the three ladies quilt in progress.

Anonymous said...

I have to admit, my only record of the projects I've done so far, which fit on five of my fingers have only been roughly sketched in my big book just as the initial idea, in pencil, no colours or anything added. Perhaps it's time to take a leaf out of your book and do a bit more recording - it might help my organising. I like the idea of referencing like you have, very good:) Your colours in this piece combine so well.

Gari in AL said...

Love your ladies, both the colors and the creation. I use several binders: ongoing BOMs, Finished BOMs, quilt ideas/designs, current quilts, and finished quilts. And I, too, had to clean up the paperwork on my workspace = binders all over the place for a while. ;-)

Chris said...

I love the ladies. Very nice. I am not near as organized as you but that is my goal this year, to get organized.

Lynette said...

They're coming along so fantastically! Yes, I do keep old sketches, notes, etc. And shamefully, I need to organize them. They're just in a pile together on a shelf in the storage room. I like your idea. Maybe I'll adapt it to plastic sleeves in a hanging file box. . .

Sue Daurio said...

wow!! those ladies are just amazing! so beautiful!

Kate said...

Beautiful ladies! Love all the texture.

Candace said...

Your quilt is really pretty. When school supplies are on sale I buy cardboard notebooks with 3 clasps and pockets for less than a dime a piece. I designate 1 for each project. They are really easy to keep with the project box while you are working; then I file them in a filing cabinet when I am done. These notes help later, if I decide to try to write a pattern for that project.

jeanne hewell-chambers said...

that was five hours well spent.

MulticoloredPieces said...

Enjoyed seeing your binder. I've taken to using my working blog to record ideas, design...so convenient.
best, nadia