How do you organize your projects?

[snowplow3840]

How do I organize? Two piles labled : Done...Not Done

Seriously, I have unused pizza boxes. I label them...with what the project is...sometimes I even copy a picture of the project and tape it to the inside of the lid...with the directions. I cannot tell you how many times I have misplaced the directions for a project. Having a copy on the lid has been a lifesaver!!
I also label the outside of the box. The boxes stack easily on a shelf.

I also have a box for unquilted tops....too many at the moment. My goal is to machine quilt one a month starting in June.

FW

[QuilterLynn]

why are you not starting to machine quilt until June?

Just curious. I suspect the answer will be interesting. :P

[QuilterLynn]

I guess you folks have figured out that my organizational skills are lacking as well. Although after reading all of your posts I was able to come up with an idea. I will let you know if it works. If it does perhaps it will solve my family and cleaning issues. :idea: :P I do though realize though that compared to lovely ladies my stash pile is small. I guess I'll have to work to catch up. For the record tough I use to have a rule that only 7 projects at a time. Why 7? There are 7 days in a week. I know I'm warped :? or at least that is what they tell me. Well I will let you know if my idea works. Rachel

[QuilterLynn]

Hi QuilterLynn...

Unfortunately, I have some house stuff to finish first before I can concentrate on quilting.
Also my son is returning home from college and we will be sharing a car. Since he has a summer job...my time will be home bonding with my Bernina for the summer!! I am actually looking forward to my summer days filled with quilts.

FW

[snowplow3840]

Just finished my blog about my small and movable space. Unfortunately the container that Lynn talked about would not upload (guess it was camera shy tonight) Will try to post pictures of that next time

Ann

[eileenkny]

Ann,
I read your blog and made a comment. I have a couple of questions-do you share the driving at all? Can you do handwork while the motorhome is rolling?
eileenkny

[Margo]

Ann, your motorhome looks wonderful!! And I'm sure that working in such a small space really forces you to be selective about what you take in it to work on.
I'm really fortunate in that I probably have more space that I can dedicate to quilting than most people do, but I find that I work best if I keep my current projects to 2 or 3. I usually have a machine project that I work on downstairs in my basement "studio", and right now I have two hand applique BOMs that I work on upstairs so I feel like I haven't completely deserted my DH!!! I like the fact that I can change the pace depending on what I'm in the mood to do. I work on something nearly every day and usually can finish about 6-8 large (up to queen size) projects a year. And I'm also always thinking about the next project, so that as soon as one is finished, I'm ready to start the next one.
I can always see my UFOs (in the boxes on top of my fabric cabinets) so I can tell at a glance what I have already started.
If I haven't gotten back to a project after a year or so, I figure that I've learned all I need to from it, and move on to things that excite me now! I think that life is too short to waste it finishing things just because I feel guilty about having them unfinished! That also makes me more selective about the things I start!

[snowplow3840]

answers to some questions:

1. No I do not drive this rig. I did drive the 32 foot rig we had years ago (with awful whilte knuckles all the way) but after cataract surgery and an increase of the problems with my lazy eye it is safer for the whole world if I do not drive something this big. (I drive the car in areas where I know my way around but am not a very confident driver anymore so leave the driving to dh)

2. Yes I do hand work on the road. That is when I do a lot of my Brazilian embroidery, ribbon embroidery and bead work. Cindy Needhams tip about putting the beads on masking tape has been very helpful because bumps and turns and the sudden stops played havoc with the beads.

3. do I limit how much I bring along for the summer? That depends on if you ask me or you ask dh. I never bring enough but according to dh I bring too much well that is the way it goes.

4. Being organized I am not that organized and every once in a while need to buy a duplicate of something but with the new cabinets and reducing the number of things I need to transfer from one spot to the next has helped in that area. I try to keep my essentials in the things that automatically go with us. the two rolling cabinets and the thread box. after that it is sometimes a chancy thing but I try to think ahead in the spring and get things organized early. (Do I always achieve my goal - heavens no but I try)

Any way for all the little problems and quirks of working on the road would I trade for a 12 month permanent in one spot life style - not if I can help it. the day may come but they will tie me down kicking and screaming because the travel is one of my favorite things How else would I have met all my friends in person? So HOME IS WHERE WE PARK IT AND THE QUILTING ROOM IS WHEREVER HOME IS!!!!!

Ann still in Olive Branch but getting antsy to be on the road.

[snowplow3840]

I use plastic shoe boxes to put my projects in. I have 2 sizes - one for the larger projects & one for the smaller. Once the tops are done, they are hung over the bannister with their matching backing. I have a special plastic box that holds the binding for each of the tops that are ready to be quilted.

I usually have 4 or 5 projects going at once and only one that has been on-going for over a year (I'm in the avoidance mode :lol: )

I actually have some empty plastic boxes - which just baffles me! I have a few sets of fabric that could go in the boxes, but unless its something I really plan to make into a quilt, I don't put it in a box. The fabric sets were going to be quilts, but then I decided I didn't like them together so they came out to mingle with the other fabric.

[Smolfsine]

I actualy have a jurnal for each quilt now. Since I like to work on several quilts so if I get tired of working on one I will just go back to another one.

I keep my projects in different bags in a Big basket with a lit on so it will not get dusty.

And most of the time I finish my projects. At the moment I have 10 UFO's. Well I have also only been quilting for 4 years.

I have one self with fabric and 4 baskets. And I am trying to not buy much more fabric. My sewing room is very small. But I still have room for more fabrics :lol:

[eileenkny]

Jette,
There's ALWAYS room for more fabric :lol: :lol:
Isn't Alexandria near Pineville? I spent 2 weeks at Camp (fort?)Beauregard back in 1979 with my Air National Guard unit. At that time Pineville was a "dry" town. Is it still that way :?:
eileenkny 8)

[Lorna1021]

Originally I had my projects that I wasn't currently working on put away in 54 qt clear plastic containers. I bought 6 of these to store/pack my supplies in to bring with me when stationed overseas a few years back. But now I have a large design wall and I have 5 projects up on that. I thought that maybe if they weren't packed away then I would be more apt to work them. 4 are BOMs and this (almost) keeps me on target. The other is a wall hanging that I am struggling a bit with the design. Then in front of the wall on the floor I have a few more projects lined up with book or pattern and fabric. Some like our guilds mystery quild and challenge quilt I am working on, others are waiting for me to start. (After the recent shop hop I have less and less floor space and may put a few of these away until I can actually start them.) I also have a couple notebooks with page protectors to keep a couple BOMs/pattern/fabric organized by month. I am going to start a notebook for my latest endeavor--a Dear Jane Quilt.
One can only work on so many projects at a time, so I have limited myself to the BOMs, mystery and challenge quilt that I do a little on each month and then one other UFO that I will work on to finish. So now I have those assorted WIP and have completed 2 other quilts that I started a while back. It is all so much fun.

Lorna

[eileenkny]

Lorna,
HOLY COW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :shock: :shock:

You have to know-when I first read your post, I thought you had 54 1qt clear plastic containers. Then it was a DUH me moment. :lol:

I applaud your organizational skills. I don't even have a design wall. :roll:

Got any pictures???????????????????

eileenkny 8)

[snowplow3840]

Eileen for a second or two I thought the same thing and then thought Holy whatever that woman has more WIPs and wannabe's than even me. Glad I reread before I said something really dumb.

I miss my design board so much when we are in the motor home but we are seriously discussing removing the couch as we don't have overnight guests except dgd and she is small enough yet to sleep on the dinette put down for a bed. (she loves telling her friends how picked on she is at grandma and grandpa's because she has to sleep on a table lol just so child protection don't show up). The big slide is overloaded with the large hideabed in it and dh would have room to move around if I could move my sewing tables back that two feet or so and be out of the way. Another comfortable chair of a smaller size would accomodate tv watching and guests so we wouldn't really miss it that much. THEN I COULD MAKE A COLLAPSIBLE DESIGN WALL THAT WOULD GO FROM FLOOR TO THE BOTTOM OF THE UPPER CUPBOARDS WHEN I WAS USING IT AND GET FOLDED DOWN OUT OF THE WAY WHEN WE WANTED A VIEW(only draw back I can see so far to that plan is it would cut down on daytime light when I am using it but this place is really bright if the sun is out so shouldn't be a problem) Wish me luck - we plan to wait to take the couch out until we have the factory warranty work done this fall don't want the manufacturer to say we have breached the warranty with design changes but it shouldn't anyway because will fix one of their design flaws and not make it worse) Oh well we will see.

Ann still in Olive Branch but will be on the road soon.

[QuilterLynn]

Ann, What have you discovered health wise? Anything new to share?
Lynn :?: :?: