Like many of you I have a lot of quilting/sewing magazines.

If a particular issue only has one or two patterns I want to save, I cut them out, file them in a portable pendaflex file box and toss out the magazine.

Frequently though, there are several patterns is one issue, so I want to keep the entire magazine. I dislike having to search through dozens of magazines for that one pattern so this is what I do.

I bought two small Rolodex file boxes. When I find a pattern I like, I write on the top of the card what the pattern is (watercolor quilt, bargello quilt, log cabin quilt, etc.), and a brief description. Then on the bottom I record what magazine it is in, the date of issue, and the page number. This makes it very easy to find the pattern I want to make.

I have all my magazines stored in magazine files and have them in a bookcase.

Brilliant! I have a degree in Library Studies and I NEVER thought of doing this! Duh! :shock: :-D

WOW!
Do you make housecalls?

I kind of do the same thing. My mom and grandma had lots of magazines and loose patterns, to organize and eliminate trash I started to go through them with her to select the patterns that she likes and throw out all the ad pages. I put them into plastic sheet protectors that have the 3 hole punch and then put into a three ring bnder. I try to put the picture side facing out. then if she wants a certain pattern she just pulls it out of the plastic sheet and then can slide back in when done.

I do like the rolodex file idea for the patterns that you have saved the whole magazine!

I print out a lot of patterns from on-line - if there's a magazine with only one pattern in which I am interested in I remove it, etc.
I have large 3-ring binders - with dividers - I put all of my patterns in plastic protector sleeves....
My binders have dividers - quilt patterns are divided according to style - Pieced, Applique, etc. - and then Blocks are divisied accordingly - as well as special dividers for projects - with tabs that would include Kitchen, Bags, Pin cushions, etc....
I find that this really helps and it's easy to flip though them and find ideas and just pull out the pages that I want to work on - and because of the plastic sleeves that all stay nice and clean and neat and when I'm finished I just put them back in the binder.

I have found that my tastes change through the seasons and years, so I'm afraid to throw any pattern out. What didn't appeal to me at all a year ago suddenly becomes a very desired pattern. Guess I'm fickle.

I wish the magazines would have pictures of all the quilts in the mag on the back cover.
I have alot of Annies Attic crochet mags that do this and it is so simple to just look at the back cover and see all the patterns.
I am in the process of dropping all my subscriptions to quilting mags because of this problem. They prefer the advertizing dollars for the back cover so I wont buy them anymore.

what an awesome idea!! i like the idea of the filing system, i'm going to do that this weekend!! thanks a bunch for the idea

When you are done, wanna come over and do mine? I'll make the fru-fru drinks and hubby will bbq :)

seriously ;)>> do you? you are organized.