How to Organize designs for machine embroidery
 

Does anyone have any good ways to organize design files for machine embroidery. I am finding that I have lost many of my designs and I am sure it is due to my own lack of organization. These things are too good and too expensive to lose.
Thank you,
Jo Ann

Good question. My best friend is having the same problem.

EmbLibrary has a tutorial/photos on how to do this too:
http://www.emblibrary.com/EL/ELProje...oductid=pr1735

Years ago there was a free program for this, but I can not find it. It had many folders I would never use, so I got rid of it. The only program I did find.... my computer told me it was not safe & deleted it.

Make sure you back up your designs to a disc or 2nd hard drive, because you can lose them all if your computer goes down.

As soon as I down load a design I rename it something obvious rather than the design number that comes with it. For instance if I download hus0001233 and it's a vintage sewing machine I re label as vintage sewing machine, so I know what the design is.

I am a total loser trying to keep my designs in order. Just bought and downloaded an Irish design that I bought last year. Had trouble even finding where they were. A friend helped me so now I know how to rename them and where to hunt for them and where to move them. Now I need her to teach me about folders. One thing at a time.

I designs I have bought and collected over the years. At first I would made floppy disk that had only flowers, birds etc. that didn't last long. Next I made cds and a note book and placed the designs in it by designer: Artistic thread works cd 1 and it list all the designs on that list. Now am looking for something better.

I use an emb folder with names folders inside. As stated above by notmorecraft, rename the design and place in a folder inside the main folder which is named My Embroidery Designs. Inside are folders with named categories. Be sure to save the instructions how to open it. You can get this organizer for free at http://www.secretsof.com/content/608

I do this too. I'll never remember what the number was but if I'm looking for a particular design I can find it by name.

My father in law created a data base for me a couple years ago.

I used design categories as seen on Embroidery Library, and added
sub-categories as needed.

I am at work right now but will post a picture when I get home of
what my database looks like.

I've been collecting designs since 2000 and I'm sure others have been collecting longer than that. I make a folder for the website I acquire the design from, if its a set of designs, they too will get a folder within the website folder, then I have a folder for just freebies from that site. True that's a lot of folders but I know where I can find my designs easily this way. May not work for you or others but it works for me. When I'm working on a project I have made a folder that will show up right at the start of all my folders and I'll copy the designs into this folder and of course in a folder designated for that project as I tend to have a number of projects going at one time.........as for my quilt labels. I made up a basic quilt label that I can pull up and add the wording needed at the time, save it for when I actually go to use it.

I also have generic folders..............alphabets, floral, redwork, etc. from long time ago and I have no idea where those designs came from. For any design(s) I purchase I add a "$" alongside it so I know I paid good money for it.

I also keep all my designs on a separate hard drive from the main hard drive in case the system crashes it won't take my designs with it. Then once a month I back up all these files onto an external hard drive in case my PC goes to the shop then I can use it on my lap top till it gets back. I have all my basic personal files...........statements, tax files, etc. on this hard drive too.