Does anyone have a surplus of patterns and not be able to find what you're looking for?

No. (is my nose growing???)

Almost always I can find what I want if I come here or Google the pattern name. :) I quit trying to collect patterns I liked and use my internet resources:)

me too.

I tend to hoard the free one vis PDF on my puter.... I try to save them in catogories that work with my blonde brain.

I'll tell you what I did several years ago. I purchased a large looseleaf notebook, a box of plastic page protectors from Sam's club and a pack of computer paper and I started going through each of my many boxes of patterns, how-to's as well as magazines that had something in them I just HAD to keep! And in the evenings, while watching TV, I started going through the items one by one and pitching those things I knew I would NEVER use. Then, at random, I started cutting out the things I knew I would use along with their instructions if any available and, using a glue stick to hold it to the background of computer paper, just barely tapped the back of each item just enough to hold it in place until I could insert it into a plastic protector. What I ended up with is something that resembles a magazine but full of just those things that appealed to me. Might even throw in a recipe or two. Sometimes I would even throw in a picture of a great room I'd like to duplicate some day. Well, long story short, over time, I now have 4 books of just fun things, 2 quilt books ( I looked through the magazines and maybe only really found one pattern I truly loved so cut it out along with the directions and pitched the book) and 2 for recipes. It works GREAT for me because in the evening now I have fun looking through them and, best of all, I not only am constantly inspired, I can actually FIND what I'm looking for!

snicker, snicker ... nay, me neither

:)

Wonnie, I do the same thing! I only collect 2 subscriptions that my mom keeps up for me for my birthday and christmas. I put all magazines I've cut into in a free box at garage sales. They disappear fast.:)

Great idea! What's someone's trash is another persons treasure!
:thumbup:

I find too much of what I am looking for and then can not decide! Soo much inspiration !
Now ask me to find a specific fabric in my stash that I just had my hands on last week... I have got to quit hiding stuff from myself.

Oh yes ... and the stash is getting larger and higher thanks to this Board!

Kind of a good news, bad news story!! :)

LOL

Thanks for my morning laugh!

Doesn't everyone?

I have no quilt patterns. Never bought one.

But I do have books and magazines going back to 1969.

And where do I get most of the patterns I use? I make them up. I see a quilt and I break it down into geometric chunks, and then figure how big I want it, and do the math.

You're so lucky. Mathematics is just not my strong point. :thumbdown:

me three...lots of free stuff in cyber world... :shock: my eyes get tired of staring at the computer some times....lol

PaperPrincess....had to laugh at your comment....bet there is lots of us in your predicement....lol

HMM--I think if I made one quilt a day, I MIGHT make all the want-tos I have saved by the age of 200 or so!

Oh yes, and don't you wonder why we keep looking at new patterns when we have a healthy stash of them right at home!

[quote=bluteddi]I tend to hoard the free one vis PDF on my puter....


Oh, if the computer was supose to "save on paper" I did not get the memo! LOL I save them as PDF's and print them out! Then promptly lose them and re-print only to then "find" my first pattern!!! So of course I keep them both....it's never ending! I have actually though of doing them like the old card catalogue's in the library, subject, titile, author LOL Maybe then I could find it.

I too cut and clip what I like and put them into a notebook. I have done this for YEARS with other 'craft' ideas too. Cuts down on extra magazines, and time from flipping through all the magazines to find 'the one' I am looking for.

Hi Wonnie,

I love your idea!!! I have too many magazines to sort through each time I want something from one of them. I had thought about cutting things out, but the teacher/librarian in me wouldn't let me cut up perfectly good magazines. Well, you have inspired me to go ahead and get the things I want organized and to let the rest go to recycling. Then I will have two more drawers to store more fabric. It will be a win win situation. Thanks. :)

Of course, those patterns are hard to resist at the moment, and hard to find, when wanted. I have spent quiet a bit of time this week hunting for a particular table runner-place mat pattern, I do know how to find it, I will cut up the fabric for a different pattern, and that should do it. Right? piecefully, the old one

I never was a blonde (and there's snow on the rooftop now) but I think "blonde." So could you tell me how you categorize your patterns. I've got volumes of binders full of patterns. You see< when it comes to saving on the computer, I'm a total dunce. So I print and stack. Then I put them in binders. There is such madness to my "system."

Gosh, I guess the first thing I'd say is, if it were me, I'd go through your binders and, literally pitch the patterns you know you're not going to use in your lifetime....things that sounded good at the time but, on second survey, just aren't that spectacular. Then I'd put the things I wanted to save inside the loose leaf notebook inside of page protectors. I have stopped all my magazines except for one and when it comes in I read it and sometimes there's nothing in it I want to save so I get rid of it. I like the other members advice as to putting the things you no longer want in a basket at a garage sale and maybe just putting "FREE" on it. I personally don't like storing it in my computer because I don't constantly want to keep going to the computer for something but, that's just me.

Recently i went through my quilt magazines and just kept the patterns i liked but so many patterns have the same name put them in plastic protecters and took the others to a thrift store

Yeah! :thumbup:

Yeah! :thumbup:

oh yes, never can locate the exact pattern I am looking for. But then I do tend to save patterns from magazines etc. Clip them and put in a file and hopefully put them in by category. However--often put them in the wrong one, but then do get to see whats in a file as I look for what I want. grin

That is a awesome idea thanks for the tip.

Ditto here!

Isn't that why we have to go out and get more???

This happens all the time with quilt patterns and now my recipes think they can get away with it too!

Oh, I can't tell you how many times this has happened. I stash patterns like most folks do fabric.

Unfortunately, yes. I've lost one I wanted to make last weekend and still haven't found it. But I found three other patterns that I had forgot I had...lol.

Yes, and I can't find the last one I bought....LOL

I think that I have more than I could make in my lifetime. Is that hoarding? LOL. I have them in magaine holders, binders & also in bags from LQSs. Someday I will get them all in one place, hopefully.

I started a 3 ring binder years ago, when they filled half my wall it was time to stop...i now use the internet. i have the world at my finger tips

I admit I am a pattern hoarder - some are in my binder, but I just can't help myself when I see a pattern I like, I make a copy of it. I stopped my magazine subscriptions since there are so many free patterns on-line.

I also save my favorites on my PC.

I found a table runner pattern that I really liked, so I ordered it......3 times!!!! When I got my room organized I found all of them. Gave two away. And I wonder why I run out of $$$$ all the time. hehehe