Mine are just on the bookshelf in no order. Makes it harder to find what I want. But, I find all sorts of projects I want to do 😳

Well kind of both ways mentioned for me. I do have some collections by a certain author all grouped together and then there is the ones that are holidays also some that are all applique or quilted clothing. I guess I agree with the one lady, I have my own system. One thing I do try to do is put the newest ones on the far right top shelf until I can read it and then file it. I went through mine recently and donated a few to the second hand store. I still need a new shelf for the ones that are stacked and won't fit. They are machine quilting and continuous line designs. Not that I have tried them yet. I am still reading.

Mine are organized by size. Largest book at the right end of the shelf leaning against the lower edge of the bracket above, in order by size down to the smallest "normal" size book at the left end, held in place by a stack of small paperbacks and patterns. Not a very good way to do it I admit since it makes it a little harder to find what I want unless I know exactly what I'm looking for, but the shelf looks cleaner that way.

Cari

Mine are by theme. Basic sewing books, creative sewing and garment books, quilting books, color theory books. It seems to work for me.

I do mine by author as much as possible -- some of my books do not give an author's name so those I file by publisher.

My fiction books are stored in bookcases with the author in alpha order and each author in the order the books were written, a tad OCD I know, my father in law used to visit my 'Library' lol. My sewing books are in no particular order.

I organize by theme and then by author within each group. On my computer I have 2 lists, one with all the books in alphabetical order by author, then name, and the theme in parenthesis, and the second one by themes with the books in alphabetical order under the theme heading. It was a pain setting it up but now when I get a new book I try to immediately enter it in both lists. It takes an extra minute but has helped me on several occasions.

I do the same for patterns except instead of author I use the publishing company's name.

same here... but I don't own much more than a dozen books so it's easy for me to lay my fingers on any given one. I keep patterned books (like Turning Twenty) in a 3 ring binder alphabetically.

I group mine by technique; applique, scrappy, paper piecing, etc. I also have a notebook for each of those techniques that I keep pictures, patterns and information in. It takes away the clutter of paper. I find it very useful. I also store my patterns by technique in one of those 4 drawer plastic towers.

I sort by the type of pattern....baby quilts...scrappy....traditional...Christmas and other holidays. I stand my books up and then divide them with a piece of poster board taller than the tallest book. The poster board is either color coded or marked with the type of book( baby, scrappy etc.).