Quilt Journal?
 

I've been thinking of keeping a journal for my quilts. I've got a lot going on with my boys and work and things, and I just don't trust myself to remember all the details of each quilt.

I'm just not sure what is the best thing to keep it in? I know there are journals made specifically for quilting, but just how practical are they when someone actually uses them? What sort of information do you usually keep track of, other than the obvious things like a photo, fabric used, etc.?

Would someone who uses a quilt journal be willing to share what they use and how they use it? It's a personal thing (but not quite like a diary or something) but also a practical thing, and I'm curious.

I just started quilting this spring and I keep a notebook with quilt information. I name and/or describe the quilt, what brand, color, and weight of thread because I am still figuring that out. The same with machine needles, brand and size, what machine I used because I have a bunch of them. I also include the type of batting, and how I quilted it and on which machine. I have been using different machines for both piecing and quilting as I figure out which one I like best for what.

I also note if the fabrics were precuts or yardage and then I use the project page for calculations for borders, bindings, and hanging pockets. I have been noting what books I have found answers to how to do things, such as proper rotary techniques and how to miter a border.

This is all in just a sprial notebook, with a page for each project. I try to remember start and finish dates and the pattern used. I also have an expandable file for copies of block patterns that I have already accumulated.

I have always kept project notes on my weaving projects and I also have started a notebook for garment and other items that I have begun to sew. Some of them tend to cross artforms so sewing information will end up in weaving notes and something pieced will end up in the sewing book. I found the notes useful as a weaver so I figured I would do the same with quilting and sewing.

eta: I always take picture of all my handwork.

Interesting that you bring this up. My college student daughter has been looking at bullet journaling lately. Right now I keep track of start and end dates, but would like to keep more details. In bullet journaling, you create your own custom layout. Most pre-made journals seem over priced and are never quite what I need, so they end up being abandoned partway into them.

I use large envelopes with the info on the outside and fabric swatches and pattern inside.
I have found this to be best for me. The envelopes go into loose leaf notebooks.

I really like the idea of an expandable file for patterns and other ideas and information. I hadn't thought of that yet, but I think I'm going to steal that idea. :)

I also like the simplicity of a spiral notebook for the journal. It's easy enough that way to add whatever I want to add - and I like your suggestions.

I've looked at bullet journaling as well. I like the quick and easy layout, but I agree that the majority of pre-made journals aren't exactly what I need. I like simplicity too.

I love this idea! Everything would be all contained. I thought about gluing swatches of each fabric used to make a quilt, but once you paste the swatches to the paper, then you can't really feel them anymore and I didn't like that. I considered stapling each swatch, but didn't like that option either. The envelopes would be fantastic!

A quilt journal can be as simple or as complicated as you want,.

My mother kept a very detailed journal, but after she passed away, the one major piece of information missing for all her UFOs was, who the intended recipient was. I finished her quilts for her, and can only hope she would be happy with the choices I made to give her last quilts to.

I use a computer program called Quilt Album to document all my quilts. http://www.quiltalbum.com/ It has has an area for pictures, You can document start year and finish year, quilt recipient, quilt size, maker's name, quilt top method of construction, quilting method, batting type and an area for notes.

I use a blog.

I did but, I no longer because I donate my quilts.

I wish I would have kept a journal/record.

I like the idea of using envelopes. That way you could have as much or little info in them.

What I would do - I think 6x9.5 envelopes are a fairly "common" size - One could have them printed with basic info on them - (I had trip envelopes made up for my husband for while he was an over-the-road truck driver. It had info on it such as date out - date back - destination - a section for fuel costs (gallons and cost, and other expenses - then all the receipts were placed inside the envelope.)

I think that could be adapted for a made item -

Name of item - maybe even have a photo on the outside of the envelope?
What happened to it - (given as a gift, kept, whatever)
Date started
Date finished
Photos

Inside the envelope:
Receipts
Either a sheet of paper or index cards with miscellaneious info on it.
You might also include what else was going on at the time you were working on it - personal, community, or world news.
Samples of fabric and batting.

I think one could use two layers of tape on one edge and punch holes in it so it could be put in a binder.

I had good intentions of keeping a quilt journal, but after about 3 quilts, I forgot about it. Besides, it was too small. I should've had a full-size paper thing.

If I had to start again, I think I'd ask myself what I want to remember for each quilt, then create a template on the computer, print a couple copies, and experiment with actually using it as you quilt.

Start date and End date
Size
Fabrics (maybe create a grid for gluing small samples to) or selvedges with enough of the
fabric showing
Recipient
Occasion
Thread (if important)
Special stitches
Problems/challenges (What I'd do differently next time)

And pictures! Printed pictures.

I had a blog over a year ago and had kept better track that way than on paper. But I abandoned my blog (which I sometimes regret because I journaled not only quilting but everyday life and feelings).

So, I guess I wouldn't invest much money . You have to know yourself and what is the fantasy you vs. the real you. The real you will always win out in real life:)

I was given a quilt journal that is about the size of my address book--it has place for name of quilt, when made, fabrics used, pattern used, "story" about the quilt (I put any inspiration, who it's for, process if there's something signficant and what I learned from making this quilt). I also put down at the bottom which of my 2 kids will inherit the quilt if I'm keeping it for me. Lastly, there's a spot for a picture. The picture is the one part I have trouble keeping up on--I take pictures but most go onto the computer and I don't bother to print them out. I sometimes do a multi-pic print to catch-up.

Where possible, I use one of the practice quilting sandwiches to create a mini-sample. I record needle size, thread, tension and other info directly onto the fabric an ink pen. (Naturally won't work with heavy pattern!) Also, there are times when I have dipped one side of the sandwich in hot water and dried it then marked what section is and isn't washed. Then it gets popped into a plastic wallet and stored away. I like to see a physical reminder of what worked and definitely what didn't.

When I started out, I just had one of those regular journals that people use as a diary. I made note of the size, date finished, what I named it, and who I gave it to. When I got a computer, I put it all there, but made sure to have a copy in a flash drive.

I keep one. I use it mostly for information because I sell some of my quilts. I put in the name of quilt, date started and finished the top, date started and finished quilting, if quilting was by machine or hand or mix of both, date completely finished, size, name of pattern and where I found it, amount of fabric used and hours of labor, kind of thread I used and estimate of amount, name of recipient and when given or sold. I also leave a space for notes...problems I had, what I would have changed, applique details if applique was used, etc.

Shoot...I have one somewhere that I started but I have forgotten to keep it up. : /

I staple pieces of fabric to plain copy paper, noted the pattern, date and receiver of the quilt and then slide it into protector sheets inside a three ring binder.

I had a spiral notebook with info about each quilt - when started/ended, size, etc. I also kept patterns and new techniques as I learned of them (e.g., how to make fast flying geese). It is an invaluable resource. I now have a Lori Smith project planner that works similarly, but I miss the freedom of my spiral notebook and will probably go back to that when the planner is filled up.

The best I do is take a picture, sometimes in process or most often at end. I do take a picture of everything I make and keep the pictures in a separate folder by year in my documents/pictures on my computer. They are dated and named but that is about it. I do back up periodically but as for the details, if my memory doesn't hold out, they are gone forever.
Gonna check out the quiltalbum app, may be easy way to get those details down.

I don't really keep a journal but I do have a notebook with some of my quilts and their respective notes. All the match calculations for one; block sizes; numbers of each block needed; etc. Most times the recipient.

I sometimes do a BOM quilt from my LQS. The shop owner uses a loose-leaf binder as her 'journal'. She keeps small (1" square) piece of each fabric; all the instruction sheets for each class/month; etc. I'm sure she records fabric lines, etc. as well. If I were actually going to do something along the lines of a quilt journal, I like the idea of a loose leaf binder. Room for expansion as well as easily being able to label the spine of the binder with what it is, etc. Then again, I'm a binder kinda gal...use them for all sorts of record keeping.

I print a picture of the quilt on an index card, (sometimes during the process too). I write the information on the back, and keep them in a small photo album.

Wish I had kept a journal. A friend in my Quilt Guild has a standard photo album of every quilt she has ever made. The back of the photo she slides in an index card with info, name, date and anything else she wants to remember.

I'm newer at quilting as well and recently created an excel document listing details that I want to preserve forever (i.e. dates, pattern name, recipient, machine, batting, fabrics, etc.) I've also taken pictures of everything and keep in a special picture folder on my computer. Lastly, I have saved the printed patterns I've used with all of my modifications and notes in a file folder/cabinet - I can see this is where organization will be a challenge.

I agree with others it's about finding what system works for you. Good luck! Look forward to seeing pics of your projects too!

Christine

I used to keep little pieces of each fabric, until I started making a lot of scrappies. It started getting confusing and a bit time consuming at that point. I do take a lot of photographs of my quilts, in progress and when they are finished.
I am pretty happy with that.

I found this link to a nice "journal" page. One of my after retirement projects, this January, is to begin to complete a page to what ever level I can. I have photos of nearly all of my quilts so I will be doing lots of 4X6 printing of photos.

When I searched for the link, it says use freely and make copies! http://mariaelkins.com/qd.pdf

My quilt "journal" is on my PC, I keep all my pertinent records in OneNote (part of the Microsoft Office software suite).

However, I am considering moving to paper, due to being inspired by my grandmother's quilting journal. She kept all her quilting stuff in 3-ring binders - things like her hand-drawn patterns, all her calculations for fabric needed, notes about how the quilt should be assembled...all that stuff is in there. It's so cool to flip through! I found her notes and patterns for quilts she made for me when I was a kid! I don't think she ever used someone else's pattern, she drafted everything herself. (I'm the same way! Now I know where I got it.)

The best part for me, though, was all the other stuff she added. She sort of treated it like a journal and wrote little paragraphs about who each quilt was for and why she was making it - some very sweet comments in there about people we haven't seen or thought about in years, and charming to read about myself as "my new baby granddaughter". She also saved several of the newsletters from her quilting guild in that binder, with mentions of her quilts highlighted or circled. Those were fascinating to read through, too. Over 20 years worth of newsletters!

And at the end of the last binder, she knew when she was working on her last quilt (due to worsening health), and she wrote a two-page essay about what quilting had meant to her in her life and put it in there. Nobody in the family knew she'd written that until my aunt and I were flipping through her quilt journal a couple years ago and found it - 12 years after grandma passed away; 15 years after she stitched her last quilt.

We even found a little mystery - none of us recognized that last quilt that she wrote about and drew a pattern for! We found photos of her posing with it so we know it was completed, but apparently nobody in the family ever saw it in person or knows what she did with it, and she didn't list who it was for in the journal (though she did list that information for almost every other quilt). It's very strange! I took photos of the pattern grandma made for it, I might try to reproduce it some day. :) (My theory is she donated it to her guild or gifted it to a guild mate - the photos look like they might have been taken at a guild meeting.)

So...I like my digital record-keeping because it's easy and convenient, but I can't imagine it having anything like the impact of all those three-ring binders of grandma's. My aunts and I treasure those binders! I don't know if anybody in my family will ever care about my stuff as much, but I think I'd like to leave something like those binders behind anyway. And I do like drawing my quilts out on graph paper, even though I have EQ7. I should buy a binder and a three-hole punch and get it started. :)

Two things to consider. You should have something strong enough to hold pictures, that's a must for me. Second is having a format that keeps the same type of info for each quilt, with a space for special info.

You don't need to glue the entire swatch down. Just put the glue along one edge. Then you can lift and feel as you please.

Me too, but didn't start it right away. I should have so I could have seen my skills progress, even though the progress has been small.

I use a graph paper notebook for my quilts. I sketch the entire project or at least a preliminary sketch. This helps me plan out all the pieces that I need to cut in terms of dimensions and number. Usually, I also draft a plan for how to sew the parts together. Also, lately I include stitch selection in terms of what did or did not work and any comments about useful modificatons. Based on the comments of others, I will start including photos of the finished projects.

Love that cat !!!

Wow! Everyone has such fabulous ideas about journaling and how to do what works for them. I'm intrigued by all the different ways to document all the information that could be useful and interesting later on.

I personally don't know if I would keep up with it over time, but I would sure like to try. I can't decide if I would like a physical or digital version better. A blog would be kind of neat. I don't think anyone else would be interested in what I'm doing, but it would be a good way to keep track of everything.

I've got loads of information now to think about though and I really appreciate everyone's input. Thank you bunches!

That's the critical part ... you need to find what works for you, around the parameters of the info you want to journal/document.

I don't have a formal journal, as some do.
I have taken pictures of all quilts once completed.
Where are they? stored in my computer!
I did start a scrapbook of sorts, but as far as that got were photos printed, and never set in place, just set into the plastic sleeves, along with any invoices I had for LAQing payments. My intent was to put the basic stats with the photos .... size, pattern name along with my name for the quilt, samples of the fabrics. Nope hasn't happened. Maybe someday?

What I have done well ... a spiral notebook at the sewing machine. It's nothing pretty and with just simple hand written notes, mostly for machine quilting. Info noted: project name, date, needle type/size, stitch # used, threads, tension, foot used, batting type/brand, etc. Sometimes other info is included, such as measurements if I am doing some calculations, but most time, that doesn't get documented beyond the scrap piece of paper I do it on. Or if I have changed a pattern, any special notes that I may want to keep for the future. What works well is that with this FMQing documentation, I refer to info from an earlier quilt, to set my machine up, then do some practice work before tackling the "real" quilt! Gets me to the actual job at hand a lot faster, just by using it as the starting point.

.................. Yes, someday, I may get serious and do the photo scrap book ........ :)

I have been thinking of doing something like this for machine quilting ideas. Right now I am trying to get caught up, but maybe later, when I get organized...

I use the planner from http://quiltersplanner.com/. It's very handy for me. i am able to keep my appointments, bills and quilting plans all in one place. It might be a little pricey for some, but I think it is worth it.

If you are storing your info on a computer -

Computers have been known to quit unexpectedly and all the info that was stored there goes down with it. Sometimes one can rescue some of it, but that's very inconvenient.

You might consider printing out some of the important stuff.

I started a sort of a hard copy scrapbook for my quilts for a couple of reasons: 1) I was curious about both my grandmothers quilts, and there was no record or notes about either of them or their accomplishments. 2) I give most of my stuff away and forget about it, but once in a while I like to remember what I made and give myself a little credit, (I've been told I forget to do that sometimes). My scrapbook contains pics of the quilts, sometimes with the recipients, along with miscellaneous notes about their creation - whatever was striking me at the time. It might have been the fabric, the pattern, the quilting challenges, whatever. That stated, I'm about 2 years behind in this journal/scrapbook AND I wish I'd been a little more systematic about the details for later reference, such as type of bat, piecing or quilting difficulties and the solutions I came up with, specific pattern names, ideas for the next time, etc. I have the pics of all my last 2 years work, just need to get them developed and into the record. Your post is encouraging me. I do think it's great on many levels to keep track of your accomplishments, so have fun whatever format you choose!

I use a blog also.

Pros:

I can post as many or as few details and photos as I like.
I can share with my out-of-area friends and family, and they can read it at their leisure.
It's accessible anywhere, anytime, and not susceptible to damage from fire, hurricane, flood, etc.
I can print my blog into a hard-back book. I like to do this at the end of every year.

I can't think of any cons. ;)