Getting Patterns Organized
 

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Hi, I've seen many questions on this board about how to get organized with old magazines and free patterns printed from the internet, I thought I would share with you how I recently dealt with it all.

It started when I went searching for a pattern I knew I had printed off the internet.... I did finally find it, but it sent me on a mission to get organized! Funny how that happens. I sorted all the patterns I have collected over the years, or printed off the internet (free and paid for patterns), by category. I took them all down to Staples and had them spiral bound.

It was a very freeing experience - I threw away 3 full garbage cans of stuff that was either duplicates, or I knew I would never use. That little venture cost me a whole week, working day and night, to accomplish. (And it made quite a mess in the process!)

Now, I have approx 20 bound books of patterns by category - Tablerunners, Bags and Totes, Moda Bakeshop, Chevrons (I love chevrons!), Christmas, Mug Rugs, and Cosmetic Bags, Children's Quilts, etc. etc. etc.

Each bound book cost approx $4.50, but it was so worth it to finally get organized and be able to find what I am looking for!

Hope this helps those of you who have wondered whether it's really possible to get organized, (as I was very doubtful before). I find the Avery Binders take up too much space, which is why I decided to do it this way. Also, these spiral bindings allow for opening up to the back, and looking at only one page at a time. And... it's also harder to lose a whole book instead of a few pages! LOL. I am SO happy.

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What a neat way to do it. I just put them in one of the standard notebooks using those plastic covers. Haven't figure out how to organize the free patterns stored on my computer!!

Do you have them printed out, or stored on your computer in folders? (I also have them stored on my computer by type of patterns, and pictures, too.)

very nice, great way to save patterns

This is my method, as well: applique, baby, pinwheels, stars (with sub-categories for different types of stars), etc. Makes them easy to find.

Now that's​ great thinking! Thanks for sharing!

Those booklets are sharp looking. I've been planning to go with the plastic sleeve, binder method since I already have the supllies for that. I would like to try that for a quilt book so that it will lie flat.

Really nice. I have had my quilt books bound that way so that they would lie flat.

never thought of doing that, and Staples is just down the block. Excellent solution!!! Thanks for sharing this with us.

Good organization tip.

Great organization tip! I could free up a third of a book shelf doing that- or more. Thanks.

Most of mine are pages ripped from magazines. I've been slipping them in the plastic sleeves. Do you photo copy first so all the pages are on the same type of paper?

I have mine in binders in categories of stars, animals, etc. In each of the categories is a paper piecing section and applique. They are all in the plastic page savers.

Looks good!

I like putting each pattern in a sep. plastic page protector so I can remove the whole little packet when I am working on that quilt and don't have my whole notebook to contend with. But having yours spiral bound also makes it easy to open and fold back the book to the pattern you are using. My challenge is to have some sort of rhyme or reason to the order I put them in. As for the ones online...I either print them out and put them in my notebook or "pin" them to my Pinterest page.

Great idea, am I correct that your book are not heavy (ie in plastic sleeves) and will stand up on a book shelf. I am interested to getting patterns organized also. Thank you for posting this...I will check back to see if you post an answer :)

Judy in Phx, AZ

Hi Judy,

Yes, by comparison, the spiral bound is much, much lighter than putting them in sleeves, and then in binders. IMO, I have too many, and cannot accommodate the space. (OK, maybe I collect too many things!)

The spiral binders don't stand up as well as notebooks (obviously) and so I set them on a shelf, and I have marked them by using a sharpie on the thickness of papers.

I am so happy to be organized, free of unwanted stuff, and able to find what I am looking for! (can you tell?? hehe)

The ripped pages are hard to bind, so I used an inexpensive paper trimmer from Joann's to make them all the same size. (I carefully pulled the pages out of the magazines at the gummed edges because I knew I would be doing this someday).

If your's are rippped uncarefully and are all very uneven sizes, I would suggest you photocopy them first. But, I think you will be able to salvage them by using the paper trimmer.

Great idea! Thanks for sharing.

I just organized mine too. I didn't think to do like you did. I just used the plastic sleeves and a large binders with the tab pages for subjects. I really would like to organize my smaller paper and plastic sleeved patterns. I have them in a little cabinet currently and by category, but they like to slip into the wrong stack when I am searching around in there for a specific pattern. Also, I would like a master list to know all of the titles right off. I am just too busy to take the time to do it.

Fantastic idea.

Thank you for replying to my question. The magazine pagers that I have were all very carefully taken from the magazines so I guess it will work. Now I just have to make that my priority.

This idea is great!!! I have a Staples right close by and I didn't know they have those services available. I need to go thru all of my loose patterns I have printed off and have received so I can follow your wonderful organized idea. I too have many duplicates so I probably will have alot of "throw aways" too. Thank you so much for sharing your great idea.

That looks great...Thanks for sharing....

Great idea I will put favorites together and have it bound, I have bound regular quilt books this way.

Great idea! Thanks for sharing.

Oh, that's just brilliant. I'm really good with magazines. I spend a week or two looking through a magazine and then I cut out the patterns that I want and throw the rest away. Right now I'm putting everything in page protectors in a three ring binder, but I'm outgrowing it.

Interested in your pattern called training wheels.......info please......
Good idea for loose patterns...I have done this same thing with books I have purchased...so much easier with spiral than trying to keep book open while working on the pattern....think I'll do what you did with those loose ones too!

I think I would be WAY too frustrated if I found a pattern that belonged in the collection after I had already had mine bound. I think I like the three-ring binders for patterns for that reason. I use magazine holders (I got several at Target in their dollar section) and manila folders to initially get my patterns organized. It initially takes up room, but once I get a magazine holder full, I then put the patterns in slip covers and into a binder.

Thank you for replying to my questions, great job with your patterns. I have begun looking to my magazines that I had maked with color tabs. Think I could organized 2 or 3 book easily. Thank you again :)

Judy in Phx, AZ

Here's where you can get the pattern.

https://www.shopfonsandporter.com/pr...baby-kids-teen

I had purchased the Fons and Porter book and photocopied the pattern out of it so I wouldn't ruin the book while making the quilt.

Thanks and good luck with your patterns. Be sure to post a photo when you get yours all organized. :thumbup:

That is a great idea. Thanks for sharing.

I have been storing mine, esp the ones from on line sites, in the 3 ring binders........BUT alas, I have too many binders now. .and I can not find anything with ease......one good idea I think I have tho.......as I have used each pattern to make a quilt, I have taken it out and those are all in a single binder that says "tried and liked" so at least I can locate the ones I have tried already and liked...........I don't use the plastic sleeves because they take up too much room in the separate binders...........

What a great idea, I have stacks of them and this would be super to use.

What a cleaver one you are! Great, thanks for sharing!

What a great idea. Wow, I think I am going to start decluttering and head to staples too!

I have several ring binders with plastic sleeves. They're heavy and awkward. I love your idea of the spiral bindings. Office Depot repaired an old favorite (college) cookbook by trimming the ragged pages and applying a spiral binding...put new life in it. Question: did you use a heavier product for the covers?

The spiral binding includes the front and back covers - the front is a clear plastic, and the back is a solid color (your choice) and it's also thick card stock type paper. I believe you can also get a laminated-type backing.

I, too, found the binders with plastic sleeves to be too heavy. This is, at least, half the weight, which was important to me, not to mention the space savings it provides.