How do you store/organize your patterns?
 

I'm spending way too much time looking for patterns that I know I have, I just can't find. How do you store and/or organize your patterns? I have quilting patterns as well as a lot of craft patterns. Thanks!!

I friend of mine uses a filing cabinet..

I actually pin mine up on a cork board and the ones I cut out of magazines I have those plastic sheets and keep them in a three ring binder. Some day I plan to make an index for the binder.

I use 3" three ring binders-black for quilt patterns and white for applique. I buy a pattern but then make a copy of it in case I spill or just man-handling it. Keep both original and copy in it's own sleeve.

I have all my purchased patterns in a box and i just group like patterns together

i am a three ring binder girl myself.

I use three-ring binders, ten of them in fact. Each binder holds patterns, blocks, guide sheets, instructions, or whatever, all in page protectors. The "A" and "B" binders are pretty thick because many of my "things" begin with those letters. I typed out an alphabetical listing of all the items and have it in the first notebook. Whenever I add something else, I sit down at the computer and insert the new item into the alphabetical list and file the item itself alphabetically in the proper notebook. I made a second listing to include each item under the category it belongs in (pardon the horrible grammar construction!!): crafts, sewing, paper-piecing, quilting, cross-stitch. That way I can check each category if I am in the mood for a particular type of project, or just grab a notebook off the shelf and begin skimming through until I find something I want to work on. I can always add another notebook if a particular letter grows too big.

I forgot to add that I only print out the big list about once a month since my current "Table of Contents" runs about eighteen pages. Can you tell that I love to collect patterns?

I keep mine in a drawer where I can easily thumb through them.

Store mine on shelves, in boxes, behind doors, in file cabinets, a breadbox, etc. etc. Need to find a better way. You are right, spending too much time looking for special patterns.