Bubbie

I use a fat book spiral type. It gives me lines for making notes, it also gives me room to put a picture on the page across from my notes (this way when looking in the book, I can look at pictures to find the one I'm looking for - don't always remember the names, but remember what they look like). This also gives me a page to put samples of fabric along with the amounts of fabric and all of the dimensions too (you never know when you might want that size again). Also any special notes (ie: tweaks to the pattern, special problems and how I fixed or over came them, short cuts, how I felt when finished - do again, don't do again, needs different backing, etc....) My first journals used to have a fat 1/4 of each fabric I used (just in case), now I just make sure to put a sample of fabric with all the info of the fabric (just in case). I also try to keep the amount I paid for the items in the info too (just because I like to see how much I'm SAVING - this is what I tell my husband - lol). Some of my quilts have layout that I have drawn up, it just depends. I have also looked back in some of my journals to find extra notes (ie: who I was making it for, if it was for a fundraiser - and how much it brought in, if it was a donations - what group it was donated to (I've also made notes to donate more to some groups and never again to others). This is a lot of information, but it's info I want. Your journal can be VERY detailed heavy, it can have a few notes and nothing more or anything in between with pictures, etc... This journal is like any other journal, personal for you and how you want to use it.

Aurora

I found a free quilt journal on line years ago and downloaded it, but there is no indication of where I found it. I knew that someday I would want to keep a journal. I have tried to find it again but was unsuccessful.

luvstoquilt

I have an album with pictures of all of my quilts (also have it on line) and I am so happy I have it. I made several with my sister at the start of my quilting life and I am so happy I have those. I will forever miss her.

AZ Jane

I basically do the same thing right here on the board under albums. You can post as many pictures as you want, there is room to write pretty much anything you want. I always send my SIL here to see my latest and greatest (LOL) I have an album for each quilt I have completed. Of course that would not work if you want to include samples of fabric. But I like it, it's easy to do and I know where it is.

quiltingbuddy

When I first started quilting 20+ years ago I used an artist sketch book to draw/paste cut out ideas etc and started a running log of all the quilts I made. I did take pics (the old fashioned paper copies) that I put in a small photo album until digital became the way to go. Now I have digital photos in several locations and it would be a real pain to try to get them all in the same album but I should. Maybe I'll try to find the one mentioned that is on here and see if I can figure out how to get them all rounded up. It is nice to look back at the list now and then of all those that I've made, especially if they've been gifted. Good thread. In fact I wonder how to do the blog type record? That also might be a great way to keep record of them. They add up over the years don't they?

patchsamkim

Not a journal, but have taken pictures of most of the quilts I have made. Fun to look back and see what I have made over the years!

MargeD

I may not have a quilt journal exactly, however, I try to take pictures of the quilts I make, then I put a picture in a small photo album that has lots of clear envelopes, although I do need to put a brief description of the quilt on the outside of the picture. This comes in handy when I am trying to make a new quilt, or show someone pictures of the quilts I have made, such as the raffle quilts I have made for my church's Holiday Fair. Plus, it's nice to have the pictures all in one place so I can remember what quilts I have made in the past.

JoyjoyMarie

I decided to keep a record of my projects for several reasons: 1- 'cause I forget what I've done! 2 - 'cause I wish my Grandmothers, both of whom quilted and both of whom died when I was quite young, had documented their work. I am so curious about them, and they are all gone now - even my mom's generation is all gone now. We found a quilt flimsy when my cousin passed on, and found that many of the fabrics were the same as in the double wedding ring quilt that Grandma made for Mama. Did Grandma make it, or did she and Aunt Lois work together sharing fabrics?? - what is the story of the satin baby quilt that Mama kept in her cedar chest?? these are my wonderings. I keep my own sort of scrapbook style 3 ring binder these days, for the quilting I've done in the last 10-12 years. I just put in photos, fabric samples, comments that mean something to me (a new technique, a problem solved, a secondary pattern discovered, etc) plus pics of recipients when possible. I so often forget to give myself credit. When my babies were little, I made a lot of quilts for my friends'babies, but kept no pics or records of those.

My girlfriend got me started on the photos when we were making a lot of charity quilts together in a monthly group. We started some little cheap photo books of the quilts we made and gave away.

I also keep a little book of pattern ideas from here and other places- more of a journal of ideas- - Stuff I haven't done yet, but might want to try "someday," or don't want to forget. Again - the memory is going (and the list is long)

quiltingshorttimer

I do keep a journal--ok, I'm a slacker about actually downloading and putting the picture with the notes, but I write down the date made, the reason it was made, any special notes about the process or fabric, who is was made for, and then I also include (if it's one I'm keeping for me) which child gets it when I die. Both my kids know about that, so hopefully there will be no arguments! I also do a website blog for my machine quilting business and will post pictures on it--most of quilts that I did not piece so can't call them mine. My journal is in a special hardback notebook for it. I also have a journal that I keep of ideas, color schemes, pictures that inspire, etc for future quilt ideas. The longer I quilt the more I'm drawn to the idea of designing my own quilts, so this second journal helps with that.

BETTY62

I only keep a list of who I made quilts for and the year in which they were made. I wish I had taken pictures of each quilt but I just didn't thimk of doing so at the time.