A Lesson Learned
10-15-2010, 11:16 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 934
Hi, my name is margie77072 and I've been shadowing this website for many months and have fallen in love with it. I can't wait to see the pictures, read the questions and answers and oh and lets not forget the links :thumbup:
Now, I am a hoarder of sorts...not physical things...mostly but I love information and I have all kinds. I save links and download patterns. If a pattern is not in pdf then I copy and paste into another format. I have them on jewelry making, crochet, quilting, etc.. I can't stop and up until yesterday I really saw no great problem with this. I have agreed to make a quilt for a baby shower on Saturday. Not a problem, right. I have tons of patterns for baby quilts not to mention lap quilts, etc..
Well, guess what! You can have to much of a good thing. It's taken me two days to find a pattern that's easy and works with the fabric I bought (before deciding what quilt to make). I am ashamed to admit that none of the patterns I have were ones I could use (or I probably could if I knew more about quilting). I, finally, found some really simple instructions that fit the fabric and my skill level. Although, I found 3 such patterns, it still took me a couple of hours to figure out which one I wanted to make. It is insane that I have over 100 hundred patterns and I couldn't use even one.
I have decided to GREATLY reduce my hoard of downloaded patterns. I will confine myself to 5 or 6 types and the rest will just vanish. Maybe, I can cut it even more. I mean, if I'm going to do an online search anyway (just to be safe...lol), there is no need for more then a few patterns to be kept on hand, right.
I, also, realize that I should choose the pattern before buying the fabric. That way, I can buy fabric appropriate for the pattern.
One more thing, I found a website that's just wonderful for a data junkie like me. It's http://with-heart-and-hands.blogspot.com/ . It has everything :thumbup: or links to everything crafty. Gotta love 'em.
Now, I am a hoarder of sorts...not physical things...mostly but I love information and I have all kinds. I save links and download patterns. If a pattern is not in pdf then I copy and paste into another format. I have them on jewelry making, crochet, quilting, etc.. I can't stop and up until yesterday I really saw no great problem with this. I have agreed to make a quilt for a baby shower on Saturday. Not a problem, right. I have tons of patterns for baby quilts not to mention lap quilts, etc..
Well, guess what! You can have to much of a good thing. It's taken me two days to find a pattern that's easy and works with the fabric I bought (before deciding what quilt to make). I am ashamed to admit that none of the patterns I have were ones I could use (or I probably could if I knew more about quilting). I, finally, found some really simple instructions that fit the fabric and my skill level. Although, I found 3 such patterns, it still took me a couple of hours to figure out which one I wanted to make. It is insane that I have over 100 hundred patterns and I couldn't use even one.
I have decided to GREATLY reduce my hoard of downloaded patterns. I will confine myself to 5 or 6 types and the rest will just vanish. Maybe, I can cut it even more. I mean, if I'm going to do an online search anyway (just to be safe...lol), there is no need for more then a few patterns to be kept on hand, right.
I, also, realize that I should choose the pattern before buying the fabric. That way, I can buy fabric appropriate for the pattern.
One more thing, I found a website that's just wonderful for a data junkie like me. It's http://with-heart-and-hands.blogspot.com/ . It has everything :thumbup: or links to everything crafty. Gotta love 'em.
10-15-2010, 11:21 AM
#3
Super Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Merced, CA
Posts: 4,188
Welcome to this nice spot, you'll see lots of lovely quilts.
I did the same, hoarded masses of patterns till it finally sank in that no way in this lifetime would I ever make or want to make most of them. What works for me is copying and pasting pictures of lovely quilts, then later going back and deleting most of them.
That way I've discovered that I love strong colors and sharp contrasts, even though the softer ones are even more lovely and intricate.
I did the same, hoarded masses of patterns till it finally sank in that no way in this lifetime would I ever make or want to make most of them. What works for me is copying and pasting pictures of lovely quilts, then later going back and deleting most of them.
That way I've discovered that I love strong colors and sharp contrasts, even though the softer ones are even more lovely and intricate.
10-15-2010, 11:21 AM
#4
Power Poster
Join Date: May 2009
Location: NY
Posts: 10,590
So glad to have you out of lurkdom. What an honorable intention of downsizing your data load. I can just see what would happen to me though. "hey, I know I have that pattern here somewhere, let me find it, it would be perfect for this fabric, person, occasion". I would then proceed to drive myself crazy insane looking for it for days, maybe even weeks before I would remember I had purged my files. :roll:
However, a self purging is better then having your hard drive crash and having absolutely no choice in what you saved and trashed. Good for you!
However, a self purging is better then having your hard drive crash and having absolutely no choice in what you saved and trashed. Good for you!
10-15-2010, 02:01 PM
#10
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,453
Welcome from Michigan!
you will feel so much better when you clean out your hard drive! the ones you do keep, remane them..so you can find them easily.
i have folders for each holiday,and then patterns arranged by "baby-children" and a few others..
i clean out my files a couple times a year!
you will feel so much better when you clean out your hard drive! the ones you do keep, remane them..so you can find them easily.
i have folders for each holiday,and then patterns arranged by "baby-children" and a few others..
i clean out my files a couple times a year!
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
