How many of you keep track of your quilts?
#73
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Originally Posted by QuiltingJaguar
I remind all my friends to sign their quilts as they did not think it necessary. I try and remember to take photo or two, put them into a photo album with note year, to who or name of quilt. I am sure not perfect and sometimes I forget all this. LOL
#74
Super Member
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 1,265
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When I first started out doing this, digital cameras were new and my husband got one right away. Fortunately, I had just finished my first few quilting projects/gifts and he was sooooo smart and wise to insist we take photos of them and record all the details. [THANK YOU, BILL!]
I have a photo of the whole quilt, another of the back if there's something special about it, a photo of the label, and photos of quilt details. I thought I was going overboard doing this, but I continued to photograph all this stuff anyway. Now, 20 years later, I am thrilled/relieved/grateful having done this: when my daughter's high school graduation quilt was stolen by movers/packers five years ago - the photos and quilt details enabled me to recreate it, including the purchase of its fabric (no longer in quilt shops but on eBay).
I record:
- Length and width of the quilt
- name of the pattern, its designer and manufacturer (p.e., "Yellow Brick Road" by Terry Atkinson, Atkinson Designs); since you never know how something will be listed on eBay or Etsy, it helps to have all the information
- a PDF of the full pattern instructions, fabric requirements, templates, etc. This electronic version is never, ever distributed to anyone - I keep it in case of those Acts of God, which have happened, and only for that reason. Hard copy patterns are in my archives boxes.
- batting information (name, manufacturer, loft, fiber content)
- name of the fabric collection, its designer and manufacturer
- quilting motif details (illustrations of the quilting pattern, name, miniature illustration and manufacturer of the pantograph if done on long arm quilting)
- the recipient and purpose/occasion of the quilt.
- COST SPREADSHEET: fabric (itemized yardage x non-discount price), batting (nondiscount price), backing (nondiscount price), long-arm quilter services ( if used), embellishments and buttons, thread (don't forget that!) This information is to (1) calculate replacement cost for insurance purposes; (2) show people who want me to make something for them - the cost of materials is a real eye opener, and weeds out "clueless" and "cheap-thinking" people; and (3) serve as an estimate to tax writeoffs for quilts given to charity (I provide the cost spreadsheet with the quilt so the receiving charity can use it for their estimates of donations received).
- personal notes: what I learned, challenges, what was going on at the time (if relevant), etc.
Yes, it's a lot of information to record, but it's what I want to do. Because of my records, I have superb quilt documentation for state and national registries - and insurance!!! - as well as a history of my work. My husband all but nerf-batted it into me that I was making history with each and every quilt I made, because I was perpetuating a centuries-long craft. I am so very grateful for his teaching.
I keep these records both on CD and in a 3-ring binder; the hardcopy "packet" is inserted into a top-load sheet protector.
I have a photo of the whole quilt, another of the back if there's something special about it, a photo of the label, and photos of quilt details. I thought I was going overboard doing this, but I continued to photograph all this stuff anyway. Now, 20 years later, I am thrilled/relieved/grateful having done this: when my daughter's high school graduation quilt was stolen by movers/packers five years ago - the photos and quilt details enabled me to recreate it, including the purchase of its fabric (no longer in quilt shops but on eBay).
I record:
- Length and width of the quilt
- name of the pattern, its designer and manufacturer (p.e., "Yellow Brick Road" by Terry Atkinson, Atkinson Designs); since you never know how something will be listed on eBay or Etsy, it helps to have all the information
- a PDF of the full pattern instructions, fabric requirements, templates, etc. This electronic version is never, ever distributed to anyone - I keep it in case of those Acts of God, which have happened, and only for that reason. Hard copy patterns are in my archives boxes.
- batting information (name, manufacturer, loft, fiber content)
- name of the fabric collection, its designer and manufacturer
- quilting motif details (illustrations of the quilting pattern, name, miniature illustration and manufacturer of the pantograph if done on long arm quilting)
- the recipient and purpose/occasion of the quilt.
- COST SPREADSHEET: fabric (itemized yardage x non-discount price), batting (nondiscount price), backing (nondiscount price), long-arm quilter services ( if used), embellishments and buttons, thread (don't forget that!) This information is to (1) calculate replacement cost for insurance purposes; (2) show people who want me to make something for them - the cost of materials is a real eye opener, and weeds out "clueless" and "cheap-thinking" people; and (3) serve as an estimate to tax writeoffs for quilts given to charity (I provide the cost spreadsheet with the quilt so the receiving charity can use it for their estimates of donations received).
- personal notes: what I learned, challenges, what was going on at the time (if relevant), etc.
Yes, it's a lot of information to record, but it's what I want to do. Because of my records, I have superb quilt documentation for state and national registries - and insurance!!! - as well as a history of my work. My husband all but nerf-batted it into me that I was making history with each and every quilt I made, because I was perpetuating a centuries-long craft. I am so very grateful for his teaching.
I keep these records both on CD and in a 3-ring binder; the hardcopy "packet" is inserted into a top-load sheet protector.
#75
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I have a notebook where try to write about every quilt I make, throughout the process. I note the pattern, cost of materials if I know it, problems I had and how I solved the problem, and whether I want to make that pattern again. I take a picture of the flimsy and keep it in a file on my computer. When I quilt the quilt, I note the size, threads I used, what quilting patterns I use (since I only free-hand on my LA, I draw pictures of what I use on blocks, sashing and borders), and then I take pictures of the quilting, as well as the whole quilt completed. I also keep track of the needle sizes I used to piece and quilt the quilt.
Didn't always do this...never even took a picture of my first quilt :cry:
Didn't always do this...never even took a picture of my first quilt :cry:
#78
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Oregon
Posts: 3,364
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Now that I've gotten back to quilting, I take a picture of each with the names of the recipients and any pertinent info, such as the pattern and dimensions. Maybe I'll never use that information, but maybe someone will think it's important someday.
#80
Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: NW Minnesota
Posts: 75
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When I started quilting I took pictures and wrote something about every quilt, now I am also into scrapbooking and have a complete history of all my quilts since 2003 put into a nice binder, looks very nice, my grandkids love to look through it. This way someone will have a record of what I did in the future.
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