I cut large cereal boxes in the same shape of the more expensive magazine holders. some are covered in scrapbook paper. They are only seen in my craft room anyway.

I would (suggest) take out the pages and templates that you want, keep the cover of the magazine and slip them in a page sleeve and then keep them in a binder. I have a friend here that quilts with me and we buy different magazines and give each other the part we don't want and that is how I organize mine.

[quote=dirty1mom]I have big 3 ring notebooks that I label with the magazine name. I put the patterns and templates, etc in those clear plastic sleeves and put into that magazines notebook. Sometimes if the mag. has a lot of patterns I want to keep, I stuff the whole magazine into the sleeve.[/quote


Those plastic sleeves and 3 ring binders work great... That is what I do. I am on my 3rd big binder...

I scan patterns that I really like from magazines, books, etc., and save them to my computer. Sometimes I get way behind and the mags pile up, but I am current sometimes, too. It works for me.

Thank Goodness my hubby is not demanding.

ditto on what dirty1mom posted. Our quilting buddies have 6 binders full of diff. books, labeled as to type of quilt (Christmas, star, childrens, etc) and it works quite nicely. Good luck

Yep...I'd tell him to get a hobby.....then we would see who gets rid of what ;)

Besides, if you keep your magazines in those magazine holders (cardboard or metal) and he isn't tripping over them, what's the problem??

I mean, I could see getting rid of them if you were moving overseas or something....but beyond that, I wouldn't do it :!:

Now, organizing your mags so you could find the patterns you want to do more easily....now that I could see doing :thumbup:
k

I started with binders but found it too much of a task. So now I use a big accordian file. I labelled each section (Christmas, houses, garden, Hawaiian, classic, stencils, retreats and even one for receipts). Easier for me than holes, sheets, etc. I do use sheets if there are pieces, etc.
I keep my magazines for the same reasons; my tastes and abilities have changed. I store them in the bottom of my stash cupboard and take them out from time to time and it is just like getting new ones in the mail.

I guess I'd alphabetize large sized envelopes and put them in a file cabinet - I'm facing the same dilemma here - not that DH is demanding - he figures when my footspace is so small I can no longer walk into my little sewing abode, I'll figure out something has to go and I'm nearing that right now - but a file cabinet with them filed in order in envelopes so they stay together would be ideal! I hate to lose the magazines, as many times I relate to what desgin I want by remembering which magazine I found it in - but I guess my mind can learn to be more organized too! :) Have a great time organizing!

Any pattern that interests me I place in those plastic sleeves and put in a 3 ring binder. If I see them on the computer, I either print them off or keep them in a folder that I can browse through when I am looking for something new to do. Quilt shops always have free patterns from the fabric manufacturers so I pick those up too!

Great idea...ripping out unneeded pages. I am going to do that. got my day planned now.

I pull out the article or pattern and put them in sleeve protectors in a notebook. You look much younger than me, so take my advice and get rid of the excess now, or you'll be overwhelmed in 20 years! I saved magazines, then did the pattern tearout thing, and I'll bet you NEVER ONCE in all those years did I use a saved pattern! There's always new ones in the mailbox and in the fabric store. Internet wasn't there when I started to sew, so there's that resource for patterns! So now, our house is crammed with sewing stuff I KNOW I won't live long enough to use and am TRYING to get rid of. Just saying...

A friend of mine is going to show me how to scan it all and save on a zip drive I am not able to do myself

Get you a binder and keep the most important things in it. (with the sheet protectors) My good friend and I have several with each different items in.

I put them apart and save what I want in 3 ring binders.

[quoteI think I will scan the patterns, but I don't think I can sell the magazines without the templates pull-out included....not sure if scanning the templates would do much good??[/quote]

If you scan the templates, you can print out 3, 4, or 5 sections and tape them back together.

I use the cardboard magazine holders found at Staples. They fit neatly on shelves. I go through them occasionally and if nothing appeals to me any longer I donate them to the guild I belong to - they in turn sell them for 25 cents...so it's a win-win for everyone.

He might want to think about that again, maybe one day they might come in handy and the pattern could be put on a T-shirt...$$$$$

Quilt blocks on t-shirts....sounds like a winner!!

How do you go about organizing patterns and templates from magazines you no longer want?[/quote]

I purchased one of those hand held scanners and plan to scan the parts of magazines I want to keep and then put on DVD or CD thru my PC. That way I can have what I want and get rid of the magazines that take up space.

Hand held scanner!!!! How great! Please let us know your progress......so many things could be downsized, in a good way.
Thank you

This is what I did, and I made sure the picture of the quilt was what was facing out so when I flip through the notebook I can see easily what it is.

I use this method. It works for me, but I still hate to get rid of the magazines. I have some I need to get rid of too.

I have this problem too. I've actually quit subscribing to quilt magazines because I find there might be one pattern that I really like. I've tried tearing out the pattern(s) and putting them in a notebook and typing all the patterns' names and inserting this in the front of the book. I like the idea from Diane in Alabama about the 3x5 cards. It would take a lot of work but you would surely know what you have. Thanks for the great organizing tips.

I went through my old mags and bought 2" binders and page protectors; I organized them by binder - scrap quilts, reprod, modern, baby & kids, wall hangings, bags, etc. Make sure you keep any templates ! I keep more recent ones in magazine holders. It's a great way to refresh the memory on ones you really liked (but forgot about!) and flag 'em for the TO DO LIST :) :roll:

Only 100...that is a very small amount of mags. If you use them, box them up and find a place you can access, such as under the bed to store them. I keep all of my really old magazines as they are in black & white and have many more original ideas that a lot of the newer mags. Now, if you had a FEW HUNDRED (as some of us do) that would be another story.
Brenda

some I have copied off and placed in a large binder,but now I have about six large binders and they are not organized to
types of quilts. ect. so am scanning onto cd disk and labeling
what and where, thus can download when I need, can search the disk I need since I have cataloged contents of each disk.

I recently did the very same thing. I used a 3 ring binder with clear plastic envelopes and put the pic of the quilt with all the directions and templates. I was able to put two different quilts per envelope with the picture of the quilt showing - one in front and one on back. it sure did cut down on space for me.

Hmmmm. How about putting them into those plastic bins that slide under the bed? That way you still have access to all the patterns in each mag, but they are out of sight, out of the way & kept dry and protected. Also, I wonder what he's "getting rid of"? Surely he has some extra "stuff" that he could clear out to make room for your new need. :-)

This is what I do. I love it. I can make a disc or a flash drive copy of my computer file so I don't loose it if the computer crashes.

I started doing this years ago. To me it is against a sacrilege to tear something out. This way I can recycle the complete magazine to friends. It was awful to receive a magazine where the part I wanted was already removed. {Ever have that happen at a doctor's office: you find a promising recipe or something but it is ripped out!]

Also, some places I have lived we have had silverfish and other 'critters' that like to nest in paper. Ugh!

This way I have more room for - gasp - fabric.

ali

wheni first started quilting i subscribed to almost every magazine so you can imagine how many i have.....started to give them away after i have gone thru them.....also giving books that i have read .......have no more room....iy's either me or them lololol

Yes....I have the same situation. I need to down size my quilting mags. I have unsubscribed to all the mags. I only purchase the mag if there are 3 projects i like......but I will purchase if there is one pattern that I love....love. I recently found myself looking through all the mags for a quilting pattern of a vine. So yes my tastes do change.... I am not sure if I should tear out the pages???? Or do I keep only mags with patterns i think i would make. :shock:

I don't have as many for quilting as I do gardening and such. I just copy the pattern, article recipe etc I like and keep them in folders. Then recycle the magazine. or pass it on to someone else. You can have separate folders for specific designs to make it easy to find.

Hah! - I laughed to myself one day wondering "if I tore out the pages I don't want, would I be further ahead" than tearing out the ones I wanted to keep. :lol:

You Go Girlfriend!!!!!!

Great post. Love the idea of tearing out the unwanted pages.

Another ditto!

I do the same thing.

Buy the clear plastics sheets that have the three holes attached and a large binder. Put the pattern picutre & instruction all in one sheet and add any notes that you want to make ie.Great pattern for little girt. If you want to be super organized divide your binder under categories such as Paper Piecing, Triangles, Squares, Helpful hints.
Good luck

So funny....I have the same rule.......3 projects or I put it down.
Just confirms that we quilters are of like mind.......