Pattern Organization!

You may remember from yesterday's post that I bought a few patterns, which I love love love!

So now to the process of organizing them, which would be terribly boring for most people, but I have a system that I love!

First of all, I do not have a huge sewing/craft room, so everything that I need to sew has to always be immediately put away.  Also, I do not have space in any rooms or closets to store my patterns, so no filing cabinets like in the stores.  Of course, I dislike spending money when I don't need to, therefore it needed to be free or close to free.

After putting my thinking cap on, I came up with an awesome pattern organizing system for small spaces!  I'll go through the steps of how to replicate my system and what you will need.  Let me warn you that this may not work if you have an especially large collection of patterns, but may ever expanding pattern stash is growing and growing!


What you will need:
- 3 ring binders
- Sheet protectors
- Plain paper (optional)
- Dividers (optional)
- Ziploc bags - quart & gallon sizes
- Storage boxes, shoe-boxed sized or larger
- Time!

Say hello to my binders!  I use one for the pattern envelopes of dresses and the other for everything else: coats, tops, skirts, shorts, pants, bags, home decor, and crafts.  You can adjust your binders according to your needs.

The way I sort my patterns is by having the projects I want to accomplish first towards the front (usually more fun items or patterns I haven't sewn yet).

You could arrange it by season or style as well, especially if you have a larger collection.  Here's how I maintain mine!

First, take your newly purchased patterns and place the instructions and pattern paper in the quart-sized Ziploc bags.  Maker sure the pattern number is visible without having to open the bag.

 

Voila!

 

For larger patterns, like Vogue or printed patterns, you can use the gallon-sized bags.

Sort the items by pattern company, and then arrange them by number.

 

All the patterns are sorted and stacked in my soon-to-be labeled tins, which I purchased from IKEA a million years ago and were empty at the time.  Each label will signify the pattern company and number range, just like in the store!

Ignore the pattern envelope, only patterns in Ziploc bags are placed in each tin!

The empty pattern envelopes are placed in sheet protectors and placed in the binder, in the appropriate section.  I like to have a piece of blank paper behind the pattern so they are stabilized in the middle, and it makes everything look very neat!

Lastly, I stack my boxes (6 in total) behind my closet door, so they do not become clutter but are easy to get to.  You could also place each box on a bookshelf, under a bed, wherever you can find space!

I love this system because I have my two binders full of pattern envelopes handy and it's very easy to look through, like a lookbook.  Then, when I find the pattern I want, I simply grab the appropriate tin and it's super easy to find!

How do you store your patterns?

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My Customized 2013 Planner!

So, I promised a peek at my 2013 planner with my customization, and here it goes!

First of all, I decided the cover was beautiful but needed a little pizzazz.  I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut out vinyl decorations.  I found a beautiful damask pattern (to match the blog and my personalized sewing labels) and used the same font I use in my sewing labels as well.  Here is the result!

Hello, beautiful!

I obscured my last name's initial for privacy, but I absolutely adore everything else!

As for the inside, I used the pockets for a few items such as sticky notes, flags, and blank To Do list forms.  I used a personalized stamp to enter my information, should my planner get lost.  And my favorite part of the inside is my vinyl labeled tabs!

Open sesame!

I tinkered with the idea of using a labeler, but I wanted all of the fonts to match.  One tip I would have is to either use a thicker font or bold the fonts just a little.  I had to deal with some super skinny letters since they were so tiny!

How do I love thee, let me count the ways...

One thing I will definitely be using frequently is the thinner To Do list sheet for more important tasks for the day.  I have a To Do tab with every single item I need done, but I plan on transferring the most important items for the day onto a list and placing it in the calendar section.  That way, I can check on my day and know what tasks and errands I need to squeeze into my schedule!

Plus a million more items...

I also love the pocket folders that you can pop in anywhere.  They're great for holding invitations, coupons, and concert tickets in this case!

I'm sure the system will change as I realize items that are more important, and others that are unnecessary.  And that's what I love about this system!  It's so flexible!  I also bought the arc punch in order to be able to print out items and pop them into the planner easily.

Now, time to attack that To Do list!

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Planning 101 for 2013

I confess, I'm a huge fan of organization.  My favorite things to do are to make schedules, checklists, and labels for everything.  I research the best way to streamline a process and optimize my time.

So in theory, I would never, ever let anything fall through the cracks and always be on time.  However, I am constantly shuffling through endless To Do lists on my phone and more lists written on the back of printer paper.  And I'm almost always rushing to finish projects with a deadline, which is the opposite of how I like to use my creative time!

I have tried and failed to use all of the so-called "Best Apps" for organization, and not without trying!  There's something that I just can't get used to using my phone to keep track of anything.  It's super convenient, but unfortunately just not functional.

Maybe the organization thing could work if I had 5 phones!

So, I decided to go old-school and figure out what had worked for me in the past.  In the school old days, I used a basic spiral-bound calendar (usually with a school mascot across the front) and that was good enough at the time.  However, I had no responsibilities to keep track of when it came to errands and appointments.  Also, I wasn't digging the whole mascot flashbacks, so I added "Pretty" to the list of things I wanted for my 2013 planner.  Thus, I needed something with a little more maturity and style.

Not my planner, but something almost as ugly.

In college, I had a beautiful Coach wallet with a spiralbound Day Planner and address book insert that definitely hit the nail on the head when it came to style!  However, my needs have changed and I need something much more functional.  It was too small and non-customizable, so I tried again.

Then, I came across the best solution for me.  And of course, the most stylish of them all was from none other than Martha herself.  Introducing my 2013 planner, the Discbound notebook:

I love the color!

Now, this may not look like much now, but add all of the tons of accessories and the fact that it can be customized to a tee, and I'm ready for this year to be my most organized yet!

Yes, I bought every accessory in the store, and I'm not ashamed one bit!

Now, I should mention that I do not work for Martha Stewart, Staples, or any type of paper manufacturer, but you wouldn't know it considering the plugs I'm giving!  I'm practically giddy to get working on my customized calendar.  I can't wait to share my finished results soon!

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New Beginnings!

My first post of the year and ever!  Very exciting stuff.  :)

Not having kept a blog before, I'm not sure what the first post really should convey.  However, I'm sure there will be many growing pains before I get the hang of it.

Having googled the phrase "what to include in a first blog post," I was inundated with all kinds of advice from format, to content, and advertisement advice.  I'm pretty sure that this blog will be read by just a few close friends, so I've nixed the idea of the "perfect blog post."


So who am I?

I'm a girl from sunny California who wants so desperately to be crafty and Martha Stewart-like, but usually ends up with a sloppy mess and thoughts of "Well next time, I'll know what NOT to do."  I  can spend hours in a craft store, much to the chagrin of my significant other.  I have wonderful friends who are creative and encouraging.  Hopefully, I can feature some of their projects later on!


What am I going to be blogging about?

First of all, I have a love of all things edible!  I began cooking for myself after college, but after about 6 months of eating pasta and canned soup, I started to slowly expand my horizons.  Now I'm considered the baking professional in the family!  However, I am somewhat of a health nut, so much of my cooking errs on the healthy side and most of the time I have a vegetarian diet (due to my aversion for handling raw meat).  I adore having culinary adventures around town, and I hope to share some of those fun times!

Secondly, I have always loved sewing, and wanted to learn early in life, but I didn't get a chance to until this last April.  I grew up with a grandmother who would make us pajamas, Halloween costumes, and other projects that my mom needed.  However, by the time I was ready to learn, she had stopped using her sewing machine.  I'm so happy to be continuing the tradition (although it skipped a generation), and I love looking over the things she's made and getting inspiration from them.  I'm most interested in garment making, but I'll be making other items because someone's always having a birthday, bridal shower, baby shower, etc. around here!

If you ask my friends and family what other career path I could have taken, the answer would be professional organizer.  I looooove when things are where they are supposed to be, and in a pretty, functional way!  Now, I'm not saying that I keep everything spotless 100% of the time, and that I have the perfect solution to under the bathroom sink, but I do love a good label!  I plan on moving some time in the near future, so I'm sure that I will have to implement so new organizational systems.  Yes!!!

Lastly, I will be blogging about my love affair with pretty, vintage items.  I'm sure it will be self-evident in my future posts, but I "ooh and aah" over all those old-fashioned details that may be tacky or costume-y to some, but precious to me.  If you have an aversion to lace, mint green decor, or sparkly earrings, you may feel like you've wandered into an Anthropologie-esque wonderland.  You have been warned!


P.S. - If you're a grammar hound, please ignore my constant run-on sentences.  I can tell the difference between you're/your and their/they're/there, so I should get points for getting those right!  I like to think that the run-ons signify an overabundance of thoughts on any one subject.  :)

P.P.S. - I welcome any comments and participation, especially when I am planning my projects.  The more, the merrier!

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