Organizing hundreds of quilt tops

Nov 2015

The quilt tops have become unmanageable.  I have them stored in vacuum bags, cedar chests and plastic bins in various places around the house.  I find it difficult to "pick" the quilt top I want to work on so often I pull out several and then don't put them away.

I asked Sue to help figure out a system to manage them while visiting over Thanksgiving.  Prior to her visit I developed a Dewey Decimal like system to file and locate the quilt tops.  Sue brought a bag from Ikea but it has not top, but is similar in size to the Ziploc XXL bags.  Sue developed the means to fold the quilt tops to fit in the bag.  There are 3 saftey pins used to keep the folded quilt top into a bundle and the scraps for selecting a quilt back are also pinned to the bundle.  The data collected on each quilt top was the size, a picture,the Dewey Decimal value, notes such as pattern or fabric prints.

This is the Dewey Decimal system I created:

100 King      10 Traditional patchwork    0 Batik                 .  0     00          000 red/pink
200 Queen    20 Applique                        1 Flannel              .  1        01         001 orange
300 Double   30 Modern                          2 Cotton              .   2       02         002  yellow/gold
400 XL Twin 40 Non-Traditional            3 Non-Cotton      .   3       03         003 green/aqua
500 Twin        50 Abstract                        4 Mixed fabrics  .   4        04         004 blue
600 Lap          60 Mix of techniques                                    .   5       05         005 indigo
700 Crib          70 Panel                                                        .   6      06         006  violet
800 Irregular                                                                         .   7      07         007  brown/beige
                                                                                              .   8      08         008   black
                                                                                              .   9     09         009   white/cream

Tried to put data in spreadsheet but picture not possible.  I could set up an Access database but a lot of work on my part.  I Googled "manage organize collections".  I prefer freeware but the choices were confusing to me although most have comments that they are used by museums.  I ended up doing a 30 day free trial of Collectibles Organizer Deluxe.  Other requirements are: printable catalog and posting online. I spent half a day learning the software and trying to figure out how to print with the picture, etc..  After a day I decided to build my own Access database for the following reasons: The software seemed outdated and I could not determine if there was active development.  I could not get a catalog to print in a pleasing format.  The fields were not easily changeable.  I can find books and help for Access.  Too bad Google doesn't have free database like it has Docs and Sheets.  Maybe in time it will after all Microsoft now includes Access as part of Office.

Dec 13, 2015

Have the process going well.  Have catalog almost 200 quilts.  Have completed the vacuum bags that have been under the guest room bed.  Also numerous quilts that were laying about.  There are two cedar chests and the plastic chest in the office to do.  But I'm going to wait a bit as I need to get working on quilting so I can enter some into Sisters and Santa Rosa quilt shows for sale. 

Jan 4, 2016

I finally figured out how to print multiple columns for the catalog.  Inputted all the quilts that are presently done.  Still lots of data entry to go!