If you’re anything like me you have a fair number of project-starts, WIPs, and UFOs laying around your quilting space. Half-done log cabin, random assortments of pinwheel blocks, funky attempts at improv quilts. Anyone?
I love all my projects in their half-baked existence. I love them as much as I did when they were just a twinkle in my eye. And I love them as much as I will when I finish them. I think it’s wonderful, and I have to admit I have no shame whatsoever about the dozens of UFO’s I’ve started and left over the last 10+ years.
So…I started poking around online and discovered that you can use Evernote (https://evernote.com/) on your computer or your phone to keep track of all of your quilting projects. Designed to help people take notes and organize information, it’s the perfect digital quilt diary.
You can create a handy, visual list of all your quilt projects that is easy to organize and search. Just pick a title, upload some pics, and add your notes.
I like to think about what I would want to know 10 years from now if I looked back to see what I was working on, things like…When did I start this? What fabric was I using? Was it a gift? Where did I get the pattern? What did I learn or what challenges did I encounter?
Categorizing projects in different notebooks, and adding “tags” also helps me search and sort for projects in similar categories like projects made as gifts, or finished projects. When I’m in the mood for embroidery, I can search my embroidery project list. Or if I ever get the urge to pick up that log cabin quilt again, I can read a quick note about where I was when I left off.
The bonus is that it also turns out to be a nice archive of the work I’ve finished. Not only am I able to keep a quilt diary that helps me keep track of my beloved projects, I can also add a final picture of the finished work for a complete portfolio of my work that includes all of my notes.
If you’re looking for a way to track your projects, try it and let me know how it works. I hope you find it as useful as I have.
As a side note, I have not received compensation in any form for this post. I am not participating in any type of affiliate program. While I’m generally a fan of affiliate programs which allow industry experts share their thoughts on products they love, that is not something I currently do. I just like sharing the things I find that make quilting awesome.
Happy Quilting!