Sewing Organization Challenge, Week 12: Quilting Magazines

Here we are in the third week of May already. Here in central Pennsylvania, Summer is on its way as the days get longer and warmer.

The theme for this month is inspiration, and we are organizing all the things that inspire us this month. Last week we worked on cleaning out our patterns. How did it go? Are you feeling better about your pattern collection? I know I am. It is worth it cleaning out and getting organized. I am definitely noticing a difference in my productivity.

Let's talk about magazines. First, I LOVE QUILT MAGAZINES!

I am a sucker for them. I picked them up at my former guild’s give/take table, I buy them at yard sales, I subscribe to them, I love them! This is a tricky one for me because I want to keep them ALL.

A few years ago, I came up with a great idea to get rid of the bulk of the magazines. Well, I thought it was a great idea. It was not. I regret doing this, but I am going to mention it here because maybe you will love the idea.

Here it is:

I created a binder of all the magazine patterns I loved. I (neatly) tore out patterns, put them into sleeves, and organized them in this binder. I even made a pretty cover for it! I regret this decision. Here is why:

1. I don't gravitate to the binder. I don't think, "Okay, I want to make a new pattern and need inspiration. I know, I will pull out this clunky binder and find something!" This never happens. I think I have opened the binder a total of five times since I made it many years ago, and one of those times was for this segment. EXCEPTION: The only thing I don't regret is making a skills binder. Fons and Porter had (and I think still have) a section of their magazine that offers a snapshot of skill building areas. I love this. I also made a bind of these and refer to them often.

2. Our Tastes Change: Let's face it: our tastes change a lot over the years. For example, I collected Precious Moments Figurines in the mid- to late-1990s. I love them. And although there is nothing wrong with them, I grew out of this trend. The same is true with quilting. What I loved years ago, I don't love now, and I am sure my tastes will continue to change. Why did I box myself in by picking patterns back then? What patterns did I recycle that I would love now?

3. Our Skills Change: Patterns I wouldn't have attempted then are patterns I like to make now.

4. Time and Space: This binder took many hours to put together. It also is huge, heavy, and bulky. What was I thinking?

So, I know what you are thinking: Aren't these the kind of tips you should be offering in an organization challenge? Well, yes. And if you are set on doing this, please, by all means, do it. For some people it may be the way to go.

Here's what I love about the actual full magazines:

1. Light and Portable: You can grab a few and relax as you browse them. They are easy to grab, can be around the house, in your car, anywhere! You can also lend a few to a friend easily.

2. They are segments of time: You can see the piecing, quilting, and fabric trends evolving. Magazines give a great snapshot of this. I also like looking up designers to see where they are now. Try it! It's fun!

3. Our Skills Change: Magazines are new to us as our skills change. We look at them differently at different seasons in our lives.

4. The Advertisements! and Articles--Priceless! The old ads are priceless and looking at the old quilt trends, especially in fabric, is fun, too! Recently picked up an old quilting magazine that offered tips for photographing your SLIDES to submit to quilt shows. I love this! It was fun to read and reminisce.

As you can see, it will be hard for me to get rid of old magazines. In fact, I am not going to get rid of any, but I am going to organize them.

That said, here are your tasks for this week:

Gather up all your magazines in one place and start going through them.

Like always: SORT!

• Donate/Sell

• Give away

• Keep

Donate/Sell and Give Away Piles:

Release them into the wild as soon as possible so you don't change your mind. Mail them to a friend, bring them to a guild meeting and hand them out, or donate them to a thrift shop. Some old magazines sell, too. You could consider selling them.

Keep Pile

Figure out the best way to store them. Here are a few ideas:

• Stack them

• Put them on a bookshelf

• Use magazine racks

• File them in filing cabinets

• With caution, take out the patterns you love and add them to a binder. NOT recommended--see above.

Make sure to organize them in a way that makes sense to you. It could be chronological order, title, or favorites. Pick a system that works well for you.

A Plan for Future Magazines

As for me, I don't see my love for magazines going away any time soon, so I am planning space for future magazines. I also subscribed to a few that I love so I am not tempted to impulse buy anyway.

You may want to have a rule where you only purchase/keep a certain title or you will only buy one you know you are going to read and make things out of.

FUN Task

Look at your oldest magazine. Laugh along with me at the fun advertisements and fabrics. :)

For example, who knew?