What I also need is a Magazine Manicure
Are you like me in that you love to subscribe or purchase every quilt magazine you see?
What do you do with those magazines year after year?
Especially the ones that you haven't looked at in ever so long?
Many years ago I started placing my magazines in individual binders.
I used these wonderful little plastic book keepers that slipped neatly into each edition.
Book Keeper by Lo Ran come in packages of 12 and cost around $3.
You can find them at JoAnn's on sale.
It was a wonderful system for a while.
I've collected binder after binder.
What I have discovered is that my magazine collection take up a lot of closet space.
And they are very heavy.
Another thing I have noticed is that I do not go back and look at the older editions.
I keep thinking I will peruse, and make some of those quilts, but my reality is that it probably won't happen in this lifetime.
What is that organizational rule? Something like: If you haven't used it in a year, then you don't really need it. Time to either give it away or throw it out.
I surmise if I haven't looked at the magazines in over 5 years, I'm long overdue to Manicure.
Mr. Cactus and I have been on a de-junking binge. He was more than happy to pull these binders down off an upper shelf and help me wipe off the dust.
Mr. Cactus and I have been on a de-junking binge. He was more than happy to pull these binders down off an upper shelf and help me wipe off the dust.
It feels kind of therapudic to create a clean space.
Bags are being filled, and I will be donating the magazines to my local quilt guild where they can be used by those who appreciate them best.
17 comments:
Years ago I was in a similar state, with so many patterns in binders, that I ended up giving them away or tossing, to free-up needed space. Then, a few years later (more recently) I found myself wanting to start filling up binders....and going down that path again. But a well-organized friend has helped me start taking advantage of space with computers. I now scan things in to create a PDF and have various folders, by designer, or publication. I also keep a *.jpg image file of the quilt, with the PDF being the pattern or article. I can quickly skim the images on my PC and then when I want to use the pattern I click on the PDF. Setting this up has really taken less time than filing in binders on my shelf..and works well, for most, but not all items I want to save.
I also work hard to try not to file/save electronically "every" great idea I see.
SewCalGal
www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com
I also have a ton of magazines, which I've just started going through and doing the same thing SewCalGal has been doing - scanning and turning them into PDF files. That way I've got the patterns I want, didn't tear up the magazine, and can send the magazine off to friends! I, too, had been saving them in binders, and find it a pain to try to find patterns in the 4 huge binders that currently have patterns in them. I've given up on that idea.
However, unlike SewCalGal I tend to copy everything I see, but it does make for great eye candy!
I need to do the same thing. I just moved all of them from Texas to Michigan. Some other quilter will be able to put them to good use. Great inspiration!
Great idea...I need to do that too...WOW!SewCalGal has a great system.
I had this same situation and if you are like me there is usually only one or 2 quilts in the mag that REALLY get me to buy it. What i did was go through each one and tear out the pages of the ones I liked and then put those in a binder with clear pages. The rest of the mags I put on craigs list for free (and a new quilter was VERY excited to have them for new inspiration). I now have only the quilts I love in a binder and it is so much easier to actually find them.
I have a sickness when it comes to patterns and magazines. I will need to manicure soon, but I can't let go just yet!!
Mary
I have stopped buying magazines and subscribe to only a few. I managed to cull the subscriptions and I re-think hard when renewal time comes. I do need to get rid of the really old stuff since I still have QNM from way back in the eighties.
I recently culled my magazines. I went through each one and put a sticky note on anything that caught my eye. If a magazine had 3 or more sticky notes, I kept it. If not, I scanned a photo or pattern and saved it to a file on the computer. I was able to get rid of about 130 magazines. I sold them to other quilters and donated the money to an orphanage that my church supports in Burma (Myanmar). I raised $98, which isn't a lot, but at least it's something. With everything that is available on the net these days, we can always find that something we are looking for...
For years I've been cutting out the articles I want, put them in a plastic sleeve and put that in a binder - "scrappy", "baby", "holiday", etc! Just last night I went through the "scrappy" binder - and threw out half of what was in there! Our guild sells the old magazines, books, etc at their show - I don't even PEEK at the boxes - I don't dare!
I find that I go back to my "old" magazines to get ideas. It is amazing how beautiful some of the older quilts are when done with the newer fabrics.
Oh boy, do I identify with this! Even tho I usually keep a subscription for only one year and change to new zines, it still adds up, space-wise.
Not only that, but the craft BOOKS I have finally broke one of the shelves in my bookcase and will require sturdier shelving.
AND......Martha magazines from the get-go. Occasionally, I do go back into those.
Actually, fabric is the least of my concerns. *L*
Great idea! I should do the same.
Oh my gosh, it is like I wrote this post. Except for the part where I actually did something about it. LOL I have binders and binders of quilt magazines and can't seem to let them go. I keep thinking, what if I need them someday. I need to get over that.
I do the same thing with my magazines. It works but I find I buy less magazines now than I used to.
My guild sells old donated quilting mags for 25 cents at our quilt show every couple years and we always make a couple hundred dollars. You might consider donating them to the local quilt guild.
I agree it is hard to part with those magazines, because it feels like we need to keep them in just in case. Way to go in dejunking.
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