well digitized until it is stitched out so I hope I make the right choice. Wish me luck. Marg

Marg, this posting was great. I really enjoyed reading all the comments and such useful comments they were. Thank you.

I cleaned my stash about a month ago. I put some on a CD (that I'll never use)But the rest I put in a memory stick. My hard drive is a tad faster now. But you are right we all probably have designs for 3 lifetimes.
Good Luck, Stella

How funny!! I haven't been to cute for two days because I was going thru my designs and converting them from hus to vp3. I had one folder that had 1,436 designs that I download awhile ago and been having fun going thru them. It's like opening presents!! I am printing a catolog of all my designs so I can look though the pages of flowers or puppies etc. It is a lot of work but in the end I'll be set!!Dawn

I have to agree..when I started out embroidering and downloading designs it was a new thing for me so I just downloaded away...I have deleted some but OMG...It will take me forever it seems like to sort through my mess...and it consumes so much time when I am looking for a design for a project and have to weed through them all..such a pain..but maybe I will do this over the winter now that I am inside for a few monthes...lol..good luck with your endeavor!

After reading all the replies maybe I should get rid of the 'really bad' ones and put the 'iffy' ones in a file and store them on a flash drive. I do not embroider for profit just for fun and only for family and friends. May I add that I have done more for family and friends than for myself and do get a lot of satisfaction from their reactions when they see the finished project. Thanks for all the advice. BUT some designs MUST GO. As I say there are digitizers and there are digitizers. Marg

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by ansalu 01 Dec 2010

Oh yes I can sign under your words about digitizers and digitizers ;o)

I have become very selective of what I collect now. I always look at a design in Embird before I stitch it out - there are many poorly digitized designs out there! I weed out designs as I go and I keep on collecting too!!! I am always trying to organize my designs but I believe it will be an on-going process!!!! *4U

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by shuede 01 Dec 2010

How does one tell a poorly digitized design? I'm also guilty of downloading many designs "just because" but would like to learn exactly how to tell a good one from a bad one without actually sewing it out. Is there any inexpensive software one can buy to check out a design?

by dailylaundry 01 Dec 2010

This is a very good question. I have Embird and there is a place where you can see it stitchout on the computer - it doesn't show everything - but, it can sure helps alot. Embird is about $150.00 or so. I am sure there must be others out there!

by ansalu 01 Dec 2010

I did all my conversion with the online-conversiontool at embroiderydesigns.com (you have to register but it's for free) before I bought embird. There you can also see the "right" picture from the design. Had made a post about this problem some weeks ago (scroll down and you see a terrible example): http://answers.cuteembroidery.com...
Greetings, Bettina

by shuede 01 Dec 2010

Thanks for the info.
Bettina, I saw your latest Knuddies, and they are adorable!!

Good Luck. I did that some time ago. I made a back up, on my external hard drive of all my designs before I started deleting just in case. When that backup came up for deleting I had not missed any of the designs so I let them go.
It's time for me to repeat the exercise even though I only download a few freebies these days.

I've done some and will do some more. I now only dl what I know I will us. This kind of collecting, can really get out of hand...FIESTA ;D *2U

Marg, this is a very good idea. I went through all my "freebies" and deleted some that I knew that I would never use. When I first started I used to DL every freebie that was going. I am now far more selective. I have also regrouped some of them and made more individual files. It was well worth the time spent and I actually enjoyed doing it. *4U. Sarah

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by leenova54 01 Dec 2010

Same here, I have had my machine just about a year now and I would dl every design that was free or super cheap and now I see them and think to myself, "why?". Now I think before I dl a design.

by airyfairy 02 Dec 2010

Debra - I know exactly what you mean!!

Marg, I actually delete every once in a while when I'm looking for something, and I see something ugly and wonder why I thought I'd use it, if I can't come up with a reason, out it goes! Hope you don't spend too much time deleting, you might need something one day. I hope I won't need what I've deleted. hehehehe...

I usually take a freebie into stitch editor and look at the digitizing before I use it. Have learned from my earlier years when I ruined a few things with free designs. I don't download every freebie out there anymore.

I do not delete they are all in CD you never know when do you need them. I just finished cleaning my pc. It is empty again .

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by lique 01 Dec 2010

I have just done this as well!

Someday when I have time, I think I need to do that, too. I am so far behind in organizing my designs! I don't think it will happen this month!

I did this not to long ago, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I had collected quite a few that I didn't even really like. I think they were from when I first started and I thought 'free get em all while you can' but then have slowed down and gotten pickier. i've also got several sets I bought that now I wonder why, oh well it's easy fun and keeps me off the streets! *giggle*

Not so sure about that the other day I knew I had a design and couldn't find it had to go back to my original DVD that I had previous to putting into cateorgies and found it...so not so sure I want to delete any....Hugs Sally

I was just thinking of doing the same thing. I was looking through some of my designs and my mind was saying, what on earth was I thinking when I downloaded this design. I think it will be a New Year resoulution for me to work on this. I do not really have time to do so at the moment. Good luck Marg with deleting the right ones!!

Sometimes when I'm looking through a folder for a particular design, I find a few that I'm not keen on along the way. I ask myself why I downloaded them in the first place, and, if I don't get a sensible answer, I delete them!

I really wish you luck for that taff action but I have no 420 alphas so I can collect just a little bit longer until I reach this point ;o)
Agree with Bev that I sometimes change my mind about designs (and sometimes my likes/dislikes change) and for me it is the same like mops: Sometimes my customer are asking for designs I would never buy so I am happy when I have a nice freebie to offer :o)
My HB thought about buying me more working storage for my mac so I can go on with collecting (but like the most I'm more selective with dl than in the beginning of my "embroidery-time").
Greetings, Bettina

I have all mine backed up on cd's and dvd's Well over 300 so far and I am going to do mine over the xmas holidays IF I get time and that is a big IF

Good luck Marg.

I have weeded out quite a few I would never use. Sometimes it's hard to make a choice: I hate santas and stuff like that, but customers may want them. Therefore I copied everything to an external hard drive and keep the ones I really like on my laptop (and save those regularly of course.

And I keep everything I digitise - even if it's something I will never use again.

I'ts better to delete only when you're busy looking for designs for a project .Because it is a mission, so better "to kill two birds with one stone"
Also maybe put them in a folder of their own named 'designs I do Not LIKE'.I've changed my mind on quite a few especialy when I saw what others made with their projects.e.g. a beautiful apron with the cook and his turkey ,They stitched out great,and I did not like them ,Lucky I still have them.
Happy sorting!:)
From Bev

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by leenova54 01 Dec 2010

I still have a couple of huge folders that are named "Unknown" because they were part of a large dl from some website where they just all came with one click. I have weeded out a few from there and moved them to different folders but I need to go through those more and dump a lot of them.

Marg, I wish you luck - I think I might follow your lead - but I can't get to mine for the another week. I hope you have yours completed by then. *4U

1 images:[1]

I have considered doing that myself, especially since my son burned me a CD anyway so if I change my mind I know I can get it back.

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by ansalu 01 Dec 2010

Good trick ;o)
But I need to have them all here within reach so I can try and play with the possibilities when I prepare a new lamp.
Greetings, Bettina (are you still awake?)

by leenova54 01 Dec 2010

I went to bed shortly after I did that post. Around 2 a.m. my time but then I slept way late today, my bad, woke up but went back to sleep. I still have all the designs on the computer, I just did the CD for protection and I will eventually delete some I will probably never use but they will still be on CD for just in case.