QUESTION OF ORGANIZATION :

I put titles for the subject then a folder for the item then I go further by adding the site as well. example Animals, Cats, Cute Emb & another folder for each site that I receive a cat design from if I have redwork (which I usually do that is another folder in the Cats folder & then I follow it the same way as I do the rest Redwork in the cats folder then Cute Emb or whatever site & the jpeg is also there with the design so I can always see what I am looking for to see if that will match the project I need. If I have forgotten to grab a picture (which I have many times) I have recently learned to Snip It with the tool from Microsoft that came on my pc. This way I get a photo of each & every design a small pic but still a good visual for me. I was convinced that I was doing it the wrong way & did some by site but then I couldn't remember what was inside the folders & where a certain design was so that did not work well for me so I am currently putting them back the way I started..............a very big undertaking. No matter what we all do you have to find a way that works for you............best of luck. As for the date the pc adds that automatically for me so I don't worry about it. If I get a freebie design that is just numbers I will add the name to the end of the numbers so I don't duplicate if they come up again. It took me quite a while to get this going the way I can find things it is a process..........

1 comment

by pldc 25 Jun 2014

I have a folder that says OPW Freebies Jan 2014 & a folder for each month of freebies & I have to say I rarely ever use it as a go to file because I have no idea what is where? I also keep all my files zipped until I need them so I save space on my external hard drive.......saying that I also delete any extensions I don't need like vip or art all the extra ones you get if I don't need them I delete them but I save one in my format & another in pes just in case

It is a very good question, I have so many questions that are badly organized, and it is always difficult for me to find wherre is the one which I need.I will find good ideas here wjth all those answers. I fear that very much time is necessary to succed a good organisation. I should have done this from the beginning

For individual designs, I file by category and the year collected. For complete sets, I file by designer with each complete set in its own folder--with the exception of alphabets (including fonts and monograms) which each are contained in their own folder with yearly collection named by font name and designer.

I've got mine in individual folders, i.e., Cats, then within the cats folder black cats, redwork cats, calendar cats, etc. etc. Works great when trying to find something but I don't have the designer or web site info.

good ideas, I have mine just under subject, so unless there is something written on the actual file I can't trace them back, when I first started I purchased 60,000 & 20,000 from ebay so with them all mixed in, plus desbysick,the other one where you pay for a month, more I cannot rember, where you can download all site, I will have to take some of your ideas and have a starting point....wendy

I have mine by site and then I put my favorites by category. I wish they were by subject.

I much prefer to store by subject! When you save the design just tack on a code as to the site.

1 comment

by stock edited 21 Jun 2014

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I keep my designs by site and subfolders. But I also will keep a design I really like and think I might use sooner rather than later in my folder under a subfolder. I know this seems like a lot but I have 2 chances of finding a certain design.

Hi

I find my designs very easily. They are firstly sorted by site, then all sites have the same categories and sub-categories.

My Freebies are on their own, once again by site, unless it is a site I have a membership for. In that case they will be stored under that site. Once in a while I will sort my freebies and put them in a folder called "Combined Freebies". But mostly they just stay under the site and digitizer.

For example for CteEmbroidery Designs I will have CuteEmbroidery, Animals, and then sub-categories for the different animals. I keep the design numbers given by the site, for my jpg, embroidery formats (eg jef and pes) and colourcharts.

Hope this makes sense!
Anneliese

I prefer to keep them by site, as I have favourite sites. So if I want to do a new project, I can search under my favourite sites for what I want. This way it is also easy to make sure I have downloaded the latest designs.

2 comments

by anssmile edited 19 Jun 2014

Oh, my designs for a month on a site I have a membership for, will be stored under New, 01 Jan (for Janaury, or 06 June (for designs released in June), and then stored under the catogories I use for the site. This way I collect all the designs in a set, and all the designs for a month, before I incorporate them with the main groups for that site at the end of the month. This makes it easy to see which designs were downloaded and which not.

Each site has an Applique, Candlewick, Cutwork, Lace, Redwork, Projects and Designs main category. These categories are then subdivided in Animals, Children, Flowers, Sports, Transport etc categories.

by PatriciaVosloo 19 Jun 2014

I'm impressed Anssmile! Very organized. Patricia

I have mine organized by type of design such as Floral, Alphas, Sports, etc. I look at it like this; if I were looking for a design what would I be looking for and how would I find it? If I'm looking for a wedding design I would want to look in the wedding folder.

Each folder has a word document that has the name of the design, picture, url link, designer, and size. If a design could go in more than one category I copy the word doc information to the other folder's word doc and make a note of the folder it is located in. I put key words by each design for searching. For example a design in the border doc might have search term key words such as: heirloom, candlewick, rectangle, edge.

This has worked very well for me so far. My biggest problems are the designs that I get behind in organizing. They have their own folder which is not organized at all : (

I have them in folders by digitizer and freebie, then they are in subfolders by subject. I tend to keep sets together. The subjects include alphabets, holidays then subfolders by holiday, flowers, people and fashion. Use the subjects that work for you. I like to organize mine by digitizer because I have favorites. Keep working at it. I can find a design I like in a minute or less usually. It is well worth the time to get them organized.

It may take you a long time to get them organized, but then it's easy to keep up! I have folders & subfolders. Then I try to put the info either on the subfolder title or actually resave the 1 of the designs in my software with notes on it as to where I got it. Example: Animals, then within that folder "dog & cats; mice; etc. along with those that I really don't have many of or a catagory to put them in. I have a "jungle" folder where all the jungle animals are, in their own folder...monkeys, big cats, elephants, etc. Of course the "alphabets" folder is the largest!! I have in it subjects, as floral, animal, etc as well as different sets. Inside the floral subfolder are all the floral alphas. I think you see what I'm saying. If you want a list of the folders, just PM me & I'll send it. But it's probably better than you develope your own system. When looking for something I can at least go to the area it should be! Let us know what you do! It's saved on an external drive as well as a couple flash drives. As our computer is shared by both of us, I don't overload it with sewing files.

I store them by site. I have software that I can separate them by different "things" too but it takes a ton of time and I am about two years behind (which means forever behind - big task to organize). So I put them in the software by site too because I can sort by size, etc. and it lets me see many easily.

I save my designs by name, designer, site...I file my designs by name (sometimes I rename them so they mean something to me...like Pretty Bears would be renamed "Bears Pretty" so all my bears are together...If I have a big number of designs from a membership like here on Cute...I have all Cute saved from the site in one folder named Cute Embroidery, and then again filed in folders by name...Folders are Major Categories/Sub-Categories (Animals/Bears)...If I want to find a design by designer...I can sort by the designers name and they all come up...If I want a design by site...I sort by site name and they all come up...Using the Duck Alpha here as an example...I would name the folder Duck Alpha CuteEmb...after the collection was complete, a copy would go into the Cute Emb Folder...and a copy would go into a Major Category Folder (Alphabets Animal)...

I organize the same by subjects, easier to find that way when you are looking for something Suzanne

useually I organize them in different folders for: for instance: *animals ( and in that folder specifications like dogs, cats, horses etc.) * borders,* flowers,* occupation, * baby designs, alphabet's etc.etc.
When I I save the design I mostly add to the name: the name of the site/ designer.
This way, when I have to search a special design I can better find it.
By the way the folder of alphabet's is organised in names of the site, And in the site map the names of the alpha.

Hugs, Gerry

1 comment

by airyfairy 19 Jun 2014

I do much the same

I currently put designs in 2 classes 1st by site and also 2ndly by type Floral, Animal and so forth I also break each catagorie down such as Animal-bird--cat--dog ect, that way if Ican't remember who I got the type of design from I can just go to the general listing... if you wanted to take things a bit further you can keep a record of singles by using a number or letter system---Julias needle =A or Cute = 1 on the end of deisgn name so this may help just write it in a small note book But most inportant of all Copy all designs to disk.. even the freebies.. Hope this helps Marian

Thanks for asking the question and I too look forwards to others replies as I am attempting a sort out of my collection. It is often difficult to find what is needed so I think my solution has been buy another design :)

2 comments

by Leaha 19 Jun 2014

I like this story...works for me! :)

by Estey 19 Jun 2014

I sort by site,then open folder for designs. Try to keep like together(collections ) I also use thumbnails so I can look over them fast and find what I'm looking for. The best is to organize them as you get them so it's not to much . I've learned the hard way, still trying to organize some folders from the past when I just downloaded them & didn't organize them. Lots of luck