No, but I admit I have been compulsive about organizing my designs from day one. I do have my favorite digitizers that I check first .

So far I'm doing okay. I have all my designs in folders by category. My only problem is trying to decide which category I want to stitch.

16 or 17 years ago when I started collecting designs they were almost all on Floppies & Cards, it wasn't hard to keep track. Then came the Design CD's that were mutli-format. Still not a problem. No one had a clue at that time what an explosion of designs and digitzers there would be!!! I had tons of Floppies that I did get moved to CD's and an external hard drive. I have organized them somewhat into catigories in the last 7 years or so. But I have not done that with the hundreds of thousands of designs I have on CD's (yes that's right hundreds of thousands)at least not completely. I can't even get them all on to the external hard drive I now have. I need to get one that is at least 1T or 2T of space to do this and I plan on having NOTHING but designs on it. I'm ashamed to wonder just how designs I will have when that is done.
Muffy :)

I am somewhat organized but there are times it takes a long time to find one that I wanted.. I have gone to Embroiderylibrary and put some in the cart that I have so they can tell when I bought it so I can redown load it..LOL

I believe we all need to find a way to search our own files to eliminate the purchase of more designs.

I do check online sites and then see if I have them, however most of them are free designs. Purchases I have a list of sites and designs, because it is too easy to forget who did what.

When I first started collecting designs, it only took me about a month before I realised I needed a 'system' ... so that I would be able to find them later.

I have mine all catergorised into folders with headings I can understand/relate to.

I ended up with about 50 different catorgories/folders + a miscellaneous folder.

This way I can 'search' for the 'subject' of design I want, and then just scroll through that folder til I find one I want to use.

I make sure I unzip & file away on a weekly basis, or daily if I have time.

I then download them onto 2 flash drives. The reason for the double up is just in case something happens to one of them.. this way I have backup.

I have all mine in files EG; Redwork then when you open that file I have them in seperate files , Flower, girls,boys,ladies, sunbonnets, animals, etc finding a design is not hard but you MUSt get organized from the start. Cathy

In the files section of the embchatnfreebies Yahoo group, there is a folder titled "Organizing Files" posted by Anne DiBattista. Click on it and you will find a file system already to download and upzip. I have tweaked it from time to time and renamed some of the folders, but it is a good way to start. Then just decide you are going to file 100 embroidery files every day until done.
Now, I download everything to a folder I call UNZIP on my desktop. After I've checked all the sites I want to go to, then I unzip everything and file it right then. For alphabets that I collect, I have a collections folder in the UNZIP folder and a file for each alpha. I use a spreadsheet to keep track of the alphas, and when finished, I unzip all the files and file in one of my Alphabet folders.

I also had this problem when I started Internet collecting. Now I am organized, E.G.: All butterflies are in one folder.
I have made project folders for what I am working on e.g: Baby Quilt for Jason, I have copied all designs that will be suitable for that quilt.

One good thing about all the design collection is that I have learnt a lot about the computer.

Happy Collecting!
Hugs Bev

YES! What can I say, I have so many designs that I have no idea what I have or where their at. Thats too many.

I also have hundreds/ thousands of designs. I am afraid that I am a tidy freak so they are all filed under their catagories. Every few months I have a look through and delete the ones that I know I am never going to use. Hope you come right. Sarah.

Oh that is so funny because I just said that very thing last time I was looking for a design. I am a very organized person and have all them in files and folders but when I want a design I can look all day and still not find just the right one.I promised myself I wouldn't buy anymore or take any more freebies but it has become a monkey on my back and I can't stop. I have enough designs to outlast 3 lifetimes I'm sure.
Donna

Yep this happens to me. I have bought so many designs from Embroidery lobery that I find it is easier to go on line to my order history and download them again than try to find where I have saved them. Looking through my order history I see designs that I have forgotten completely that I have bought them. Hugs Joyce

I try really hard to look through my files 1st and then go to the sites. Once I started doing that and shopping in my own store (so to speak) I didn't buy as many unneeded designs.

I keep several folders. A design can be in more than one folder. "Designs by topic" with about 100 topics that has all my designs in it. "Designs by author" which everything is sorted by digitizer. "Archive" which has a copy of everything that I've ever stitched out. "Design sets" which has duplicate of ones in topics, but are my favorite sets all in one place. But it isn't fool proof.

I thought I was organized...fool that I am. Yesterday I just bought a $$$ set that I already have. Am now tring to see if they will let me order something else. This is probably the third time I've done this.

Well, I'm a compulsive organizer, and download files right into the correct folder immediately, nothing is on my desktop. Takes a few extra keystrokes, but saves a lot of time later. Figure out a good system for yourself, one that makes sense to you, and just start filing a few a day, even. I think it's fun to just go thru the designs I have and refresh my memory as to what I have. Good luck, Marji

I do not have any idea about how to make a folder and put things in there. So, I am going to the store, where I bought my laptop, to ask them to show me how to get the things that I have into a suitable folder. So far I have things arranged in order of alphabets, baby child, etc. so I can just transfer them into the named folders and I should then be organised LOL So many, I do not know when I will ever be finished. ****

Muffy, sounds like you need some software that shows you pictures. There is one out there called "Thumbnail" that is not expensive, but shows your designs in pictures. Hugs. Nan W

Well, I lost my post so will try again! Google "Kenny's Kreations"; go to the bottom of the home page and click on "Tips and Hints"; about 1/2 way down the page there is a free download for a zipped file for an Embroidery Organizer. You can add folders to suit you. Also, I often put a design in more than one folder. e.g. Once under the designer's name and then perhaps it belongs in floral as well. Enjoy! I have Pfaff 3D so I can view my designs...it really helps.

I keep all my files in folders based on the site that come from and then in groups within such as butterfly, fiarytale, flowers etc. I also have an excel spreadsheet that I list each design by where it came from, the design number, the name, category & group I want it in, size, and format. Then I can sort it and search it however I want-to find what I want. However -- that doesn't stop me from downloading more designs.

Think of collecting designs as collecting art (and a lot cheaper). Sometimes you buy designs just to add to your collection and enjoy looking at. You don't need to stitch them out. You buy them for their beauty and the satisfaction you get merely by owning them. If you had spend $100 on a painting that just hangs on the wall, you wouldn't bat an eyelash. The same should apply to your designs, just that they are hung in your computer gallery. I think we should stop feeling "guilty" over unused designs, buying more than we'll ever stitch, or the joy we get when we add something new to our collection. When I gaze through my designs, I say to myself, "that's so pretty" and enjoy them.

SHhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!
Been there, done that.
AlmaG.

I have my designs organized as I download into folders by designer and or site and then subcategories in ea designer file. Just a wee to set up but helps later to find. Then once in the folders I have the thumbnail pics of the designs by using embirds iconozer. The icons make it easier to see designs instead of names. However, it still takes time to go through all if my brain doesn't remember which designer or I'm searching for options. But better than no organization at all-LOL

Oh yeah. I have a 16G USB drive with folders well organized but, as soon as I go online I see another design I just love and think I'm going to use. One month I promised myself I would only use the designs I have and not purchase any (this was several years ago). I would allow myself only freebies I found on the internet. Well that is when I found Cuties. With the talent on this site and the links to so many other beautiful designs I managed for a month not to purchase any. BUT now I have more than 1000 more designs. LOL

I use SewIconz to see my designs with large icons, but my computer is older and somewhat low on space/speed so it takes awhile to load all the icons...I think that is my biggest frustration. And with so many files even thought they are named and sort of organized. It takes so long to really find the "just" right design. I will never have to many designs...LOL. Just not sure if I will ever be fully organized.
Muffy :)

I use the search icon on my computer. Hugs Marie

I have wound up with tens of thousands of designs, nearly all free and knew I would cry if I lost them. I do backup but it takes alot of time so finally purchased a NAS drive -network storage drive with two mirrored harddrives to protect from drive failure, but is no protection from a virus so also backup to dvds and/or an external usb harddrive about once a month. I back my digitizing projects up to usb flash drive as I work. The nas drive makes my files accessible from either my desktop or laptop. I know this may be a little overkill but alot of files are not replaceable.

I download files to "embroidry downloads" by month, then by site. These are designs as well as anything else that has to do with embroidery or sewing. I unzip files to "embroidery designs"/my designs which I access with my 4D software.

My files are organized by free or purchased, 4D embr cards & samples, and my own designs, then by A, B C etc,then with the name of the site or designer and finally by category. I originally had everything in categories of designs only but was not happy with just that.
I have 4D organizer that lets me make all the folders I want and view the files. Too many files to ever stitch out but I get great joy from just looking at the creativity, colors and design.

What I get upset about is when I purchased one and find out I had it already so I've paid for it twice!
Augie

I have all my designs in files eg. Flowers , then I have broken them down to Applique , red work, Roses, lilies, Pansies , etc , never takes me more than few minutes to find a design , and I have many hundreds thousands of designs , you have to be disciplined and do it all the time , but I never have purchased to same design twice . Cathy