I doubt there are many of us in the quilting community who have not heard about the Quilter’s Planner. This calendar was developed by Stephanie Palmer of Late Night Quilter in 2015. She worked furiously to put out a great product for the calendar year of 2016. I purchased one from her for 2016 and used it extensively throughout the year. (I wrote about that one here.)
The planner for 2016 was such a great tool. But Stephanie wanted to know how she could improve it. She did a survey, talked with the many quilters that were actively using the planner, and then implemented the suggestions she heard in this new version. The resulting planner is greatly improved. Here are some of my favorite features of the planner:
- A monthly look at the calendar and then individual weekly pages.
- A FMQ motif is included with each weekly page and Stephanie has written a tip or two for practicing with the motif.
- Each of the blocks from the 2016 New Blogger Block Hop are included with links to a full tutorial for the block. (Mine is featured the week of April 2nd!)
- Quilt Patterns! So many gorgeous patterns – some complex and some simple projects, designed by the likes of Yvonne Fuchs, Amy Smart, Chery Brickey and Rita Hodge, among others.
- Each weekly page contains several separate areas for the list makers in the group. I use that section religiously. There is a personal section that I use for projects and goals for my home, a work section where I outline blog posts I want to publish that week, a quilting to-do list where I jot down what I hope to accomplish in the sewing room that week. You know I love a list and the satisfaction gained by checking things off the list!
- The reference section is awesome and the graph paper for sketching out a project is wonderful. I used nearly all of the sketch pages last year and I am sure I will this year.
I could go on and on about the planner but I will move on to the giveaway now. Stephanie generously offered a copy for one lucky reader. As we move toward the new year, it is a great time to think about what we have accomplished in 2016 and what we hope to accomplish in 2017. This tool will help you do just that.
To enter the drawing for your own copy of the Quilter’s Planner, leave me a comment with a hint on staying organized (whether it be for life in general or in the sewing room). Due to the cost of postage for this gorgeous book, this giveaway is open to US readers only. My apologies. I will leave the giveaway open through Wednesday, and will email the winner on Thursday.
Giveaway is now closed!
Good luck everyone!! Remember,if you are not the lucky winner, there is still time to order one from the website. I think this would be an amazing gift to give or receive over the holidays! Check it out here!
Look at my to do list every morning and my calendar! Learn this the hard way, missed a loved one’s birthday!
Starting my blog a few years ago has helped me organize my quilting a little bit more. Having a reason to write up a post about a project gives me a deadline to make! Thanks for a wonderful giveaway, Bernie!
Hi Bernie…newer quilter here. I was overwhelmed with projects cluttering my only work space table. Got a big plastic tub and 5-6 cardboard lids from storage boxes. Each lid is about 1 high and nicely holds a project, and they stack easily in the tub, right under my table. Now I work on whatever, and then put all away when finished and the table is always clear to start next time. Only problem now is we also use those lids upstairs in the fireplace room, where we like to work puzzles on cold nights. A tip for puzzlers…they work great for sorting colors and are another small work area. I expect someone will be asking me where the lids are soon! Ha! Would love to win the planner! Thanks, Linda
Great tip!
Stay focused! If not, all the plans in the world can go wrong.
I have a 2016 Quilter’s Planner and used it a lot too! I am now making the Scrappy Picnic Plaid quilt that’s found in the back, hoping to get it done for a Christmas gift. Besides using the Planner, I keep track of appointments and work days on my phone calendar. It’s always with me and easy to find. Then I transfer them over when I get home.
I bought the 2016 planner and it was awesome! Just the patterns alone are worth the price! This year’s planner looks even better!!!! Stephanie had put lots of effort and love into assembling all the contributors! On my wish list!
Just recently, I have gone through all of my fabrics and have folded them to a specific size and placed them in specific categories. Placing them on shelves and in plastic totes. Plus, in my new found treasures, the plastic three shelf rolling carts; I just love them. But, this method of organizing, has been my best choice so far. Therefor, my hint for you, is to discover a method of fabric storage that works wonderfully for you in a way that it is easily accessible and that you can locate specific fabrics quicker. Thank you for this great opportunity to win this organizer! I have so wanted to have one, but finances at this time just will not allow it. Have a fantastic creative day!
I try to be organized by making priority lists for sewing and life in general. The planner is a great tool for this. And all the quilt patterns are a happy added bonus. Thanks for the chance to win.
I rely heavily on a large wall calendar with large blocks for each day and sticky notes! Truly for me-when in doubt write it down!
For my sewing projects; I either put each one with all materials in a ziploc bag or a plastic storage box. So much easier to get started and work on when everything is together!
My daughter once told me I was the most organized dis-organized person she knew. I think she’s right. I didn’t at the time, though. I always have too many projects going on at once BUT they are organized! Really? Yep! I, too, use the ziploc or plastic storage box method. I also write down my yearly “to do” list. It helps as well. I stack fabric in color/print sets (that are favorites) and look for a pattern that will work … should it be the other way around? LOL Not really … only what works for me. This Planner will combine my projects in a much better “organized” way. Thanks for the give-away and thanks for listening.
I really love the sounds of this planner! My tip for organization is when you use something put back where it belongs! saves a lot of “cleaning” up later! thanks!
This planner would be a great tool. I try to stay organized by putting things away and cleaning up as I go along. Not always possible.
When I reorganised the office last year I purchased 4 rolling file drawers. They are now rolled under my sewing table. They hold patterns, scraps, strips and my current Sewing project. I can just roll them out whenever I need them. One I roll into the TV area when I have handiwork I want to do.
Thanks for the giveaway, hope you had a good Thanksgiving.
Thanks for the giveaway, hope you had a good Thanksgiving.
When I finish a project large or small, I always clean up my sewing area and put everything in it’s place, even if I’m going to just get things out again for the next project. I sort of resist planning my time for quilting projects because that reminds me too much of my old career, but I can see where it would boost my productivity. And it looks like that planner is much more than a planner!
This planner sounds wonderful! The key to being organized for me is to have a system and use it. For years I have synced my smart phone and computer daily. Now that I am retired that doesn’t work as well. That system worked when my life was more structured but now I need a system that helps me make my own structure. I have been adding lists, lots of lists, to the old phone/computer system, but this planner would be ideal. If I don’t win one I think I will order one. Thanks, Bernie!
I try to group items by use. I have one drawer for hand sewing notions,one for sewing machine items. The cutting table top drawer has rotary cutters and blades etc. I have a travel bag with duplicate tools for workshops that stays packed.
I would be lost if I did not write everything on my calendar to check each day. I also like to buy or make my birthday cards for the year put them in an organizer I have for each month. Will soon be moving into our new house and have been collecting ideas of how to organized my quilting and crafts. Would love to win the quilt planner to help me in being more organized. Thank you for offering this give a way. Nancy
Thank you for a chance to win….I would LOVE to have the planner. My hint is to “do it now”…put things away as you use them or finish a task whether it’s in your sewing space or dishes or laundry. This past year I keep a small notepad with me to write down things during the day—notes, “tomorrow’s to-do’s, reminders and ideas. At the end of the day I transfer some to my calendar and plan for the next day or follow-up before bed. Hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful and the rest of the holiday season filled with joy—–and sewing!
Staying organized for me is almost impossible! I have a small house that I share with a room mate and my adult daughter. I have a tiny, tiny kitchen, and that room is by far the most organized, for some reason. In there, I try to keep everything put away when not in use, I do the dishes as I use them when preparing a meal and what I get out, get put back immediately. The dishes get washed immediately after the meal, so the space is ready for the next meal or a session of baking.
Now if I could just implement that in my sewing room!
I think this planner sounds really interesting. One way I stay organized is by using the camera on my smart phone. I take a picture of my finished project, and using the editing feature, I write to whom I gave the gift and the date. Then I sort the photos into an album. This way I don’t give a similar gift to someone.
Tip for staying organized is electronic lists. I look Google Keep app. I use it for quilting project list and much more like a shared list for the groceries! Thanks for the giveaway.
Boy! This sounds like something I can use. I’m trying to be better organized and am always looking for ways to do that. Like what has already been mentioned, I use the calendar in my phone. For my doctor, haircuts etc I do a “reminder” about 5-7 days before my appt just so I know that appt is coming up. When life gets busy I don’t always get the chance to look at the calendar weeks in advance. This system helps me to know what I have coming up. Like others have mentioned, for my sewing projects, I keep everything together, or try to ;-D
Thanks for a chance to win.
usairdoll(at)gmail(dot)com
My greatest hint is one I learned from Bonnie Hunter. I use leaders/enders each time I sew so even if I’m just sewing two little squares together, I end up with something else sewn. It saves on thread and there’s less starting and stopping to cut. Sometimes instead of a different project to sew while I’m working on the quilt, I look ahead in my oroject to see what else can be sewn so it’s ready when I need it. Thanks for sharing!
This looks like a great tool! I struggle to stay organized, especially near Christmas! The best thing I’ve ever done is roll all my fabric into the same size and then line them up in sliding bins from ikea. No more stacks or bags full of fabric of unknown size! They are individually labeled so I know width and ready to go!
What a great giveaway! I try to put things back where they belong when I’m done using them….doesn’t always work out that way, but it helps?
Write it down! If I don’t write it down….it’s not going to happen! I would love this planner! Currently, I use a wall calendar and notebook.
I have lidded but see through plastic boxes where I put my WIPs with a note reminding myself where I am with them. It’s amazing what I can forget in a short time …
I have to make lists (and then remember to look at them) or I get nothing done. I also rely heavily on a day planner and fill in birthdays, etc on the new one early in. January. I would love to have a planner like this one. Thanks for a chance to win!
I use my monthly planner book for all my notes and scheduled appointments. It does help to be able to visualize on a monthly basis. When I was working I used a daily planner and found this was at times a lifesaver!
I keep a journal and calendar to keep track of everything. The planner looks great and I’d all those quilt tips. Thanks grinnie1961 at gmail dot com
I’m a list maker…I like to see progress by crossing completed things off. Every Sunday I make a list of things that NEED to be done and things I want to accomplish…it’s my saving grace!
I always make my binding after I sew a quilt top and put it in a drawer. This not only means I have the binding after it is back from the quilter but it reminds me of which quilts I have out at the quilters. Thanks for a chance to win that wonderful planner!
For the sewing room, I like small plast boxes to keep every thing for one project togehter! Thanks, Bernie!
I have the 2016 planner and absolutely love love it. I used it extensively throughout the year, rather a momentous one, it turns out to my surprise. But that bit of a roller coaster ride I’ve had was that much smoother because of using the planner to write down EVERYTHING, keep track of my personal life and to-do’s and “did’s” and important info, and quilt ideas, and work hours…I could go on. I wish it werent’ quite so expensive, sigh, but maybe I can win the one you are giving away! I am in Florida now. 🙂
Love this giveaway! To be organized a paper planner and a to do list is a must! Thank you!!
Write down your goals to be successful
Sticking with a daily routine works best for me, and “A place for everything and everything in its place
I have a whiteboard with the days of the week on my fridge. I use it for meal plans, shopping lists, errands, got-to-do-today activities, etc. I really like being able to erase something, not just cross it off. Then my list isn’t messy or cluttered, it just keeps getting cleaner.
Thanks so much for hosting such an awesome giveaway! My favorite organization tip for fabric is to use my 6 inch quilting ruler to wrap all my larger fabric pieces around. I then pull it off and fold in half. Makes it so I can stack all of my fabric in neat, pretty piles! The stacks, when organized by color, are even pretty enough to showcase in a bookshelf. Thanks again!
I use a combination of a white board in my studio, my phone calendar and a Filofax with daily, monthly and project sections. Thanks!!!
I have found that if I make the time to do something related to sewing every day, I accomplish a lot more than if I try to do a big week long sewing project. Just a few minutes, done daily, seem to motivate me to sew for a few more minutes and to be happy to get back to my project… while waiting until I have more time turns sewing into another obligation.
I’ve not been interested in a planner for many years, yet that is how I used to stay organized! I’m enjoying reading all these wonderful tips – what a great way to have people comment.
I have a couple of tips. Having moved 17 times in our 47 year marriage, I’ve learned that if I have enough lead time, purging and organizing prior to a move helps immensely. Then after the initial frenzy of unpacking I take the time to organize each room.
Once things are organized, keep them that way by putting things back in their place as soon as possible after use. I know it sounds too simple, but it is what helps me more than anything.
My tip on staying organized is always putting things back where I found them. If I don’t follow thati would
Drown in clutter !
Write things down. I’m more likely to remember things if I’ve written them down, even if I can’t remember where I put the paper!
I take a few minutes before I start to sew to organize my sewing area. Keeping everything in it’s place is key to being productive.
I’m a list person, and every Monday I make a new list for the week with different categories (errands, appointments, calls/messages, house, work, crafts, and misc.). I don’the get it all done each week, but having everything in one place takes a huge load off my mind!
I love crossing things off my lists. I have lots of scraps of papers in my purse. really urgent ones are in bright colors attached to my calendar. others are on weekly lists, or other long-term goals.
Important activities are on both calendars: on the wall and in my purse. I routinely check these places and cross things off and add more. Makes life full and organized.
Straighten up your sewing room between projects, especially large projects.
For my quilting organization, I put the fabrics I need for a single project in its own plastic box. Otherwise I would likely use those fabrics for other projects.
I have fat quarters neatly folded together with the pattern in one of my dresser drawers. I have to do this because I have lost the pattern before. When I start one of the projects, I use a plastic container for it all so that the whole project stays together. Thank you.
Love this planner and would love to win one! My tip is that I have a list I make at the beginning of each month with bills, appointments, adventures, etc., and as I pay that bill, keep that appointment, or go on that adventure mark it off the list. Gotta have those lists! Thank you for the chance to win.
As a novice quilter, I try to stay on top of my project list. But as we all know a cute little pattern comes across the screen, off the path I go. I would love to have this planner to keep track of when I began a project and when it gets completed. The bonus for me would be the new patterns and tips throughout the planner. Thank you for generously giving the planner to a lucky winner!!!
I don’t remember as easily as I once did – I have to write it down in a dedicated planner to remember.
Roller crates are a super handy great storage option!
I think one needs space to organize… meaning keep “like with like”
One shelf for applique books, one for piecing, etc.
One drawer for blue, one for red, two for flamingo fabric, etc.
I ran out of space years ago so I now try to put stuff away by stuffing it with things like it!!
Thank you for telling me about the notebook, and please enter me in the drawing!
LeeAnna at not afraid of color
email leeannaquilts at gmail dot com
I think I am fairly organized (well in the quilt studio, forget the rest of the house). I have the stash sorted by color and I’m getting the scraps more organized using a modified Bonnie Hunter system. But one is never done. And I’m always scribbling notes on the backs of envelops, so a planner might help, if I could make myself use it. Thanks for the chance.
I like reading through all these tips 🙂 You guys are a very organized bunch! My tip would be to keep fabric with the pattern I bought it for so that even if I don’t start it right away, I don’t have to dig through my stash again when I am ready to start that pattern.
I love organizing! One of my favorite things to do! Sometimes I just organize my projects and fabric for fun! 🙂 I’ve been putting all my quilt projects into huge zipper type plastic bags (I think they are 2 gallons). Inside the bag I have the fabric gathered for the project and another small zippered plastic folder that has the pattern and any cut pieces. I tend to work in batches with several projects. I go on a cutting spree for several (organize in folders and zippered bags), then piece, then work on backings, etc… After each phase I put things back in the zippered bag. I have different shelves for each stage: piecing in works, needs a quilt back, ready to quilt etc…