Free downloads

barbjs83 · January 6th, 2010

I agree we are all "addicted" Is anyone interested in pet screen embroidery if so, where do you find the pets screen? thanks in advance Barbjs

**NanaJ** · January 7th, 2010

Originally Posted by augie

My addiction is so bad, there's some designs I purchase because I think they are so cute, but don't get around to sewing them out and maybe six months later I find the designs again and repurchase them!!! Now that is sick! I'm so glad alot of the sites are now keeping a record of what you buy and let you know.....then all you have to do is fish thru all your thousand plus designs and try to find it!! LOL!

It's good to know that I'm not the only one that has so many designs that they don't know what they have! I am in the process of trying to sort them out into some kind of order. It's going to take awhile to get them all organized. When I see "free" on designs I just can't resist so I guess I am addicted and SICK too!!

sewingcindy · January 7th, 2010

HI
I was reading a recent post about collecting designs and it just dawned on me to ask you guys, Does ANYONE have the secret to organizing your designs I spend more time trying to find what I want than I do sewing,....can anyone HELP

THANKS

**ravenstreamr** · January 7th, 2010

On this forum in the Sewing Section under Questions and Answers there is a thread titled Organizing. Several people shared their systems on that thread.

**sewingdad** · January 7th, 2010

I have a second hard drive on my desktop that is devoted to my designs only. I have folders for different types of designs...example one is titled birds so any bird design is there, another is FSL so any is there. If i have a FSL bird I copy the file into both folders. It's taking me a lot of time to get this done, but once i have it done it should be a lot easier for me to find what i want.

sewingcindy · January 8th, 2010

What a phenomenal idea yes it will take quite a bit of time but makes wonderful sense Once I have all my current designs organized this way getting the new ones filed won't take but a minute..THANKS SOOOOO MUCH

**123mccoach** · January 11th, 2010

I thought I was stupid because I didn't sort my designs but then I take a pic of each design and there is a date at the bottom of the day I made the copy. On my discs I put a date from date started thru last day when I copy designs to that disc.

example; Designs Jan 1, 2009 thru March 22, 2009

Then I look at the date of the pic and pull the disc that matches that date. I also put other info on the disc. Most of my designs are from Sick but I have 2 discs that are mostly another site so I put that site name on that disc. Most of the pics have the name of the site it was from.

So I guess I wasn't as stupid as I thought I was. I can at least find my designs this way. Not really great professional way to do things but it works for me at this time. I only embroider for myself, family and friends so it's not like I need a design immediately for a customer. Hopefully I can get my act together and start a better system soon.

**rsehorse** · June 4th, 2010

I too am in the process of trying to organize my designs. I store them all on a USB Stick. So far I have Alphabets and designs I save each month. I am going to make a file for Applique, FSL, Christmas, Halloween, Baby, Animal, etc. and move all my designs to the proper file. Wonder how long this will take? hahaha

**Crafty-liz** · June 5th, 2010

I'm addicted also! I just can't refuse a "Free" design. I haven't used more than 80 of my free designs, but I have at least 10 000 of them, if not more! I try to sort them into "in the hoop, FSL, redwork, babies, animals, quilt blocks, alpha, etc, etc". That way it doen's take me ages, but it is still a long process to open every one and look if that's the one you want, especially if you have so many.
Good luck with all the organising.
I have the same problem as augie, I can't remember what I bought and then I like it so much I buy it again!

**123mccoach** · June 5th, 2010

Rsehorse, you ask how long do we think it will take?! Well my guess is, with collecting more designs and organizing the ones you have, I don't think you will have much time for embroidering or doing projects.If you work night and day maybe you will be done in about a lifetime. hehe LOL Only kidding.

**motoandnutty** · June 5th, 2010

Originally Posted by rsehorse

...................Wonder how long this will take?..........

Beware that USB sticks have the habit of dieing without warning - don't ask me how I know

- best make at least one backup stick, or save to DVD or CD as well (or email the designs to yourself as you collect them) because it is no fun when you have to start collecting all over again!
Another way to organise your files would be to add the information to the file names (such as Christmas Applique Nativity , or Animal Realistic Zoo , etc) and then you can search your stash using the appropriate word in the search engine of your computer.
(and my prediction is that it will be a never-ending task!)

**Gypsymom** · June 6th, 2010

I like the way I organize my designs. I keep a file on my computer called Embroidery designs. Then in the file I have each website I have designs from. Then I have a file for each thing, like animals, FSL, Applique, Alphabet, and so on. In each file I have them organized as well. For instance for my animal I have files like dog, cat, giraffe. In each of those files I have each designs in their own file. For Instance I downloaded the Applique Calla Lilies. I put them in my designsbysick file, then in applique, then named a file app. calla lilies. I also made a copy of this file and pasted it in my Flower file, since it can be labeled as both. I know it sounds difficult but it really is easy. Takes a little bit of work in the beginning, and you are always updating it, but so far I have always been able to find any design I have made or are looking for. I also make a copy on my USB stick. that way I am always updating my files. It really is easy and works wonderfully. If you have any questions about any of this please let me know. I hope you understand this and can use it

Stacie

**rsehorse** · June 6th, 2010

This sounds like you are very organized. Maybe someday I will get there too. So much i want to do and so little time it seems to do it all in.

**oldhag** · June 7th, 2010

An even easier way to organize your designs is to use SewCat from www.sandscomputing.com. It is a virtual catalogue of you designs that you can categorize them and have them appear in different categories but they do not have to be copied so that it takes up less space on the hard drive. you can download a trial version of this program to see if you like it before you actually have to purchase it. Every time they make an improvement or upgrade it is free after your initial purchase.

**rsehorse** · June 7th, 2010

Thanks for this info. i have not heard of this before. Will have to check it out.

**brookemarie19** · June 28th, 2010

Originally Posted by Gypsymom

I like the way I organize my designs. I keep a file on my computer called Embroidery designs. Then in the file I have each website I have designs from. Then I have a file for each thing, like animals, FSL, Applique, Alphabet, and so on. In each file I have them organized as well. For instance for my animal I have files like dog, cat, giraffe. In each of those files I have each designs in their own file. For Instance I downloaded the Applique Calla Lilies. I put them in my designsbysick file, then in applique, then named a file app. calla lilies. I also made a copy of this file and pasted it in my Flower file, since it can be labeled as both. I know it sounds difficult but it really is easy. Takes a little bit of work in the beginning, and you are always updating it, but so far I have always been able to find any design I have made or are looking for. I also make a copy on my USB stick. that way I am always updating my files. It really is easy and works wonderfully. If you have any questions about any of this please let me know. I hope you understand this and can use it

Stacie

I do the same thing with my files, but not the usb stick... I may have to invest in one and do that myself.

**kmf** · July 26th, 2010

its good to get organised in the beginning it becomes easy i to do the same

**shirlgig** · February 21st, 2011

Help, I'm lost lately. I can't get to the hints for the hunt. I keep getting the message to log in, but I am logged in. I don't even know how to post any more, so I just hit reply and I don't even know what I'm replying to.