Creating a paper trail

One of the things necessary for running a quilting business is the paperwork. I could pay to have these forms typeset and printed but why spend the money when I can do them myself?

I could do all this on the computer with Machine Quilting Business Manager.... but I don't trust computers. They have a way of doing odd things when I'm not paying attention. I trust paper trails in addition to the computer. A double check so to speak. I'll let the computer do the end of year paper stuff when I can sit down and watch it work.

I finally found NCR (no carbon required) paper for my ink jet computer printer. Yea! No more carbon paper!

I've been asking at several of the local office supply stores without success for a couple of years. I finally found it at Arvey's paper and supply on Saturday. It comes with a white sheet then a pink sheet, white, pink... etc. It also comes in white and yellow.

I separated the paper to print my intake forms. I have a 'thank you' and other information on the second sheet which I didn't want printed on the top copy. I took time to move things around on the form to better suit my needs and printed out 30 copies. This should hold me for a while. Yes, I could have used the computer to print both without separating the paper. This way just happened to work better for me. I can change it later. I print two intake forms per page then cut the paper in half.

I always give the customer a copy of the intake sheet. In case I loose my copy for some reason, the customer has a back up copy.


This is where I keep the finished intake forms. It's a little 2 drawer plastic unit I keep on a shelf right under my intake table. Next to a 2 layer plastic paper tray unit that holds my current waiting list and note paper.


While I was in the mood for paper work I changed my waiting list pages. I really wanted a special day planner book. I didn't find the one I needed. I'll do an internet search as soon as I finish today's post. A day planner is key to keeping myself organized. If I find the right one, I will change the waiting list again so I can print it to fit into the day planner.

As you can see.... I only have 16 lines on the sheet. This is the maximum number of quilts I plan to do in any single month. The highlighted lines are reserved for ME quilts or for CUSTOM quilts I make. I will only be doing 12 quilts (3 per week) for toppers and one per week of my own choosing. Yes, yes, I am a workaholic and could do more.... but that wouldn't leave me time for a life. I might quilt a custom quilt or a charity quilt or a contest quilt or a grandchild quilt on my reserved days.


It's vital that each individual machine quilter decide the maximum number of quilts they want to do each month. Would it be 4 a month (1 per week) or 40 or 100 or what ever is the amount of work the machine quilter is willing to do. People with computer run machines may decide to do more than 3 a week. People with smaller shortarm hand guided machines may decide to do fewer.

When deciding how many is the maximum..... first decide the number of hours and days you can quilt.... around your regular life. If you know you always go to a ball game on Friday... don't take in a quilt for Friday. If you know you always shop on Saturday.... don't plan to quilt on Saturday. In other words, decide the working hours and days..... around your life.

Ok, I've gotten away from the point of this post....

Next I did my custom quilt catalog over. I needed to simplify it! I separated it into categories and put a tab divider for the separations. I bought these tabs (self stick) at Walgreen a few weeks back.


I changed the prices form to one per quilt instead of one for 3 quilts. I also simplified the prices.


Instead of $147.50 by a math formula, it's now $150. Rounded off figures are much more customer friendly. I took off the statement that prices are for labor only. It seemed to harsh for a customer to read it page after page. I don't shop for the fabrics.... the customer does..... so there was no point of saying it's for labor only.


Notice the letter in the corner? This is a price code for me. I came up with a formula based on these:
A-very easy
B-intermediate
C-advanced
D-difficult
E-very difficult
F-OH MY! - I'll try

I came up with a price for each.... that I could live with..... if asked to make one of them. Each new design I put into my catalog will go into one of those categories. The prices are already figured so I just write them on the price sheet.

You see the red "pattern file #" at the bottom of the price sheet? This is the file where I will keep my yardage charts to make each quilt. I'll add the file numbers later when I've completed the files.

It's kind of difficult to do a pre determined additional fabric yardage list with a t-shirt quilt.... but.... there is a backing which is fixed amount. Binding, is a fixed amount. Other quilts are much easier.

I didn't get around to the printing of custom quilt intake forms with the new NCR paper. I will do that later today. Here is what it looks like..... so you will know. I plan to keep these forms right inside the catalog. No better place to keep them than right where they are used.


Ok, that's about it for this post. Reorganizing... for me anyway.... also means changing forms and paperwork to better fit the way I work. I reduce routine tasks into the smallest amount of work possible. Anything that is repeated and repeated and repeated can be reduced down to one simple form to be used again and again instead. This takes up less space in my time box.

During the coming year; as I use these forms; there might be something that doesn't work. I'll make the changes when I do my next reorganizing. Or when I print more forms. That's the reason I only printed out 30 copies of the intake form... so I can see if it works before using up all the paper.

UPDATE: I had a comment sent to me from Alycia which reminded me I hadn't told how I created my forms. (thank you Alycia) I use MS word for my forms. I use the "table" tool. Anything on your computer that helps you create a form would work. My catalog price sheets are printed on 4 X 6 file cards. I did not throw away the old cards. I will reuse the cards by putting recipes on the other side and put them into my recipe box.

A slow couple of days

Today's finished quilt. Isn't it cute!


There isn't any batting in it except for the borders. It was already too thick and heavy without batting. I did a simple meander all over except for the pockets. I couldn't get my hopping foot over the seams of the pockets. I did a leaf design on the border.


Sunday was a day for paper work. New intake sheets.


Newer version of my waiting list sheets. Now I have to transfer all the names.


Changed my custom quilt catalog.


And.... cleaned up some of the odd papers laying all over the house. Most of it got shredded.

Photo class

Yesterday I took a class on taking digital images of quilts and putting them onto a disk. This is the classroom setting.


I came away from the class feeling flustered and discouraged. I was whining and complaining all afternoon. I felt as if I would never enter a contest again. The technology I have to learn seemed just too intimidating. Let me explain, I have difficulty comprehending written instruction sheets and booklets. I guess I'm more of a 'show me' type person.

I have a new digital camera but don't know how to use it correctly. I have photo managing software galore on my computer but can't figure out how to use any of it. I have a new cd burner that I manage to make work sometime then can't remember how I did it.

When it comes to making a choice of reading an instruction booklet or creating a quilt. Guess what I choose? Creating with fabric and my machine win every time. When I buy a quilt book, I rarely read the instructions. I look at the pictures and figure it out that way. The only reason I put instruction pages in my quilt kits is for the pictures and sometimes yardage requirements.

I have everything I need for taking digital pictures....just not the knowledge to use it. So...last night I decided to stop all my whining and complaining. I'm setting my mind to just try. If I don't at least try, I will never learn. You might say I'm stepping around the latest boulders in my path.

I have a customer who knows a lot about cameras and software. He has volunteered to help me learn what I can't comprehend on my own. As soon as I get the organizing work finished I'm going to sit down to learn what I can. Then call him for some more help.

As the saying goes....nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Cheap organizing containers

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I thought I might give an update on how the kit making is going before explaining the thrifty storage containers. Here some kits are being made and lined up along the floor in front of my machine.

Here are some still lined up on the machine table.


And some of the things on the cutting/intake table. So far I've listed 47 kits and still listing more. This does not count the quilt tops in the studio actually being worked on right now. Those are in the plastic drawers under the machine table.


I should explain; a lot of these unfinished quilts came to me as donations for charity quilts. Sometimes I get packages like these. I haven't a clue what the original intention was for the cut pieces. Maybe they were just left over pieces from someone's finished quilts? These become leaders and enders and eventually a design comes out.


Here are some of the kits put away in their new home. I tried using the hangers to hang the kits as was suggested....but, most of the kits were too heavy. I ripped a couple of bags trying it out. Yup, these are just plain old cardboard boxes. These came with my Quilter's Dream batting order.


Now there are going to be those who say, "Eeeew, cardboard boxes are ugly. I don't want cardboard boxes in my stash area."

Think about it again....remember my time box?


It was originally a shoe box. It had work boots in it. My neighbor was going to throw the box away but I rescued it. A coat of spray paint and it looks just as good as a box selling at the store for $5. I love shoe boxes! The trouble is...I don't get them very often. I might buy a pair of shoes every four or five years. Hey, if they don't wear out why replace them?

I have to depend on other types of boxes coming to live here. Like this one. Its very sturdy but I'm not going to give free advertising for the postal service......


I make it look like this until I can paint it.


I might decide not to use spray paint. I may use some of my fabric stash and decoupage it...or use some left over Christmas wrap to cover it. Some Christmas wrapping paper looks kind of generic. I use that kind so it doesn't look like I forgot to put away the holiday stuff in the middle of July. All I did was take the box apart and turn it inside out. A little glue and it's back together again.

My point is that getting organized really doesn't have to be expensive. Use what is available. Cardboard boxes are a thrifty alternative to buying containers which may or may not be the right size. With cardboard...the cost is cheap enough I can afford to change as often as necessary. If one box isn't the right size....I go find a different one.

I also kept the boxes my two new little space heaters came in...I'll spray paint them so I'm not advertising...and store the heaters in the original box. My closet will look pretty and they are the perfect size.

Been organizing

I started my annual reorganizing. Here are some quilt kits I'm making for the coming year.


I'm listing the kits on a sheet or two of paper so I know what is stored and where.


I got tired of loosing quilts that should get finished. I was tired of looking for a fabric belonging in a quilt.....only to realize it had been cut up and used for a different quilt. I was tired of quilts missing birthdays because they didn't get finished. I was tired of constantly loosing things!

Last year's reorganizing was supposed to remedy that problem but it didn't. Now I'm trying a different way of keeping track. It may not help me move faster but it should help me keep up with what should be done and where to find it.

I had completely lost my thrifty and very organized nature over the last year and a half. What happened? My son's suicide had a major impact on my life. I worked everyday though I didn't realize that was all I was doing. I functioned while not really being myself.

A very good friend once said I was like a person walking down a road, something might put a rock in my path, and I just kind of side step it to keep going on my way. She's right. My son's death was more like a boulder instead of a rock. Since he was not the first child I had lost, the trip around the boulder in my path seemed to take much longer to go around. I have grieved and now my life must go on. I have other kids to think about. I will see the lost kids again someday.

I won't get back to the organizing today. I'm taking an all day class at a college near me. It's a photography class about taking pictures of quilts to enter contests. The class is more about using a digital camera than the quilts. This is what I need to know.

I have pretty much given up on entering any more contests. They are all requiring photos for entry these days. I have no hope of getting into a show if I can't even take a decent picture to put into a blog. If I can learn about using my camera maybe I will try entering again.

Many big time quilters are paying professionals to take pictures of their quilts. I can't afford to pay a professional in the hope I might get into a show. Paying an entry fee then not get into the show is expensive enough. I'm not even sure I want to do that anymore. I may try a couple more times to enter a big show.....but after that...I will stop wasting my money.

My quilts are happily received by those who get them. Most don't even care if it is perfect or not. They love the quilts anyway.

So now its time for me to go get some things together for my class. Hopefully it won't take me long to locate what I need. Hmmm....I wonder where I put the camera instruction booklet? Do I have fresh batteries? Oh yes, I need bus fare and I need my list of things to pick up at the office supply store......