I don't know any crafty person who doesn't enjoy seeing someone else's process. Whether it's peeking at someone's stash, how they store supplies, or the way they keep organized, I always find it inspiring. So I thought I would share a bit about how I keep track of my stitching.
I've been using a bullet journal for almost 4 years now, so it's definitely become part of my daily life. I initially decided to try it because I could never find a planner that had everything I wanted in it. And they usually had several things I didn't want (or need). Plus, I like to sketch and draw, so the possibility of incorporating more art into my daily life appealed to me.
When you run a small business (especially when you have more than one product) it's a huge help to have everything in one place. I didn't want a planner for my personal life, plus another one for business. I wanted to be able to track what I was stitching, knitting and sewing in the same place I track my Bible reading, note the weather, plan meals and make lists.
The great thing is, with a bullet journal, I got all that and more!
I will admit using a bullet journal takes a bit of adjustment. After all, you create the content in your journal, but you also get a book that is all yours. And it brings with it the freedom to do it just the way you want it. I like that.
But, the main reason I'm writing about this is because I want to show you how I track my cross stitching. I also keep track of my knitting and quilting, but it's the same system.
I've actually modified the way I do it a few times. That's another great thing about bullet journaling. If something ceases to work well, just change it!
The first method I used was colored dots on my monthly spread to track each project. I had a color key (shown above) and then each dot represented about 15 minutes of stitching. I did that for a while, but all the colors got confusing and a bit annoying to keep up with. I also found I didn't really need to track how much time I was spending, since it remains pretty consistent.
Next, I went to a weekly tracker. I've done it several different ways, but I like keeping a weekly tracker instead of a monthly. Here are a few examples of different weekly trackers:
I still use a weekly tracker and I really like it. A new start gets a star to show the day I started it. When I complete it, I put a circle around my dot.
It's also very easy to add any notes or changes to my projects in that week's spread. I always have a spot for "notes" in each weekly spread. And I also make a note on my monthly page of all the projects I worked on in that month. I also have a project index at the beginning of each year that shows each project with the start and end dates.
One of the fun things about a bullet journal is being able to insert anything you want into it. And if you keep an index, you'll always know where to find it. For instance, I've been very slowly working on the Blackbird Designs Garden Club series. I've been converting the colors as I go along, and I keep that info in my bujo. By having an index at the back of the book, I can always find it if I need it or want to share it.
Hopefully, I've given you a few reasons to think about trying a bullet journal. But I think one of the best is how easy it is to keep track of your stitching projects.
Here's a shot of my nice new bujo for 2022:
I'm Robin, the designer behind October House. You've found my blog, where I ramble on about stitching and sewing and anything else that catches my fancy!
I love quiet colors, gentle stitches and making things by hand.
"My best friend is a person who will give me a book I have not read." - Abraham Lincoln
