I have been working on the photo gallery for my virtual open studio, but after I took the first set of pictures, I realised you couldn’t really see much except piles of stuff (ADD decorating). So… even though I had originally thought that the beauty of a virtual tour would be that I wouldn’t have to clean up, that is exactly what I worked on all day yesterday!

I am always trying to be organized as I work, but it is a constant struggle. I make parts of the doll and then, a month later can’t figure out which of my patterns I used. As I work on the dolls, paper pattern pieces are always disappearing- where did this disappearing paper come from anyway??? When I sew the cloth pieces together and stuff them, they can change shape dramatically, so trying to match paper to 3-d form usually doesn’t work.

I have made a lot of baby steps towards being organized with the patterns. I have all my doll pattern pieces numbered and organized in a notebook in plastic sleeves. I mark the pieces as I cut them out- but that part of the fabric ends up on the inside so that doesn’t help. I have tried marking the dolls on the bodies, but it seems like messing them up.
This is my latest idea-

I got these file sleeves at Staples. I put every piece of pattern paper and muslin mock-up into it. I trace the body pattern pieces onto a new paper and put that in also. I could use the outside to make notes, but haven’t gotten there yet. I use it as a way of cleaning as I go along… just put everything in the sleeve and then when it turns out something I need is lost, well, I know where to look!