How do you keep track of your embroidery purchases as opposed to the freebie ones?

I have all my designs in a system of folders all indexed under the main headings:- 01a ALPHABETS 0 - E; 01b LPHABETS F - Z; 02 ANGELS - FAIRIES; 03 ANIMALS; 04 CROSS STITCH etc. going down to 18 ZODIACS
Under these are many sub folders and designs are filed based on how my mind associates them. ie: Snowmen designs would be filed under 17 WORLD \ Winter \ snowmen and scenes.
An FSL Christmas design would be filed under 10 HOLIDAYS \ Christmas \ Christmas FSL
And it would also be stored under 13 LACE \ Christmas

Underneath all these folders I keep a separate embroidery folder titled "Collections" inside this I have SUB-Folders with each one named for the Site, ie: Amazing; Cute; Embroidery Library; Kreations by Kara; Urban threads, etc.
All designs I purchase go immediately into these folders before being copied to the more detailed folders.

I don't really bother about where freebies have come from other than to change the first letters of the name to the initials of the digitiser or the site. Unless the freebie designs are from favourite sites I have also purchased from, like Embroidery Library; Urban Threads, etc. then I might also keep them in the sub folders under COLLECTIONS.

It means I have doubled up on a lot of my designs but when hard drives will now store Terabytes of data, we really don't have to scrimp on how much space we use.

I hope this helps.
Hugs n roses, Meganne

I use a two folder method. ORDERS, CATEGORIES. In orders I have many subfolders for the sites I have purchased from. Categories are folders with "kinds", of designs. Butterflies, Transportation, Buildings, Yard and Garden etc. If I buy a butterfly from Cute Embroidery it gets downloaded into ORDERS, CUTE EMBROIDERY. From there I either download again into CATEGORIES, Butterflies or I copy it to CATEGORIES, Butterflies. This works for me and anything I download is automatically backed up on a Seagate 2 Terra external drive that does not move off the desk.

i have mine in categories.if i want a butterfly, i look in butterflies, saying , in sayings ect. i do not keep a record of where it came from.
Hugs Pam

This has been on going question since we have been here and I don't know the solution either. At first I made categories , then I combined categories with web sites and keep them this way.On web sites , I have a folder for purchased designs as to separate from freebies. Perhaps some one will come up with the perfect solution. Kay

I have 2 folders one called STASH and the other called SITES In the stash folder I put designs by catergory and put who they are by and the site file has all the sites I buy from with designs and web address for each. I do this because I can't always remember where designs are from so it is easier if they are names.EG cats, dogs, butterflies

1 comment

by katydid 24 Jan 2017

clever!

You guys are so organized! :)

What I'm looking for is:

- Tracking the origin (including freebie / purchased)
- Viewing the icon (something like Iconizer from Embird)
- Simple search

Spreadsheets seem ok at that, but not excellent. In addition I don't want my collection to disappear at some point should my computer break. So is there maybe an online solution for this?

4 comments

by dragonflyer 24 Jan 2017

Tracking the Origin: Include name of site purchased or free in folder and/or design...also use $ in name for purchased so you can easily search for purchased designs.
Viewing: I have Iconizer from Embird and Love it!
Simple Search: Use Search feature of your computer.
Off Computer Storage: There are several; Cloud, Dropbox, etc...also separate set of USB sticks, CD/DVD's..all of these can act as back up for your "working" files.

by philippeichhorn 24 Jan 2017

Sweet, thanks for the tips! :)

Embird Iconzier: I was under the impression that's an addon to the basic digitizer, which makes it a little expensive. Embrilliance seems to offer something similar standalone.

by cybersewer 25 Jan 2017

The Iconizer portion of Embird can be purchased at https://www.secretsof.com/embird-...
for $18.50. It is a great addition to the basic program and not very expensive

by meganne 27 Jan 2017

philippeichhorn, You can purchase Sewiconz, which is a standalone design viewer, from: http://sandscomputing.com/product...

As for online storage I would steer well clear of it as too many of these Web storage sites have gone bust in the past leaving their customers high and dry, without access to everything they stored.
I would rather advise you to purchase a SEAGATE Expansion Desktop hard drive, NOT a battery one, an electric plug-in type: http://www.seagate.com/au/en/cons...
hope this helps, Meganne

Bringing this to the top for philippeichhorn

I had a list, now I have a folder. Lol!

I just put them in a folder of what the picture is, but, when you go back to see who's designs, even the zipped file and instructions do not have names, it makes it very hard to get the digitizer, so I will have to try all your ideas...wendy

I don't separate free from bought. I buy what I like and I only get free ones if I like them. I file them by name such as type of flower, baby, dragons, owls, etc. When I try them and they don't stitch well or whatever, I delete them. Why do you separate them by free or purchased?

I save all my purchase emails in a folder on my email and when I download I always put them in the folder of the company I purchased them from. Also keep my Paypal emails as well. Very handy to look back for receipts etc.and as they are saved in my email folder they will always be there. Sometimes I can't remember where I purchased a certain design from so have to look back at the emails to remind me . Comes in handy sometimes. Hope this helps Lyn

Well, I am not as organized as some of these Cuties below to keep a spread sheet...I do keep all of the ones I have purchased filed in a master folder named "Designer" and folders inside with the name of the site...and then I file again in my general designs folders with names like:
Flowers, Children, Lace, ITH, etc...but another way would be to add a special character like a dollar sign ($) when you name the folder along with the site name and design description...then you could search for the $ and all of your purchased designs would come up...or search $ then the site name to isolate just the purchased designs from that site...

3 comments

by Sewmum1 29 Aug 2016

I hadn't thought of adding $ sign to the name. Definitely a quick and easy solution

by shirley124 29 Aug 2016

The $ sign sounds good. I have only just finished doing my spread sheet. Keeping it up will be the challenge.

by marianb 31 Aug 2016

I like your idea of the $ that would make thing easier to find..

I have mine in a folder called 'Bought' and file them under the name of the site I purchased them. I also have them in a spread sheet. Just have to make sure I enter them before filing them away. This works for me as I can keep track of who I have purchased from and what the designs are. Hugs Shirley

1 comment

by Sewmum1 29 Aug 2016

This is what I am thinking too

I keep my bought designs in a folder named for the site, also in separate folders such as FSL, Flowers, Fairies etc with the site name after design name eg Continuiosline Fairies- KreativeKiwi. Also write them down in a note book so I can check at a glance if I have it to save duplicating orders. It does take a bit of organizing but is worth it. Marian

1 comment

by Sewmum1 29 Aug 2016

yes I definitely don't want to be caught out buying the same design twice

Gosh I never thought to separate the bought from the free dont take many free designs these days but do have them in order of fsl, applique, flowers then under flowers separated under types roses daisies etc

1 comment

by airyfairy 29 Aug 2016

I do exactly the same Carol. Works for me

I have a Stickdatei - order tree . This works very well . Flowers , Animals , Easter , and and