How to Record & Document Your Finished Quilts

Before you pick a method for recording your quilts, know what belongs in a quilt log. Some quilters start making records and realize halfway through that they've left out the things that matter most.

Fabric and Yardage Details

Write down every fabric you use: the manufacturer, the collection name, and the colorway if you know it. Record how much you bought and how much you actually used. This matters more than it seems. When a quilt needs a repair years from now, you'll want to know what you used. When you're shopping for a similar project, you'll have real numbers to work from instead of guessing.

Color cards, SKUs, or even just a photo of the selvage edge are worth keeping alongside the yardage notes. Fabric gets discontinued faster than you expect.

Pattern Info and Modifications

Record the pattern name, the designer, and where you got the pattern (purchased online, purchased in a quilt shop, free inside a magazine, etc.). More importantly, write down anything you changed: if you customized the total number of blocks in the quilt, note down how that changed the fabric requirements. If you changed the width of a border or sashing, write down the new measurements. If you found an efficient way to do that quilt's piecing, write down all of the details for your future self. Modifications are one of the first things you'll forget over time, but they're important to have in case you decide to make the pattern again in the future.

Time and Cost

Track how many hours a project takes, even if it's just a rough estimate. Over time, this gives you a real picture of what your quilts cost to make, which matters for gifting, donating, or anything involving appraisal. Track and record your fabric costs, batting costs, and any longarm fees. A finished record with actual numbers is far more useful than a hazy memory of "probably around $100."

For anyone keeping a complete archive of finished quilts, time and cost turn a log into a true body-of-work record.

Photos

Quilts are visual creations; no quilt record is complete without images. Include as many photos of each quilt as possible: full-size shots, detail shots, photos of the backing and binding, in-progress shots, etc.

Memories & Legacy

Write down the emotional details behind the quilt: who did you make it for? What inspired you to select this pattern, these colors, and these fabric prints? Where's the quilt now? What memories do you have from sewing this quilt? Details like these humanize the creative process in a way that increases the value of the finished project.

What It's Good For

A notebook requires no setup and no learning curve. You open it and write. For quilters who prefer to keep everything analog, it's a natural extension of the way they already work. You can tape in fabric swatches, glue in a selvage edge, add a photo print. The tactile nature of it suits quilters who find a screen between them and their work annoying.

Portability is a real advantage. A notebook can easily travel with you to guild meetings, to retreats, to the quilt shop. No password, no dead battery.

For quilters who want a more visual analog option, consider purchasing a printable quilt record template, such as the ones sold on Etsy. These templates can be repeatedly printed and then filled in by hand, to standardize the look of your paper records.

Where It Breaks Down

The lack of a search feature is the problem. A notebook with forty projects is forty pages of information you can only find by flipping through each page manually. There's no way to filter by pattern designer, cost, or the year you finished something. You just have to remember roughly where in the notebook you wrote it.

Additionally, including photos in a notebook log involves the extra steps of printing the photos from your phone, and then taping the print into the notebook. The more separate steps a system requires, the harder it is to maintain the system long-term. Eventually, most quilters end up with a collection of photos in their phone, completely separate from their paper quilt record.

For quilters using a printed record template, you're limited by the fields included in the template. Most quilt record templates focus on recording just the data behind each quilt (measurements, dates, cost, etc). Templates usually have little or no space dedicated to recording the story behind a particular quilt.

Notebooks also get lost, or damaged. Or the writing fades. A decade or a lifetime of project records inside one physical object is a single point of failure, which is a risk.

What It's Good For

A spreadsheet is a flexible option for quilters to create a digital record of their work. You can build exactly the columns you want: pattern name, designer, yardage, cost, hours, recipient, date started, date finished. You can sort by any column. You can use the "Find" function to search for a specific word in the record. You can save and continually update and edit the record.

For quilters who already use Google Sheets or Excel, there's no new tool to learn. And a Google Sheets spreadsheet can live in Google Drive where it's backed up and accessible from any device.

Where It Breaks Down

A spreadsheet is built for data, not for stories. They're not designed to hold large blocks of text, such as the story behind why you created a specific quilt. If you type a paragraph into a cell on a spreadsheet, it'll change the height of every other cell on the row, distorting the symmetry of the spreadsheet. Quilters are visual designers who use fabric and thread as their medium; we want a visually appealing way to record our masterpieces.

Including photos in a spreadsheet is an even bigger challenge. Embedding images in a spreadsheet is technically possible and practically miserable. The cells distort, the file size balloons, and the result looks nothing like the record the quilt deserves. Most quilters end up with photos in one place and data in another, which increases the likelihood that one will be lost after you're gone.

Spreadsheets also require you to design the system from scratch. You build the layout, maintain the columns, and decide what belongs where. Time you spend building a complete system is time that you could've spent inputting your quilts into an existing system, or better yet, time you could've spent sewing!

What It's Good For

A dedicated online archive like Quiltacy is built around the idea that your quilt photos, data, and stories should all be stored in the same place. You should be able to look up a quilt's measurements in the same place that you flip through all of your photos of that quilt. You should be able to record your memories of sewing there, too. It all belongs together.

The fields are all there, ready for you: pattern, designer, measurements, fabrics, batting, cost, time, recipient, story. Additionally, Quiltacy allows you to create custom fields, such as awards, quilt show details, or other details you want to record. Each record has photos displayed in a browsable gallery. Nothing lives in a separate folder or a different tab.

Quiltacy offers a free version that lets you track up to five quilts at no cost, allowing you to decide whether the system fits your needs before committing to a paid plan. As an online record, it's accessible from any browser, including on a phone or tablet.

For quilters who want their records in a printed archive or binder, Quiltacy is built to produce that output directly. The record you keep in Quiltacy can be downloaded as a PDF of your complete archive (with an index), ready to print and keep in a binder. Or, you can download a PDF for an individual project record, and include the page(s) when gifting a quilt. If your printed archive is ever lost or damaged, you can easily generate a replacement PDF.

Quiltacy also gives you the option to share a public, online gallery of quilts. You can use this to post all of your completed quilts on social media, or to share just your current project. You can create a public "Quilts For Sale" gallery to share with interested buyers. You can show your past projects to new retreat friends. You can advertise custom quilt services, and include a link to your past work. The possibilities are immense.

In addition to recording your completed quilts, Quiltacy is a management system for your current works in progress and UFOs. Use it to help you decide how to use your sewing time each day. You can create a WIP Record for each project you're working on, and order them by priority. Check your WIP Progress Summary chart for an at-a-glance view of where you are in each of your projects. When you finish a quilt, convert it into a completed project with a single click.

Searchable archive, custom quilt record fields, printable PDFs, shareable gallery links, WIP management… these aren't things that a notebook or a spreadsheet can do cleanly.

When It Might Not Be for You

If you quilt occasionally and want to only keep simple records, Quiltacy may be more than you currently need. The free tier covers five quilts, but if you're a prolific quilter with an existing notebook system, switching takes time. If the idea of any setup at all makes you less likely to track your quilts, then consider starting with a notebook.

The honest answer is that the best recording method is the one you'll actually use. That said, here's how the three options stack up across the things that matter most:

If portability without technology is your priority, consider using a notebook. If you need maximum flexibility and you're comfortable building your own systems, a spreadsheet may be right for you. If you want your photos, story, and data in one place with a printable output, Quiltacy offers everything you need.

How do I record and document quilts for free?

The simplest free options are a paper notebook or a spreadsheet in Google Sheets. A notebook costs next to nothing and is a legitimate method. Google Sheets is free if you're willing to build your own template. If you want an app, Quiltacy's free plan lets you track up to five quilts at no cost with no time limit, including full access to photos, pattern details, and the story fields.

Is there an app specifically for documenting quilting projects?

Yes. Quiltacy is an online quilt archive built specifically for quilters, with fields for fabric, pattern, cost, recipient, and the story behind each piece. It includes options for PDF printing and sharing a public online gallery. Quiltacy runs in the browser on any device and includes a gallery view and printable archive.

What information should I include in a quilt log?

At minimum: the pattern name and designer, the fabrics used, the batting type, and the date you finished. A more complete record adds cost, time spent, the recipient (if it was a gift), and a few sentences about why you made it. That story field is the part that gets lost if you wait to record it.

How do I track fabric usage for quilting?

Write down the fabric manufacturer, collection, and colorway before you cut. Record how much you bought and how much you used. A photo of the selvage edge is an easy backup reference. Tracking this per project gives you real data for future purchases and makes it possible to source a match if you run out of fabric before completing the quilt.

Can I use a PDF template for recording my quilts?

A PDF template works as a starting point, allowing you to print the template and fill it out by hand. Its limitation is the same as a notebook: no searchability, no attached photos, and the risk of your physical quilt record being lost or damaged. For a more long-term and durable record, a spreadsheet or a dedicated app has more longevity.

Are there quilting apps for Android or Apple?

Quiltacy works on all devices through the browser as a Progressive Web App. Add it to your home screen, and it runs like a native app, full screen. For details on how to add Quiltacy to your home screen, view our guide here. There's no app store download required.

How do I organize a quilt project from start to finish?

Start the record before you cut, not after you finish. Log the pattern and fabrics while they're still in front of you, then track time and cost as you go instead of reconstructing them later. Upload in-progress photos as you work. When the quilt is done, add the completion date, photos, and the story behind it. That story is the part you'll forget first.