Friday 14 June 2013

Catching Up

I'm slowly catching up on some work - gradually replying to emails from the past week, sending out all my shop orders, and writing some blog posts with "help" from this little lady!


I'm also working on a whole bunch of tutorials (for a couple of projects I, alas, can't talk about yet). I find it helpful when I'm working on lots of tutorials at once to make a chart instead of writing lots of to do lists. It works pretty well even if the tutorials are all for very different things as they all involve the same basic steps to get from idea to finished tutorial. Ticking each small task off as I work through them I can see the progress I'm making and can see at a glance what tasks still need doing. 

This is my current chart. Lots done, but quite a bit still to do! 


I made a gigantic "to do chart" when I was working on my new book and it really helped keep me organised during a very hectic time.


For each design I worked on I needed to sketch it, design the templates, (maybe) sew a prototype, write notes on how to make it, sew it, take step by step photos, edit the photos, resize and label the photos, take final reference photos of the finished piece, type up my notes, draft the tutorial, proofread it, make final changes, draw the templates out neatly, make copies of the templates, pack up the project, and then post the project & templates and email the tutorial & accompanying photos. 

Multiply that by all the different projects that make up a book and, well, you can see why the chart was so useful! :)

6 comments:

Carina said...

I did the chart thing too when working on my book. And went one step (probably when procrastinating!!) further - I typed it all into the computer! Crazee. ;-)

Alex - The Interior DIYer said...

Holy balls to the walls Laura. I commend your organization skillz.

xx A

ginny said...

Love the chart! Its good for people to see just how much work goes into writing a sewing/craft book too. Prototypes and all !!
Wish i was as organised as you X

Made in Suisse said...

How very organised, a girl after my own heart!

Genevieve said...

Great chart! I recently finished a book for which I had to do 100 bead embroidery motifs. Thank goodness for Excel!

Bugs and Fishes said...

Carina - Nothing like a nice bit of procrastination, haha! I have to admit that I like my to do lists handwritten / on paper so I can colour bits in & physically cross things off... and see where I'm at with a project without having the laptop turned on.

Alex - Haha, without charts like this & detailed to do lists, etc, I become VERY disorganised VERY quickly! :)

Ginny - Thanks! And you're right, there is a LOT of work that goes into working on a craft book that I don't think is obvious from the "outside"... just like designing/making/selling handmade stuff involved a lot of work "behind the scenes".

Made in Suisse - :)

Genevieve - Congrats on the book! And 100 different motifs, eek, I would *definitely* need a chart to keep track of all those x