There’s an app for that.

 Want to keep track of your projects and bees and swaps and WiPs and ideas and plans and projects and pretty much anything else quilty project related? Turns out there’s an app for that.



The very clever Julie of 627 Handworks has just released a new app called the Quilting Bee and Swap Planner. She mentioned it on her blog the other day and I thought huh, that’s the kind of thing I could use. I was stoked to find it was a bargain on iTunes so I bought and downloaded it onto my iPod Touch and immediately started listing everything I could think of. Which was a little terrifying. Turns out my actual To-Do List is way longer than the vague one I’ve kept in my head.



Then I thought, I need to share the love. My quilty friends would want to know about this. So I asked Julie if she’d mind if I did a review (which obviously she said yes, because you’re reading it!) and she’s offered to send one lovely person a copy of the app for free! Score! Do read on for your chance to win it ) Or if you’re as impatient as I am, you can buy it here for 99c!

So! What does it do?

It organises you. Or you organise you using its clever features. It will not prod you into getting stuck into sewing (I need that sometimes!) but at least you can track what you’re doing and where you’re up to.

You just click on “+New Bee” and start adding your projects. You can put in details like when it’s due, what pattern you’re using and other notes.



And see that section at the bottom for Recipients? That’s fabulous for swaps or bees. Or in my case, I’m using it to list which blocks I need to make for my Fairytale quilt. That way I can keep track of what I’ve made and what’s up next.

The observant may notice that the blocks listed there are different colours. That’s because you can mark the blocks off as you make them! Cool hey? Different colours indicate the status of the block/project. Love that. So in my pic above, Mermaid is purple because she is finished. Snow is red because I still need to make her.



I also love that I can customise it by adding pictures of my projects! So easy. Just use the pics you’ve taken on your ipod/ipad/iphone and add them so you have a quick pictorial reference for what you’re doing.



I like the Notes section too so I can keep track of my random thoughts. With little children who have sticky fingers, I find notes I’ve written myself get scribbled on or simply disppear into the blackhole that is the toybox. So at least with notes jotted down on my ipod, I have a better chance of finding them.

You can pop by Julie’s blog to see some more pics of the app and how she has set it up for Bees and swaps.

So all in all, I’m loving this app. I don’t have any other quilt related apps as of yet. They’d have to be pretty good to compete with Candy Crush Saga or Plants vs Zombies 2 for space on my ipod. But this one’s a keeper. Now if it’d just nudge me towards my sewing machine so I could tackle that ridiculous To-Do list….



Want a chance to win your own copy of the app? Just leave a comment on this post, any comment that you like. Not sure what to say? Tell me the first project that you’d add when you get the app! Easy right?!  Entries accepted until Thursday 12th September Aussie time.

Good luck!