Monday 9 September 2013

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.

Quilting Bee and Swap Planner

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.

Quilting Bee and Swap Planner

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 Winking smile) 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.

Keep track of blocks in a quilt

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.

Mermaid marked Finished

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.

Take notes

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….

Quilting Bee and Swap Planner

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!

34 comments:

  1. Thanks for the review Kristy!! I am of the impatient type and it sounds hard to beat for .99! The bee icon is so cute!!

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  2. I haven't participated in any bees yet, but this is a cool app!

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  3. I don't have any bees either, but I could definitely use a handy list of my WIPs or blog post ideas.

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  4. This sounds awesome. I think I might have to give it a try.

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  5. I'd add in my long term BOMs and quilts I want to try in the future. Thanks for the chance!

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  6. What a great idea!! I write a list every month of what is required of me, I often misplace my list, this would be great to keep track as I never lose my phone, so far! :)

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  7. I saw Julie's post about her app the other day. Looks awesome, I'd have to list all my quilt tops that need quilted!

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  8. Cool! Maybe this would stop me forgetting about bee blocks and the wips I have lurking in plastic tubs :o)

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  9. That's awesome. I'm in denial about what I'll add, so we're not going to talk about that :-)

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  10. Sounds like one smart app. Like you I might frighten myself with the length of my WIP list if I saw it all listed in one place :)

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  11. that's a fab idea, but maybe scary!! it would be a good idea to go through all the secret hiding places and catalogue all the UFO projects, but am i brave enough?

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  12. I have an app called clear that is great for lists and I have my quilt to dos on it. This app appears to have so many more useful bells and whistles AND it is for quilters. Love that! Thanks for sharing.

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  13. Sounds like a great way to get organized! I have a bunch of WIPs and I bet I'll be surprised at how many when I start enterinng them!

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  14. I think this will be a great app even for those of us who are NOT involved in bees and swaps yet. I can see using it to list quilt projects in progress, waiting on the shelf, dreamed of, and those that are just in mind for their inspiration. Thanks for letting us know about it.

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  15. looks like a cool app and very handy!

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  16. I like bee-ing organised! Thank you for the review. I'm not in any bees yet, but this looks like it would also help me to keep personal quilting projects on track - especially gifts that need to be on time :)

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  17. I could really use this and the first thing I would add is pending Mermaid block as soon as you finish her.. LOL I am waiting for her, material ready..

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  18. Now that's an app I can applaud! lol How soon can it be ready for Android? I'd put my UFO's on it and re-start my personal challenge to get them from over 50 to less than 10! pbstrand@msn.com

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  19. Already got it and love it! I couldn't wait either:)

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  20. Gosh, I need all the help I can get when it comes to organization! This is a great help!

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  21. This looks like a very handy app. I'm a list maker so will have to check it out...

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  22. Cool app! I would add a wedding quilt for my niece that got married 3 years ago.

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  23. Wow - what a fantastic app - Thanks for sharing!!

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  24. Kristy, this is a very cool app! Let's see...the first item I would add would be the monthly assignments of the quilters in the online quilting bee I am hosting! :)
    sowingstitches [at]gmail [dot] com

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  25. How fabulous. If only I'd known about that when I had time for swaps - would have saved a few trees! I could have easily replaced all the bits of paper I used to keep track of everything!!

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  26. I need to start two quilts. One for each of my young step-nephews. This app would come in handy

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  27. That would be awesome!! Besides working on my Dear Jane I just finished my Swoon Quilt and I just love looking at it!!....and I am going to start teaching quilt classes soon and offer my longarming....so organizing is the key!!....yes, it would be "handy-dandy!"

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  28. I'd add my swap projects first. Boy do I need them centrally located with pictures.

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  29. Sounds like the perfect organization app. Adding photos is a great feature.

    My favorite quilting app is the Robert Kaufman Quilter's LIttle Helper quilting calculator. It calculates a wide range of things like backing and batting, square in a square, and corner triangles. I find it indispensable for calculating binding and borders. I can make sure I have enough of the fabric I want to use on hand before I even cut it out! (Oh yes, it's free!)

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  30. What a fun app! Maybe the app would keep me from joining too many swaps then wondering how the heck I'm gonna get it all done! LOL! Now she needs to design and app for our ufo's and wip's. :)

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  31. That's so clever! I was using a list stuck to the end of my bookcase (and visible from my sewing machine!), but that only lasted until March of this year - it just took too much time to write out each new list!

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  32. Oh I do so need this app ! Keeping track of bees blocks and addresses would be fantastic . I would do that straight away , add the bees I'm in .

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  33. I've just joined the swaps and challenges committee for my guild so I'm sure this would be helpful!! Thanks!

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  34. I'm not sure if I do want this app - is it Apple products only? If so, then I don't own any apple products, but I do have an android smart phone. I would use it to keep trap of my massive WIP list!

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