Using AirTable to keep track of your stash of fabric and patterns, projects, and wishlists/plans

Fiber artists (primarily knitters) have Ravelry. From day one when it was on limited release it's been recognized as great information architecture that provides a really usable and useful way to manage your stuff. 

So the sewing community has had a number of companies introduce "the Ravelry for sewing" apps but none have really caught on or had the usability/utility of Ravelry. 

Documenting your stuff can be part of the fun or add stress. For me, it's part of the fun. I ended up making my own database in AirTable and while it's not perfect, it does most of what I want to do.

Useful features for me:

• Baseline version is free (and the paid one isn't too expensive and offers a couple of neat extra features)
• Available through a browser or as an app - automatically syncs
• Allows links between different tables within a database
• Allows pictures to be associated with each record

My set up. Here's a blank copy of my structure. (No, my dear library friends, I will not be providing an entity-relationship diagram or any such thing). Note that it does default on a laptop to more of a spreadsheet view, but you want the gallery view.

Tables

• Patterns
• Fabric
• Projects
• Plans (sort of an afterthought and less well developed)
• Pattern Wishlist (also an afterthought)

Pattern Fields

Title  - pattern title, but also descriptive if needed

Designer - I wish I had set up some validation, but I still need to go in and make sure they're all spelled the same. I didn't want a dropdown because I didn't want the maintenance of updating and adding

Notes - Sort of a description, but also sometimes things I should pay attention to next time

Attachments - This is where I put the line drawing or a picture from the pattern. Generally I don't put my own work here. I don't upload the pattern. You can add images from files or by connecting to web services.

The right hand side is meta info and it's really most useful for collaborative use. Comments on the record and edit history. More is available if you are a paid user.

I have checkboxes to indicate if I have printed it and if I have an A0 around somewhere. These were added later so earlier records may not be accurate

Categories - multiple can be checked and it's easy to filter on these later.

For whom - women, men, children, house

Fabric - Woven, stretch woven, knit, fleece, home dec  (clearly your options vary - these are what the pattern is intended for. You could get a ton more granular here  - chambray, voile, athletic knit, etc.)

Fabric requirement - This works better for some patterns than others. I have my patterns saved in a private Google Drive folder so ones that have a million options or widths of fabric, I have to just open them in the store. I'm not terribly excited about how I have this field but haven't spent the time to rework. This way you can't range search (search for things that need <1yd home dec, for example -- you would have to structure this differently)

These next few fields are by far the coolest. They link to other tables so you can click through and find any fabric for which this was the intended pattern, any projects, any plans.

Fabric Fields

Name - I try to be descriptive here, because this is what I mostly search on.

Notes - Definitely note if has a cut out section or flaw or any other need to know

Attached file - An image - if it has a label, I'll try to include that.

Length - total length when purchased (not what's left)

How much left - single select. Full amount, enough for another project, large scraps, small scraps, gone

Width - either 45 or 60

Intended pattern - links to that table. 

Store

Price

Composition

Stretch

Links to projects and plans

Project Fields

Name

Notes (mostly about things that went wrong/right, changes/modifications made)

Image

Pattern - links to pattern table

View - text. I'll describe instead of just putting in "A"

Progress - select from cut out, half sewn, needs hems, complete

Fabric info - text box for details or if the fabric isn't in the table

Link to Fabric Table

Plans

Name

Inspiration image

Links to possible patterns

Links to possible fabrics

Need to get (like if this would require some fabric or notions I don't have)

Check box for started or discarded. I filter gallery view to not show these by default.

Pattern Wishlist

This is really useful come sale time.

Name

Designer

Notes

URL

Regular price

Picture

Why wait - select from Price, Size Range, Not sure I would wear, Not sure

Checkbox for purchased - I filter these out of the default view.

Summary

This is obviously a ton more detail than anyone needs, but I find it fun, and I like to look over my projects and stash. Airtable is a useful tool for this.  It's a growing and developing beast. I might change how I show fabric requirements and some other details, but this works pretty well. 

I do keep the patterns in Drive (as well as my computer) and I still use Pinterest for ideas. 

Other sewists use Trello, spreadsheets, paper notebooks and binders....