Sounds to me like this lovely lady spent much of her time doing what she enjoyed. She found material she fell in love with and bought it right then and there as she would be sure to use it for something eventually. We've all done it, I know I have, either bought fabric I had no immediate use for but I just couldn't pass it up; or was given some fabric by friends or family that needed just the right pattern and other matching/contrasting material I don't have.
I guess she is smiling down upon us now laughing at how we are all speculating how sad it is to leave behind such treasures. I am sure she made magnificent things and now someone else will out of the items she didn't use.
Evelyn