My BFF, Imogene, and I have known each other for 45+ years and have sewed/quilted together all of that time - traveling all over the area to quilt shows, fabric shops/hops, etc. She worked part-time at a quilt shop and was "paid" with fabric. She had one whole bedroom lined with bookcases with bolts of fabrics, etc. A second bedroom was her overflow from the first bedroom. Both bedrooms had big closets full of fabric, etc. Then in the basement was her quilting room with long-arm, rolls of batting, etc. She had a massive stroke but lasted 5 years before she passed away. Every single time that I went over there (which was very often) she insisted that I go into her room and take home some fabric - to "shop" her stash first before going to the store. Her DH piled up a bunch of furniture in that room so that she could not get in there with her wheelchair - so she would sit outside in the hall while I was in there. They did sell her long arm, etc. before she passed away. She had a sister (in town) who also had a long arm business and she had 3 daughters. Imogene had one daughter-in-law and two grand daughters - none showed any interest in quilts or quilting. After she died, I did not go into her bedrooms - just visited with her DH in the family room for months. I did not ask what he was going to do with her things because I just thought that he would give things away to her sister, nieces, daughters-in-laws and granddaughters. So, imagine my shock and horror of going there one day and he said "Nikki, go look in Imogene's sewing room" - so I did - and it was empty. I came out and asked where the things were and he told me that he had spent the past two days burning everything - we live out in the country and can burn if we wish to. But, I was able to look into the closets and see her plastic totes with more fabric in them, that she did not have room to put them onto the bookcases. I just told him that I was taking home all of the rest and I did. I found a bookcase in the hallway that had her quilting books in it - so was able to rescue them too. I even found some antique quilt blocks, pieced by hand. So I called her sister and she said that they were either from their grandmother or their handicapped aunt - so, of course, I saved them for her. I did find all of her cutting mats behind a dresser and lots of rotary cutters and rulers. So, not all lost. No thread or paper patterns though.