I'am 64 have $2,000 worth of books and magazines, $10,000 in materials and quilting supplies.

Isn't it eye-opening to realize that all the schtuff we collect as we "just sew a bit and make a few things" adds up to so much in value and volume!
I started out with some scraps of muslin I had for crafting, because DH (D at the time, not any more) surprized me with a little Brother 270D embroidery/sewing machine and I made redwork squares because I LOVE redwork but won't spend the time to hand-do it -- Led to the dark red fabric to make the squares into a quilt; more threads for colored work; other fabrics for a Broken Dishes tablecloth; and Off We Went a-Running!!!
I think I have more in sewing/quilting than in any other category of my life.
Now it's going for friends and DGB - Dearest GrandBaby - and I buy very little any more - got it all by this time - but I'll never use all this stuff if I live to be 140.

It all fits for me except the age!

Guilty but I'm afraid that I'm past the age 65 and I have more goodies and fabric. Oh that's a scary thought.
But like the rest of us I enjoy it all so I feel that's all that counts.
Also just remember it beats having a affair,Bar Hopping and taking drugs.
Good for all of us that fits in this catagory at least we are home and happy and enjoy our good fortune.
kjym Kathy

I'm working on the room, the age and the fabric. I dont have that many tools and supplies.

Perfect to a "T"!!!!

I fit none of those. I just turned 65 and my computer, craft, sewing room is barely big enough too turn around in. HEY! I got a double wide with tiny closets, no attic or basement. I can't even get my scooter through the doors in this place. I get it through too the kitchen but the bedroom doors are much too small for it. I am just learning too sew quilt tops. Not progressing as fast as I would like too but maybe after I have my carpul tunnel fixed, I will do better. Most of my material has been given too me by other people that excess. I have bought probably 30.00 worth of material if that much since I started. Wal-mart here told me they were clearanceing out their sewing deptment starting Aug 3rd. I may check it out to see how low the material gets in price.

I agree totally. As my granddaugther's quilt needed mending, I took the time to teach her how to mend it and she's kept it mended. Not the prettiest, not the best but she can use it, launder it and it doesn't fall apart. A couple places got bad and I had to do the mending for her but it's had a lot of use since she came home from the hospital wrapped in it and is now 17. I even made her a new quilt using the same fabric in hopes she'd be able to put her blanky away. One day it'll be a scrap in her pocket and that's it but guess that's ok. I gather this is a common occurrence today. At least she is keeping it mended and I'm proud of her for that and amazed.

BEEN QUILTING FOR YEARS BUT GETTING CLOSE TO 62, BUT EVERYTHING ELSE IS RIGHT ON. WOULD NOT CHANGE A THING ALWAYS ADDING MATERIAL, BOOKS,LOVE IT ALL.

I am so not even close to anything like this, Of course if I had money, I would probley fit right in. :D . God bless. Penny

Over all - don't tell hubby!!!

I am over 62, and just started to quilt when my Mom came to live with me about 6 years ago. Her ideas on quilting and mine are miles apart. She did it all by hand, I tried, hated my stitches and went to the sewing machine. She passed away last Dec. and going through her room, neatly packed in plastic containers I have found many, many, pieces of fabric. And many, many completed quilt blocks. Now between my fabric stash and her's my Sun porch is a mess. I have it covered in fabric piles, projects half finished and piles of quilting books, etc. This is so much fun. I am sure I have more money in this hobby than I realize. I don't care. When I die my daughters can sort through it and maybe they will catch the quilting bug too. LOL

There are many reasons. For me, I was doing large quilt tops by hand and I can machine piece a lot faster than I can hand quilt. Once I got a decent machine I began to learn to machine quilt and I've started getting a lot of my UFOs finished. I didn't have a decent machine for the first 16 years I quilted so you can guess as to how many UFOs that added up to. That said, my main problem is sandwiching a quilt. I hate it, hate it, hate it! I love to do binding and I keep trying to find someone locally who hates to bind and enjoys sandwiching. I figure we could switch jobs. So far no luck.


One of the biggest problems is speed. You really have to slow down with this method or your quilting will wobble outside the lines. Most quilters when they learn to quilt do not realize that the quilting can take just as long (or longer!) then making the quilt top. I know when I finish a top, a lot of times I feel as if I've got the majority of the quilt finished when in actuality I'm only halfway done. You also need to make sure you've got enough pins or basting in to really hold the quilt sandwich together or it will shift as you are quilting, which can be very frustrating. Hope some of this helps. Good luck with the quilt!

oh great...somebody had to, lol, go and mention adding by how much you spend a month times 12 and then by number of years quilting...um...I'm pleading the 5th on fabric,
I am NOT 62...although it's a nice age...really...just not trying to rush it ;)
and I am no where near 8,500.00 with tools and notions. :shock:

considering the value of our quilting habit, we can take comfort in know'n if we really run in to $$$ trouble we can hawk our stuff lolol

Speak for yourself! Once it's in my possession I hold onto it forever!

:lol:

Just think quilting is good for our health.Most quilters are a happy lot and they are more relaxed most of the time. But it helps in the bad days as well ad the good and Boy! the friends you make along the way, it is great and they help you without wanting any thing back all the time. My friends rally around me when they learned about my bad panic attacks recently. Thanks to them I feel better in myself knowing that there are others like me and how the give the support I needed. I wish I knew WHY ? I am getting them and others too.

Having projects to do is good for me! Quilting is one of the handful of other areas I play in. I am a new quilter. But
I do hope to use many of the ideas I have found on here. I also hope to be able to add things from time to time!

I'm so sorry that you're having panic attacks!!! I began having them in my late 20's -- back then the drs. thought it was "all in your head". I now take generic Prozac for them and have for years. They don't know why it works -- just that it does. The dr. told me that I was literally holding my breath until I passed out -- involuntarily. Some tricks for when you're having them (that I've learned thru the years): Get MAD!; Sing at the top of your lungs!; Move around a little; Breathe into a paper bag -- all of this gets you breathing normally again and thus stops the attack...Hang in there -- panic attacks can be stopped with medication and a little life finagling.:D

My panic attacks are at night. I can go o bed and when I get up to go to the toilet it will suddenly hit me, I take an anti-depressant mirtazon, and it helps most of the time but twice in the last 5 years have I had real doozies. Ended up at the local hospital at 12.30. The Dr. gave me a little blue tablet which I took when I got home, once I could sleep it was over. But all of them are at night and I cannot go to talk to any one except the hospital staff. I am making a quilt and giving it to them for a raffle( a thank you for helping me). I would like to know WHY? we get them and is it only women at that certain age.Both my mum, sister and certain friends have suffered some sort of Panic attacks. Thank you for your support too. I can't sing at night will wake DH. He works.

No, I just turned 30 yesterday, live in a 2 bedroom apartment, probaby have 3000 in tools including my machines, only have a enough fabric for a few projects maybe 200 dollars worth if that, use my dining room table to sew, no specific room for sewing

Dolphnygyrl
That's the way I started out. The dinning room table and a few scraps of fabrics. Then with each project I always bought more than I needed and that started my stash.
Where in So. Cal are you? I am in La Verne.

Close. I will be 60 in November. I have a spare bedroom converted into my sewing room. I don't think I'm quite up to par on my fabric because I only purchase fabric that I need for a specific pattern - I don't buy just because I think it's pretty because I have no room to store it. Machines - I'm over - just got a Janome Horizon, I have an embroidery machine, a serger, and an HQ-16 on the studio frame. Machine wize I probably won't buy another machine as I have everything I want and need. Now if I could just retire so that I can use my machines as much as I want..........

I fit everything too except that I am about 32 years off on the age.

Ok, I'm not 62, but I have invested in a similar amount of fabric. And, last week's order from Hancocks of Paducah may have gotten me close to that number! Also, y'all got to check out the clearance on Hancocks of Paducah's website- good stuff.

:thumbup: :thumbup:

You will get older and by the time you are 65 just think how much you will be worth and by then you WILL have a sewing room. Did not start as young as you but have aquired a lot of stuff in my short quilting life.

MNM Central Calif

Hey, I'm 28. And, admittedly, I went for the gusto when I fell in love with quilting. By the time I'm 62, I will have exceeded those numbers. :XD: And yes, I do have my own quilting area, with all of my wonderful containers full of quilts-in-progress (fabric). Happy quilting!

I have the quilting room, the other stats. d.n.a. but I sure have fun.
:lol:

:D Good grief! girl, get that bed out of there, with all those toys, you have no time nor need for sleeping!
Sounds like a great space for alone time.

I'm 53 and have been quilting since 1999. I don't have my own room yet.. I have less in supplies and in fabric. Maybe 3k in all.