these are the best laid plans of mice and men:wink:

Give it to someone who will use it. Sell it so you have money to get what you need.

ask a school if they want the crafts, a senior center,nursing home.

You could always freecycle them in your area.
www.freecycle.org
to find one to join in your city.
i would not tell him "no more", i would take them and bless someone with them.

Keep what you like, give away or sell what you don't want... It would be much easier on you!

Oh , how lucky you are . I've never been that lucky . Nobody gives me fabric , pouting . Annie

My limit is not that much space. After having to empty out two great aunts house who kept everything, I won't keep piles or boxes of stuff. I have my sewing room and I don't mind having some stored stuff in there but not in the rest of the house. I don't like clutter and can't stand to open a closet or cabinet and see it stacked to the bursting. If stuff is stored like that how could I use it. Too much stored stuff everywhere is too stressful. I'll let the thrift store store it.

When it gets to the point where I have to buy another plastic bin for storage, that's when I donate to a quilt guild that sews for charity or goodwill.

Then never open one of my closets! lol... We're trying to go through things right now ... and our closets are full of stuff... the one front room closet is actually my clothes closet cause I'm sleeping in the living room... my sister has the other room for her and bf... and the other bedroom is the nursery... so mom and i sleep in the living room... we offered our rooms...

When my sister lost her battle with colon cancer in 2001, her 6 bedroom house & 2 storage facilities were packed with sewing & quilting items. It was very hard to deal with as I lived 300 miles away. Because teenager grandchildren were still living in the house, I believe a lot of the fabric was trashed rather than given to guilds. She had over 2500 quilt books & had never been on the internet. I am a retired librarian, so I managed to salvage most of the books & have gradually sent those books all over the world. You never know what you might have that someone else is looking for.

I am only willing to fill my sewing space. I love all things quilty but....there is only so much that i can keep. i would never turn anything away mind you but i would go through it see what i really wanted or needed and donate or give away the rest--there are others that need things more than me, like ppl that are just starting out quilting and even the kids in school!! plus i like to be organized and am not much of a hoarder.

I can relate to Donnajeans story. I had to clean my mothers house out, and it was overwhelming, and I was in the same town. I think for me the issue would be that I really just wanted to go through the things,to make sure there wasn't a GRAND treasure that was going to be dicscarded and then I would be able to donate and share. I guess that is the "treasure hunter" side of my personality.
My problem would be wantong to go through EVERYTHING, not just craft and quilting supplies.

With that being said, I could only see fit to keep what I absolutly loved and would use... and be able to fit in to my storage system or closet. I would be pretty picky about older fabrics. That is just me.

Hmmm...good questions QnC...I'm more like you..the mess drives me crazy! I have to be organized and I like to have adequate room to do just that. I have a smallish corner of the guest bedroom..a few plastic stacking thingies full and then some in boxes at the end of a bed. I'd love to be able to do it differently..but no room to do that. Outside storage is not for me, we have only 2 closets in the entire house! I don't want anymore fabric because I don't have room to put it away...that is unless...its that reaallllly pretttyyyy oneeee over there.... :wink:

Please take what you want and what you don't, give to a local quilt group to make charity quilts.

I had to take out the bed in my spare room also so I'd have more room for my stash and just getting around in general. There's plenty of organizations that would love to have donations. Send it my way for our group that makes everything the cancer patient needs: gowns, catherter bags, hats, pillows, lap robes, walker bags just to name a few things we make. We rely on all supplies to be donated to make these things for all of Pinellas county in Florida. There's only 8 of us ladies doing this. Some have been at it for 15 yrs. and others just when they have time. We range in age from 85yrs. young to 54 yrs. old. We can make arrangements for postage if this is what you decide. Just pm me. Thanks for considering this option.

Let me assure you that I use EVERY space. I even had to get bins for under MY bed last year. But I'm using it up little by little now, as evidenced in the pictures of my sewing room, so I'm envious of those with the ability to replenish and restock. :thumbup: :thumbup:

If I get too much that it starts over flowing from my sewing room, it's time to down size.
my sewing room used to be a small bedroom and I store all my fabric in the double wide closet. If it doesn't fit in the closet, it doesn't stay in my stash.

I have a 14' wall lined with cabinets and filled with fabric so I guess I'm not a good judge of enough is enough! I do like everyone's idea of keeping what you like and paying forward what you don't. Good luck!

You can keep the stuff you like, and donate the other stuff to some group that makes quilts for charity.

I worked at Hancocks for years. Every once in awhile the manager would go through and sell the fabric at $1.00 a yard to get rid of it. I couldn't resist, $1.00 a yard. After awhile I had no place to store it so gave some for charity for their quilts. My name got around and I had about 6 different charity organizations asking for fabric donations about twice a year. Just give fabric to one and your name will get around. Keep the pieces you really like and put what you don't like in some kind of plastic bags and start giving away. You'll be surprised at the phone calls you receive.

Here are the questions I would ask myself....How much space do I have? Do I want to expand from that space? If so, How much???
I agree you should take anything he gives you and sort our what you want. Then immediately pack up the rest and send it out. If things keep coming and you find something you can't live without pick out something from your stash and out it goes. Sounds like a lot of work, but it will keep you manageable.

you can always "pass it on" to others who could use it. so get going.

I'm sure there are quite a few of us on here that could use fabric! lol... Just find a good use for it ... a good place to send it... or something.

If my husband told me that it was him or my quilting, I would take my quilting. That is what I would give up!

if you really need help dispersing, i'll be happy to help. pm for my address.

anyone else out there want to join me and help out? now, now, remember this is a fellow member. we have to think of her well-being and not be so selfish about giving our effort to clean out her stash for her.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :mrgreen:

quiltncrazy: All of the suggestions you received are good ones. There are many organizations that do charity quilts for the less fortunate and would love to receive your unwanted supplies. As far as your Grandmother is concerned, I would let your uncle know that you are interested in your Grandmother's items and would help him go through her things when he was ready to do so. As one of the members said, a man will probably throw them out. ECLTQ.

Find your local Girl Scouts Troop, and offer it to them. If it's anything like our troops (Daisey's and Brownies in our house) they'll be more than happy to put it to good use. The economy has taken it's toll on them as well. A lot of the leaders are using funds from their own pockets to supply the girls with things they need to earn badges and/or make things to contribute to their local communities.

college theater departments are another good choice. or high school.

EDITED: if you decide to donate, try to determine the value of the fabric. you may be able to deduct the amount at tax time. some charities will give you a receipt. win-win-win

:thumbup: :thumbup:

I'm not worried about mine getting out of hand, I plan on doing a lot and some sharing along the way, but alas I am slow and steady. (at least I'm steady! I use to be on wheels, but age has changed that:? )
It makes my mom happy that she can ask me if I have this piece or that piece, good thing I haven't given it away:shock:

If I did, my mom would be sure to ask me if I still have it!
Eventually some of it will be gifted, but not right now for sure.
I'm tired, lol.
I want to get quilts done for my kids and grandkids to make sure I won't give away something that would have worked out great. All in due time.:wink:

I'm not having a problem, lol.
Everybody seems to think a room full of fabrics is a problem. Not to me:mrgreen:
I just wanted to know if the majority of quilters could resist and get rid of fabrics, or would most keep finding some place to put it.
It seems 50/50, unless I'm not hearing from the "keepers", enough.
I was hoping to hear some really funny stories.
One time on here, somebody said, if she filled her sewing room, she would consider the oven and the deep freeze.
those ideas stuck with me, and i use it with DH to say, "well, I don't have any in either place, so I guess I'm good! LOL!" :lol:

:mrgreen: LOL...I guess he better behave even better and make some more points, LOL! :mrgreen:

Oh my...I think I've opened a Pandora's box! :lol:
thank you, very much for your so kind offer to unburden me.
If free fabrics is a burden, then I must need reverse psychology:lol:
Trust me. Me and MY fabrics are doing just fine :XD:
I'm sure that there are many who have told me, they would have absolutely no problem saying no,
...if really offered some FREE fabric? they'd struggle with it and where to put it, too.
I wanted to see how many ppl would admit they would toss the couch, the dog, or the hubby to make room???
I love their honesty :mrgreen:
they have their priorities in order :thumbup:

I have one packed room, but it is NOT going to be stored past that door. Why that would be ridiculous!:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

That is what I was going to say. :lol: :lol: :lol: I am getting a new machine within the next month or so. There is just not going to be enough room for everything. I am not giving up my stash or the other machines.
The few overnight guest we have can sleep on a air mattess, if there is enough room for it.

i have plenty of space and can always find more, so don't worry, mouse.

i donate money to charity and have them use it for basic necessities like medications and hospice care, baby needs and toys.

the charities where i live don't want fabrics, they want finished products. they have trouble getting people with sewing skills who have the time to sew for them. when they get money it goes towards bibs, blankies, stuffed toys, cribsheets, etc.

shelters here want teenage stuff like jeans and sneakers. for kids they need plastic toys and games. fabrics are only appreciated by the performing arts schools, and they are even picky. they'd rather have older clothes that they can use as costumes.

your extra fabric can be donated to a guild to be made into a raffle quilt. the money can be donated to a charity. it's always about $$.

quilts for vets is a good cause because the recipient is old enough to understand that someone personally made it for them. but babies don't know that, and what gets spent on fabric for a charity baby quilt could be donated in money and MAYBE used in a different way.

i'm sorry if i hurt anyone. that's just my take on this.

I never say no, to stuff given to me, I go through it, and keep what I want, pass along the rest.

i agree go thru and keep what you want and pass the rest of it on my mother in law was doing that to me but what she was getting was junk from garage sales i finally had to make the comment in front of her that i had more than enough stuff to last me for a long time and she stopped but hey its the thought that counts !!!! put it on here im sure there are some of us that could maybe take it off your hands !!

i'm clearing off my kitchen counters while i read this. i don't want to cook anymore anyway. maybe my cabinets will be next. hmmmm.....

Kitchens and cooking are over rated :wink: LOL