My mother, Sally. passed away Sept "09...she is dearly missed, not a day goes by with out some reminder of her.. I have her small stash and several of her hand stitched tops.. working on one now to give to her newest grand baby due in March... this top is a real challenge as it is not her best work. but will be loved and appreciated by my niece, the mom to be.

I think merging the fabrics will be lovely: the first time you have to stop to think whether you acquired this piece or Mom did it will be a kind of magic, and every time you use some of her stash you'll be working on a joint project with her and that's a very good thing.

My grandma died in 1990 - over twenty years ago. But I think about her daily. I am blessed that she gave me her Featherweight before she died. And I feel like she is always with me when I am using it.

When you use a piece from your mom's stash, I am sure that you will feel her presence and guidance. Actually, you will probably really enjoy that aspect of it. I know that is how I feel when I use my Featherweight. And since you have her fabric, you will know that she would love the project that you are working on.

You can never replace someone that you have lost and you never lose your memories of them. Think of her stash as little reminders of her as you get on with your life. I am sure that that is what she would have wanted. Se would have wanted to stash to be used and enjoyed, not just sitting in boxes.

My Mom has been gone 5 years now and i still sometimes pick up the phone to call her. I would have loved to have fabric from her house to make a quilt but she gave up sewing many years ago. In time it will be easier to think of your Mom with happy thoughts. Making a quilt from both stashes is a special gift..she would be proud.

My mom died over 40 years ago, and I still missd her terribly. I have several pieces of fabric that she bought, and until this week, I never used it. There were two pieces of beautiful linen, and one piece was two yards, bought for $1.99!! The check out sticker was still attached! It gave me a "talk to mom" moment as I told her she would be shocked at what that would cost now.

My Mom's been gone for almost 50 yrs. and still I run across some of her sewing things that stop me in my tracks and I'm back watching her use them while she sewed. I find myself thinking of her so fondly when I'm doing a new technique and I ask her to help me figure this out. I'm so comforted by the presence of her belongings and her gifts to me. Whenever I sew I know she's watching and guiding me everyday.

In time I know this will also happen to you but for now just accept that it's Okay to feel what you are feeling now. it too will pass one day and ahppy memories will replace the sadness. You are surrounded by many loving and understanding hearts who love you right where you are now.God know what we need and provides you with it, all you need to do is ask for it...

Lovingly,
Andie

Thanks everyone for your words of encouragement and the sharing of your precious memories of your moms. SuziC mentioned still picking up the phone to call her mom after 5 years and that is something I do all the time - another reminder of how close we are to our Moms. God Bless everyone!

Glenda - my mother has been gone 5 years this past Christmas and she had more material than a JoAnn's store - I didn't take 1/10th of is and now whish I had - every now and then I come across something of hers I took and I think really hard before I cut it up.

I just did a scrap quilt to see if I could and my girls said - "Mom why did you cut up our baby dresses that Granny Peg made us". I started really looking at it and almost the entire thing was from left over fabric that she used to make all their baby and toddler clothes...I was going to donate it but now its on the end of my bed!

Amazing how much we incorporate them into our daily lives without realizing it!

I have already found fabric that I recognize as some of the kids clothes. Gosh, I've found fabric from when I was a kid. She sewed all her life and made lots of clothes. There were 4 girls and 2 boys - dresses for the girls and shirts for the boys.

My thoughts go out to you. Your Mum wanted the merge so go ahead and think of her smiling down on you.