So sorry for your loss....I'm not much on organizing so I need to read the advice others are giving.

I'm sorry for your loss. Right now you are still dealing with your mother's death, and your life has been disrupted by caring for her. It may not be the best time to deal with "stuff".

One of the main components of being organized is knowing when to get rid of something that you don't need. Right now it may be hard to dispose of any of your mother's things, because they were hers. I would suggest boxing all her things up and putting them out of the way for the time being. Then organize your crafting area the way you would like it to be, giving yourself room to actually create (rather than just having a place to store all the stuff). Donate or dispose of all the things you already own that you don't need. After that is done, and after you're ready to deal with the possibility of getting rid of some of your mother's things, open her boxes one by one and either place the items in your crafting area or dispose of them. Don't try to do all the boxes at once, or you will be overwhelmed, and don't try to hold on to everything. It's just stuff.

I am sorry for your loss. I know that this is a tough time for you & going thru your Mom's things to sort & organize them presents a challenge. Everyone here has offered great ideas and personal experiences. If I may add mine?

My dear Mother died Thanksgiving Day 2007. An avid sewer/quilter, she had shared with me that I could do what I wanted with her sewing things. Her only request was that anything I chose not to keep go for something good, not for someone to make a profit off of. After sorting everything and deciding what I was going to keep, I began searching for who/what to give the remaining stash to. I chose the local chapter of Project Linus for all of the flannel fabric she had for making baby bibs & baby quilts. I chose a local women's shelter for the rest of the fabrics, sewing notions, patterns, etc. This shelter, run by a church organization, had a "Sewing Room" where homeless women could come to learn how to sew, mend their clothes, etc.

It felt so good for me to pass my mother's things to these organizations, explaining to each why they were chosen and telling some about my mom & her request. I know in my heart that my Mom looked down and said, "Well done Daughter, well done".

What an interesting Mom you had. So sorry for your loss. She sounds like a good example of a "good ole girl". I sure hope no one ever called her an "old biddie".

this is exactly what I was going to say...I mean exactly..go to the liquor store and get the empty wine bottle boxes..they usually have compartments in them...works great for sorting out little stuff...then start with one thing at a time...books first, then patterns...that way you instantly eliminate any duplicates, any you just know you will never do, ones that are so outdated they call for templates, etc...they take up too much room to keep and are best out of the way. Then the fabric..as it is also a space hog....only keep what is really usable and make a donation to a local sr. center on behalf of your mom. Once those space hogs are gone it will be much easier to sort the smaller things and get the same type of storage containers so they all stack/store the same.
Those do it yourself cabinets that are tall with 2 doors and shelves are great!

thanks for sharing that...I actually have it written in my will what is to be done with my things! And all of my kids sew/craft!

How about just organizing first in categories, knitting, crochet, sewing, etc. then go with sorting after that? I used small tubs for my small scraps and put them in by colors - red in one, blue, black, greens, etc. It made it much easier just to have them in something and I can see through the clear tubs too. I don't blame you for not wanting to get rid of any of the things your mom liked to do. Sorry for the loss of your mom but good luck with getting organized. God Bless.

Sorry for your loss and good luck.

I am so sorry for the loss of your mother.
But for the orginizing, do not call Peter Walsh, I saw what he did to the poor dear sweet woman on Monday nite. Start slow, it can be so very over whelming, do a little every day. I need to do the same thing but a lot of people on the QB always say do a little at a time. Good Luck

I'm sorry for your loss-I agree with what everyone else has said about sorting by craft and using tubs and shelves. If there ae unfinished projects that you just can't bear to throw away pack them away for awhile. We just moved again & this time I went thru every box in storage & finally made myself get rid of my mother's stuff and she died 20 years ago. My aunt, on her deathbed gave me 1.5 yards of muslin that she had bought to make cafe curtains in the 50's. My children have started really pushing us to get rid of excess becasue they don't want to be stuck with it when we die.

My local long arm quilting friend and her quilting group just finished a bunch of quilts that a friend of theirs had started before she died. She left journals with her plans and they finished them to give to family members-it has taken them a year but what a gift of Love!