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I would go through things in stages and ask 'will I use it?' If not (and just looking at a pretty thing is using it) I would put it in the sell/donate/toss pile. If yes, shuffle it in with the stuff you already have like it.
So sorry to hear about the loss of your mother. Very hard at the holidays especially. |
Now that is what mine looks like.
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Everyone's suggestions about clear plastic totes are excellent. Don't get the gigantic bins...remember, fabric is heavy! You have to be able to move the bins. One thing that I LOVE is my Brother label maker. Buy a couple of refill spools, then put the font size up pretty large and start labelling the bins. If you need to move a label you can peel it off carefully and move it to another bin. I group my fabrics like I'm sure everyone does...batiks, Christmas, juvenile, Halloween, etc. I use a tall CD bookcase to hold folded fat quarters grouped by color. Buy a couple boxes of the largest size zip-lock plastic bags (2 or 5 gal.?) to put projects in. These can also be labelled with the label maker and then filed in a box or bin. Good luck with this project, and do not exhaust yourself trying to do too much in one day. Do a bit and stop for a cup of tea. Be kind to yourself.
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So sorry for your loss. Take your time on deciding whether or not you want to get rid of your mothers things. You don't want to be sorry after wards. My sister and I had to do the same thing when my mother passed in 2000. She was also a quilter and my sister and I each took half of what she had as far as fabric.
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So very sorry to hear of your loss. I am facing the same delimma. My Mom is not in the best of health and we are sorting thru things now, preparing her will and I am to receive her whole sewing room plus other family heirlooms. Good luck and best wishes - {{{hugs!}}}}
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Originally Posted by pocoellie
Please accept my sympathy for the loss of your mother. Not that I'm all that organized, but all my quilting fabrics are folded with a 4" ruler, then put into the appropriate drawer, according to the background color and stood on it's side, so that I can see a portion of the fabric print. The non cotton fabrics are all in large plastic totes, sorted by the type of fabric, fleece, upholstery type, etc.
I think what I would do is to go through the fabrics, folding as you go and decide if you want to keep it or not and do the same for the rest of the items. I used to sew clothing and had tons of zippers, which I had sorted into large zip lock baggies according to size, I did the same with elastic, seam binding, etc. I would do more or less the same with the craft supplies, like paint. I would check the paint to make sure it's a good bottle, since it tends to dry up after a while, even when it's shut tight. Whatever you decide you aren't keeping, donate that to a local charity, school or the like or have a yard sale. But, if you don't do a lot of garment sewing, for example, then I wouldn't keep most of the stuff. I have my threads sorted by color in the small plastic totes, the 100% cotton thread are separate from the regular thread by color also. I agree with this posting. Take one tote at a time, for the fabric I fold mine with a 6 X 24 ruler & all fabrics are the same width on the shelves. Maybe fold all the fabric & get it out away, use the extra totes to separate the other projects. I did mine say one color or one tote at a time & believe me it took me awhile. But is so well worth it after all done & organized. Maybe have a girls day, have a friend over to help & make it a fun day remembering all the fun times with your mom! Attached is what mine looks like all folded & stored. I can find things quicker with it stored & believe me I'm not neat nut! Hope you get 'er done! |
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So sorry for your loss also, someone's comment earlier, reminded me that when my husbands mother passed away in 1997, we found her fabric stash afterwards. I still have her seersucker...just can't find that anymore...but I found two large bins of fabric that she pieced planning to quilt. I also finished three of her started quilts; made two baby quilts for great-grandaughters, and then used up pretty much what was left in a bed quilt for us. Most of this activity happend in the last three years. So you may not know what you want to do with your mom's stuff for a while. Pack it up and let it wait for a while!
This first quilt Mrs. Sandusky made with seersucker, front and back, I finished it by bordering it. [ATTACH=CONFIG]118039[/ATTACH] this one she made out of light weight fabrics, flannel on the back, and I bordered it. [ATTACH=CONFIG]118160[/ATTACH] Back of seersucker quilt. [ATTACH=CONFIG]118161[/ATTACH] these were all squares that she had already made, and I sewed them together, backed with flannel and bordered. I gave it to the first great-granddaughter. [ATTACH=CONFIG]118466[/ATTACH] Finally, after two baby quilts given away, I used up the rest of the squares to make our bedquilt, backed with flannel and tied. [ATTACH=CONFIG]118538[/ATTACH] |
I went through my Mom's things when she passed. I was able to incorporate her sewing stuff in with mine. Actually she even had some of my sister's sewing supplies so I put them in my room and went through them when I felt ready. I ended up with a sewing box for embroidery, sewing and enough thread in almost every color I didn't need to buy thread for 2 years. The fabric worked into my stash, and I have more scissors than I can shake a stick at. Take your time, it will add to the healing process.
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I have to be a little organized or when I go to sew, I spend all day looking for fabric or quilt pattern I want and get nothing done, so finally got organized so I can find things. Sorry about your Mom and so close to Christmas. My mom passed away 1/1/11. I am 68 years old, but still miss my "mommy".
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I went to the local big box hardware store (OSH) and purchased a large storage unit, with four doors, I am now trying to get everything put together, I started with some empty boxes and started putting like things in each box, doing this first helped me decide just what I would require to get it all organized, I think finding out what you have before you start buying is a important first step
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