When you're finished...
 

What thoughts do you have about your machine(s), tools, stash, patterns, UFOs, books and other quilt related items when you no longer are able to quilt, no longer want to quilt, or are deceased? What have you instructed your family and/or friends to do? It doesn't seem right to "dump" the problem on someone else without guidance. Not sure there is a single charity that will/can take all you generous donations. And how about those UFO's that are "almost" finished?

Your thoughts would be most appreciated.

My daughter has been instructed to distribute my sewing machines as she sees fit especially to the grands. There are enough for all. That goes for all of the sewing supplies, patterns, and fabric. Beyond that she is to take the rest to the quilting guild, for those members to take what they wish. Then Good Will, gets the rest. That is my plan and she agrees to do this. I love my daughter!!!

Good question. At 75 years old, I realize that my 'good quilting days' is in the final days of fun, but I am going as long as I can. Daughter has little interest in quilting, at least now she is way too busy to consider it. But since I will not be around then, its up to her then.

Meanwhile, I encourage others to quilt and selectively buy more fabric and maybe a book or two. Life goes on, and I intend to enjoy every second of it. Still learning new ideas and looking at different things to do and its still fun...and to read all about things on QB. Thanks to all, I am still learning every day. And I have given away a lot of my stash, just keeping enough for the next 20 years!

That's a really good question.
I have 3 sons, no daughters. Two of my DIL's sew a bit and one loves quilts so I hope they will take my stuff and enjoy it. I know for certain they would like my machines, in fact, I bought one of them a Featherweight and she uses it a lot.
I haven't specified anything yet, but hope my kids would donate to a worthy cause, be it people, groups, or anyone they think would enjoy my things.
I'm the only quilter in my entire family. No Grandmothers, Mom, sister, Aunts nobody quilts!!!!!! :)

....... just like all of your other personal items, consider now what should happen to them and be sure you leave written instructions, if you have specific wishes.

Some have told friends before that they will get their stash, machines etc, but those friends were later disappointed when the family members did otherwise. Honestly, they should not be blamed, if they had not been told such ..... and thought the friends were just grabbing at what was not theirs to have.

So don't leave assumptions, as that usually is a disaster.

it is in my Will to contact quilt shops or guilds to find fellow quilters to come and get it!! what a sale day that will be. I know he will just give it all away and that is fine with me.

My Daughter will get all my machines, fabrics and sewing related items. I have two Granddaughters that have absolutely no interest in learning to sew or make quilts. I have told them to find a quilting guild to take what they can't use.
I talk to them all the time so all know what to do.

I've told my granddaughter she has 1st choice of everything sewing related. I've been working at reducing my stash by sewing as many quilts as I can but it is a long slow process!

My daughter likes to quilt and did so before she got married. She has since made t-shirt quilts for friends but now she works full time and has 3 children 8,4 & 2 so she doesn't have time to quilt. She will get my longarm and my sewing machine..granddaughter likes to sew but is a teacher and thinking of starting a family...she will get my featherweight. The fabric and tools will go with the machines as they are needed. Older machines, 301 singer, 158 Kenmore will go to whom ever wants them or DD is in charge and thrift will get what is not wanted by family or friends.

I am the only quilter in my family. My best friend is a quilter. We have talked, and made our plans known. I get her stuff, and she gets mine....I joke with her that I don't know what to actually do with all "our" stuff, because she's going first!!

I suppose I will leave all of my sewing-related 'stuff' to my one sis...she's the only one in the family even remotely interested/inclined. Unless I come up with a friend who has a greater interest in the meantime. Otherwise, I suppose DH will put it all out for a yard sale. I won't be there so whatever he decides is fine.

I told my husband I will haunt him if he throws ANY of my quilting supplies away when I die! LOL He has been instructed to sell it or give it away to another quilter if our daughters or anyone else in our family isn't interested. At this time no one is.

All of my stuff would fit in a truck load to the local Salvation Army ....well maybe not the quilting frame. But then again, he always packs the truck bed well whenever we buy something, so maybe. My children are interested in the quilts, but not the material, batting, books, etc. I'm trying to downsize as I go along.
If he goes first I have no idea what to do. He buys antique tractors, farm impliments, and builds race cars. The are a million bolts, screws, nuts, and tools in his workshop and the outbuilding. Two tractor trailers and five cars and pick-ups. It will take years to sell off everything. Compared to him I have very little.

If I go first, SO's daughter has agreed to sell all my machines and quilting frames (hand and long-arm) and donate the money to my designated charity. Then all the rest of the "stuff" will be offered to a local quilt guild. This was SOs idea, as he said he wouldn't even know where to begin with it. And if he is first, his son-in-law has been asked to come over and take care of the garage.

Great topic. I hope to scale down as I get older if I am sewing less. My only child passed away and his wife has remarried. I am still close to her and she will probably handle things for me but I don't wish it to be a burden. One of my granddaughters loves to sew.

My daughter is not a quilter. She tried it and did not enjoy it. I have two nieces who love to quilt. I told her to distribute my sewing machines, stash and tools between the two nieces. She has no problem in doing that

Mine goes to my Quilt Guilds community quilts to do as they see fit. After a friend gave me her mom's stash after she passed I realized. No one wants your stash. By the time you give it up, it's old, dated and dusty. She had almost a dozen UFO's. They were UFO's for a reason. After I completed 5 I gave up. To the free table they went. All but the polyester blend fabrics, they went to the trash.

I have told my daughters to have a rummage sale advertising quilting supplies after they and grand-kids pick out what they want. Then the rest can go to at least three churches I know of who will take anything.

The sewing machines could be sold at the rummage sale, but not too cheaply. I would hope they would want to keep a few rare ones, but what is left should to given to the "Sewing Machine Project" in Madison, WI. They distribute machines to needy people all over the world.

Oh I disagree that no one would want our stash. Old and dated doesn't necessarily detract from its appeal, and dusty can be washed.

I've thought about it many times, but never actually did anything. Maybe I will write something down. Thanks.

A very timely topic for many of us!

Nobody quilts in my family. I have told my daughter to take what she and my granddaughters might want. Then I've asked her to invite my quilting bee friends over and let them have anything they want. What's left can go to our secondhand fabric store or to my guild. Daughter will follow my instructions.

I really won't be worrying about it too much, once I'm gone! I'm sure my hubby will let our kids have their pick, and then give it away. I belong to a charity group, so he'd probably call them to come get my stuff.

If I just lose interest or become unable to quilt, I'll sell off what I have or give it to my charity quilter friends, depending on the need at the time.

Congratulations on completing five of them. I know it is not easy to finish other's UFOs.

A friend gave me a box full of polyester double knit 6 inch squares. No one else wanted them. I made seven lap quilts with the squares. They are all spoken for by various homeless shelters and food pantries. Yes, food pantries give out quilts, too, if they have them when there is a need.

Polyester fabric is not evil. It actually lasts longer than cotton. Another friend and I repaired and retied a quilt of polyester that had been around for years and years. Her brother loved it.

Several years ago, I made a pact with my friend that whatever quilt she is working on or what I am working when the inevitable happens, she/I will make sure that particular quilt will be finished by her/me. She now has two grown GD who may want to finished hers as they both quilt and my daughter may now pick up my projects. My daughter will dispense my stash and machines, etc.

My sister has this problem. Her husband is about 20 years older than her and has THREE workshops in the barn, metal working, woodworking, and clock repair. Very reluctant to get rid of any tools at over 80 years old. She made me promise to come down and help her out should she need to dispose of it after he is gone.

I agree with you dunster, I received all of my friends stash and all of her machines, I loved all of them and felt so good when I use any of her stuff, it makes me feel like she is still with me..The fabric that I couldn't use I gave to Salvation Army..

As I see older friends move out of their houses and into apartments and have sight issues I'm thinking about this more and more. One plus I have is teaching Grand daughters to sew...I'm working on #4. They may want some of Gram's things. Still have 2 more to teach:).

One of my guild friends moved into assisted living last year. Her health failed drastically after the move. Early this summer, she chose to invite her guild friends (she belonged to 2 guilds) for an afternoon of pick and choose with a light lunch afterwards at her home. What a fun time! (If you took a tote you were instructed to finish the project in it! Last month one of our members brought in two tops from her fabrics!) My friend has since passed away, but we all have a little bit of her in our stash. This was a win-win situation as she was a widow with no children. Two of her very close friends (younger) assisted in the party. There was no delivering of goods to goodwill or church sewing circle...when the afternoon was over, the items had been methodically dispersed with just a few odds and ends to see to.

My dear aunt died in 2003, and my cousin packed up her UFOs and any fabric her sisters didn't want. She gave them all to me. I spent a wonderful 10 years finishing her projects, including trying to figure out what she planned to do with the miscellaneous quilt blocks she'd made. With every project and piece of her stash, I thought of her. It was a great experience. Guess I will have to groom a niece for the same experience!

I belong to a Quilt Guild. Our guild was given a gift several years ago from a former member who passed away. The executor of her estate contacted us to let us know that she left all sewing/quilting related items to our guild.

There were cutting tables, machines, cabinets, fabric, thread, rulers, Ufo's, etc. We had 2 weeks to come to her house and pick up her items. We held a sale to the public in the gym of the church where we meet for 2 separate weekends. The gym was filled to the brim (twice) as if you were in a fabric store. Members works tirelessly to sort, price, and work the sale. We are so grateful for the gift that attributed to our guild's treasury. We have been good stewards of this gift and have not had to have fundraisers for several years now.

What an interesting question! I loved reading the replies.

My husband, son and daughter would probably pick a couple of favorites then turn the rest over to my sisters. My sisters would probably be interested in some of the finished quilts, but no one in my family is interested in the process of quilting.

I imagine someone like Annaquilts would love to have unwanted fabric, UFOs, and sewing supplies. She'd turn them into baby quilts for the neonatal ICU she donates to.

A lovely lady who used to work at the local quilt shop in our area passed away, and her son had an invitational sale event to those she had known thru her work to disperse her wonderful fabrics and items. I didn't go, but I thought it was a great idea. I'm sure any leftovers were given to the local guild or other charity seamstresses at church. That's what I would want my daughter to do with any of my stuff, beyond what she and the family want. (I so despise the thought of all that stuff going to the "dump" which could happen if one doesn't stipulate ones wishes)

I have to say also -" Don't give up before your time!" We used to go visit my Mother in Law at the nursing home, and there was a lady there who was ALWAYS working on a quilt. Her son bought her the fabrics she asked for, and she kept "going to town" on her quilting. She made cute stuff that the staff purchased to give their families for Christmas, and made donated quilts for the volunteer firemen to raffle off. She kept busy and happy to the end. (She was a role model for me!!)

Years ago, I found a "quilter's will" online. I printed it out, designated an "executor" and signed it. It is in my sewing room . While not an official will, it will help my husband! Here is the link: http://www.quiltingqueenonline.com/2...-testment.html

Two of my 3 sisters are quilters, the 3rd makes aprons and small items. They get first crack at my stash which is large and eclectic and includes bolts of fabric. If the nieces want fabric or machines (lots of those also) they are next in line. Close quilting friends will also get a chance to "shop." If they want to take the time and sell my quilting stuff, they can do that or else donate it (preferably to Quilts From the Heart- I am Vice President)

Gosh I never even thought about any of this. Thanks I will start thinking which of my girls would be interested. I should ask.

Ive been thinning down sewing machines this year. Out the door Janome 6600, Singer LaVincadora 1927, 15 clone, have the Singer 404 in table on craigslist as we speak. Seems like there was one more.

But then Ive been working FlyLady for years, so 'stuff' doesn't mean much to me.
And I don't care what happens to my 'stuff' when I'm gone.

Every one of my kids have been told (several times) that they are to have 2 sales - one for just my quilting stuff, and one for everything else, with proceeds divided between my grandkids. When I retire, I plan on buying a long arm machine, so I hope to "wear it out" before I die, lol

I'm in the process of drafting instructions for my kids. No one else in the family quilts, so my plan is that the machines with resale value will be sold (that'd be the longarms, mostly). Everything else gets donated - I'll leave info on 2 charities I work with, and hope they can ensure good use is made of the piles of fabric. Finished quilts - I'm going to tell the kids to take whatever/how many they want. Offer to the rest of family. And then donate to the above-mentioned charities any leftovers.

When I redid my will last year I designated my MQG to get all my sewing/quilting supplies. My kids know. My executor knows too.

I bought my LA from a woman who was downsizing. I have bought fabric and tools from other people who were downsizing. Plus I have bought a variety of fabrics and tools from thrift shops.

My plan for next summer is to do a major sort and purge. I will be moving my LA into a different room, redoing floors, painting etc. I hope to put in new lighting and more outlets too.

I have a friend who is much older than me, she has a beautiful sewing room, but also a basement full of stuff. I was talking to her a couple years ago and she admitted she does not know what all is in the basement. She has just found many packages of batting she had forgotten about. She has 5 kids and is leaving it up to them to deal with it all.