Word to the wise
 

I visited the home of a quilter who passed away just before her 65 th birthday. She had purchased a long arm set up a few weeks prior and had quilted 4 quilts. Her studio was wall to wall,floor to ceiling- bags on the floor,stacks of new bolts in every corner..fabric. She had 2 bedrooms in her home...full of quilting supplies. The take away message: don't put off " until "..... It was sad to see the DH struggling with the loss,plus trying to figure out what to do with all this stuff. Yes,I said I'd help him get it organized.

I'm so sorry to hear this. You are so right about putting things off. I have made sure that my husband knows that, should something happen to me, my guild should have anything they want first (whether that means to use or to sell as a guild fund raiser) and anything left donated to a local charity. Just don't pitch it thinking nobody will want it!

I have told my husband that my friend Jeanne is designated to do as she pleases with the fabic and stuff in the sewing room. I'd hate to see it all thrown away. what a shame and a waste. She has labels on the bottom of her machines as to where they are to go. great idea.

I am trying to work on my will with what where and who gets what.

My will is printed and in the safe and the kids know where it is. Everything I have has a designation. I learned the hard way with a relative. (My daughter has claimed every quilt I own!!LOL!!)

I learned the hard way , never put off using those "too fabulous to cut fabrics". My Mom passed and left behind a huge stash, of which many were her too pretty to cut. What a shame she never created with these beautiful fabrics. the single biggest task of clearing the house was her huge stash of fabric and all things sewing related.

Then I guess I should say a huge thanks to my mom. She has been giving me her stash to use up for charity quilts each time I go back to the states. I've been cleaning out her cabinets--have them all almost cleaned out and have used almost all of it in the last two years. :) Her stash was minimal (about 5-6 cabinets) compared to most of us, but I've been using it up because of all of these warnings. It is also the reason I vowed to finish up the 100 tops I had sitting in my daughter's bedroom turned guest room. :)

Keep reminding us! It's a good warning.

Sorry for the loss of your friend. I am near Salem if you need more help. I was able to figure out & finish a few of my Mom's UFO's but there were some cut-out skirts, etc that went in the yard sale. I am teaching my granddaughters to sew so hopefully they will be interested in some of my stuff. My will predates my quilting stash.

That is the reason I totally finish one quilt and immediately start another one.
I have a lot of fabrics and am trying to use them up before I die. My Daughter and oldest Granddaughter know what I want done with my finished quilts and sewing things.

I changed my mind about my guild getting my quilting supplies. I have told my DD that I want her to take what she wants and then give the rest to three of my best friends quilting buddies. Problem is these three friends have the same things I have so I don't know what they will do with it. Sell it and buy more I guess. LOL I don't fret over what I will leave I just enjoy what I have.

Sad to see this. My mom died at 55 and I am almost 35 so I know you can't waste a day. I just bought the quilt kit I want to make for my babies wedding. She is only 5 but I always think what if I wait to long so I am in that boat where I believe you should never treat today as if you have tomorrow.

I am the only one in my extended family who quilts. Grandmas, aunts, cousins, sisters, mom...none of them quilted/quilts. None of my friends quilt. (except one and she lives across the country.) My stash is fairly small...haven't figured out what to do with it yet!!

I went a to sale this past Friday of a deceased quilter. This lady had a ton of supplies. Her daughter was basically giving it away. Seems no one in her family quilted. Here's my list of things I got and you will be shocked at what I spent.

190 yards of fabric
2- Ott lights table and floor
12- kits
20- patterns
mini iron
10- templates
25- spools of thread
3- packages of thangles
Supplies to do applique
Supplies to do picture quilts

I know there's some other items just can't think what they are. Spent a total of 150.00. Just so sad it went so cheap. She belonged to a Guild but guess she didn't want them to have it.

I am fortunate to have two DD and a DIL who quilt with me once a week so I guess you all know where my stuff is going. But I quit buying a lot of fabric several yrs ago cause there is always new fabric coming every year. So its mostly my sewing machines and notions. I give my quilts away as soon as they are done. They can;t keep anyone warm laying on my spare bed. LOL

Thanks. I needed this thread. I do put off until tomorrow.

I knew someone about 7 yrs ago who died leaving a huge stash like that too. Her dearest friend had to tie up the loose ends...make backs for at least 20 tops ( then I l/a these), and they were then distributed to her children...all the fabric(wall to wall) and templates, gadgets were sold at a quilters garage sale.....fabric went by the pound......put on a scale......you have brought that memory to the front of my brain.....I must do something......

This is a good reminder for us all. I moved a few weeks ago and was brought to an awareness of just how much fabric I had accumulated in just over five years of quilting. And my tastes have changed a lot in that five years as well as an understanding of what I will use and what I won't.

The organizer of a sewing group I go to a couple of times a month asked last week for yardage for quilt backs. She organizes a lot of charity quilts and had lots of tops with no yardage for backs. I came home and found about 15 yards of fabric that I know I will never use so it is sitting here waiting to be delivered. I know there is more when I get a little more organized ... I'm still in the "where did I put that?" phase of the move. :)

I told my son to call the ladies I quilt with every week. They will come and take it all away. We have an auction every year so it will go there. Not a problem for my "boys".

I also have an agreement with a dear quilting friend, that she or I will finish any project that either has in progress. She has granddaughters who now quilt and my daughter also quilts, so our agreement should be changed. The youngsters were all little when we made this agreement. My one granddaughter is to get my serger, my daughter my two Berninas and she will take all the fabric and supplies, etc.

I am fond of scrap quilts and have been trying very hard to reduce the stash. I am presently working off a "pledge" to my church by quilting/sewing. So far, 5 baby quilts (imagine - two sets of boy/girl twins), a twin bed, 4 table runners, and throw pillows. I looks as though I will exceed my pledge - which is a good thing. Also made a queen for a dear friend (gift only). However, the stash does not look any reduced. How does it multiply??

Thanks for the heads-up. We are not promised tomorrow.

That is a good reminder to us all. I hope her belongings find good homes. To me any inherited or gifted stash is particularly valuable for having been previously owned.

A will is great especially if there are battling elements, but just letting someone know what you want done is wonderful too. Even just a piece of paper, taped to the back of a door (if you have a dedicated room). No one lives forever and it does not go away if you ignore it.

Maybe some of our relatives will be on that show called "Strange Inheritances". hehehe.....Just enjoy each day you live to the fullest....after we're gone, it won't matter anymore anyway. I don't feel "compelled" to feel guilty that I'm not going to sew up every piece of fabric I've purchased before I leave the living. I do feel "compelled" to enjoy the time I have remaining here and enjoy my time with my Katybug.

I have been working on mine a little at a time. I know there will be stuff the family will still have to deal with but hopefully it won't be too bad.

You are so right. My girlfriend just went to an estate sale over the weekend. She bought most of a woman's collection for 150 dollars. That included all her books and cutting supplies, mats and a ton of fabric from the best quilt shop in town where the lady worked. She got thousands of dollars worth of stuff for such a small price. Her family just wanted rid of it. So sad. But it was good for my friend...

Thanks for the reminder. Have got to decide what I really want to keep. We are on a tight budget and it seems I keep everything so I don't have to spend any money on fabric.

My son is to sell my fabric. He knows the cost of it so he will have a tidy sum when it is all said and done. I am organized which will help him. I do have to finish logging in my patterns to an organizer program. Then I will do the fabric and rulers etc... No I do not plan on dying anytime soon. I had 2 Aunts that lived to be 100 and 103. My Mom is 88 this year and her brother is 98. Soooo I plan on that longevity. I just want all my stuff organized. I have 2 full rooms of it. One is the fabric, books and patterns as well as ufo room. Hubby knows this is my passion and accepts the rest! Luann

Love your attitude!

I am so sorry for your loss. I confess that I would not mind in the least if all my fabrics went in a garage sale to some lucky soul. My too pretty to cut items give such joy as is. I love to pull them out and ponder what wonder I will create.

When I am gone there will be all sorts of strange items for my loved ones to go through, but they will probably cry and laugh in equal measure. None of them sew, so my items will hopefully go to good will and some one can do with them as they will, perhaps my too pretty to cut items are destined to be some ones else's first quilt, the one that gets them hooked!

Great idea of a first quilt! None of us like to think about what will happen. So sorry to loose a quilter. I recently "cleaned" about 3/4 of my sewing room and made a list of projects as I went. Put either UFO or NS by each one. I filled 3 legal size pages and started 4th. Later I plan to go thru and give away some of these to my guild's charity quilts. I'm 60 and have been a constant quilter for 14.5 years.

A sad story indeed. When my sister passed away my nieces gave me her stash, but when we had to leave our home of 33 years, it made the job of downsizing that much more difficult for me. Fortunately, I have a dear friend who stood by me and helped me whittle down my considerable stash, with some for her to keep, some to pass on to other quilters and charity groups. Since we've moved to an apt., I have been trying to use up the fabrics I have, however, a spinal cord injury sidelined me for several months, however, I am fortunate to have recovered 95% of my previous abilities. Then I was sidelined again with a torn rotator cuff repair, managed to get a patchwork and appliqued quilt for our DGD, totally from my stash, and thankfully was able to quilt it after my surgery just in time to give it to Zoe as a Christmas present. Now I'm facing a shoulder replacement in that same shoulder, knowing I'll be in a sling for 4-6 weeks, but praying that once recovered from the surgery I will no longer have none, or very little pain so that I can get back to doing "normal" things, like quilting and sewing. Fingers crossed. I do, however, need to let my DH and kids know where to give my stash so it can continue to do good.

So very sorry for your loss. I don't have a huge stash of fabric but I am a stained glass person. My friends and I just bought a ladies stash of glass from her store that she closed. Can't believe how many pieces of glass and boxes of supplies we moved. Not sure what our kids will do with all of it when we are gone, but we plan to enjoy it while we can and they will get lots of pieces of stained glass in the mean time. My kids know my friends will help them when they need it and visa versa!

I'm off to cut the good fabric. What a good reminder that life is entirely too short.

this is my biggest fear, luckily, one of my daughters is learning to quilt and can appreciate what is in this room... gotta make a fabric room will . . . .

I know what is going to happen to my stash and sewing room when I take the "dirt nap". I don't want anyone to say, "Oh how sad! Look what she left behind." I am trying to sew up what I have as fast as I can but I am also always buy more. I love looking at it, petting it, rearranging it, making plans, hunting for patterns and dreaming of what I will accomplish tomorrow. I also spend some time each day praising God and thanking Him for my bounty and many blessings. I am so sorry for your loss of your quilting friend.

I like and agree with this answer best. I hope my husband/kids will let my best quilting friend, Cindi, have her pick of my stuff, but since she's 2000 miles away, that's probably not very practical.

May I add a big thank you with this thread. I live alone and have allowed quilting to take over my life as well as every room in my small cottage.mi have been thinking of getting help as the job is overwhelming. I don't even know where to start and no room to move things to.
Thank you my mind is made up helper here you come.

My sisters and I have an agreement--we get to share with each other. We don't want our children or husbands to dispose of all of our stuff. We want it to go to our sisters who know will enjoy it.

Having cleaned out my mother and my MIL's stuff, thank you for reminding us to stay on the track of eliminating excess and making plans for the time someone else will be dealing with our stashes of hobby materials.

Thank you for the reminder. I have heard of a few older quilters in my area where the family went in and tossed bolts of fabric in order to have a nice room for the mourners and family to sit after the funeral. It's so important to donate fabric to a good cause when you have need to downsize. Our stashes seem so important to us, family doesn't have a clue what to do with it all.

My husband died suddenly last month. It was a reminder to me that I need to organize and pare down my quilting stash. I haven't had time yet to get to work on it, but as soon as I can, I intend to declutter and organize. I have been working for 3 years to finish my UFOs. I think I can finish them this year. It is amazing how long it takes to "clean out" areas. I started with my husbands office and desk. He was very organized, but still too much "stuff". Next step is th sewing room, and then the garage. It's the worst! I am teaching my granddaughters to quilt, so I hope they will share the quilting supplies I leave. Thanks for starting this thread.