Yes I have a retirement plan, my plan is to Quilt!!!
 

I plan to retire next March.

I've been buying fabric in anticipation of not having the funds available when I retire, so now there's a cabinet of crammed full of fabric nicely packaged into bundles with the pattern attached to the fabric.

Day one I plan to start my 'retirement quilt'. I want to make quilts for fun and sell the ones I don't want to keep.

I'm only 64 and healthy as a horse and so anxious to begin my retirement I can just taste it!

My biggest fear is that there won't be enough time in retirement to make all of these kits I've collected!!! All I want to do is travel to different shops and buy more fabric!!!!

Who's with me!?

I'm with you, but I've got 5 years yet!

My goal between now and then is to buy and figure out how to use a long arm.

Watson

I went on Craigslist and found a nice Grace Queen 2 frame. I bought a Bailey's Pro 15 so I have a LA set up for about $2500. Everything is manual, just have to take a break every hour so my feet and back don't give out.
Practicing LA free motion quilting is fun and frustrating because I want everything to look perfect....but I guess I need to give up that goal!

I'm not sure when I will really be retired. I'll be 65 in Oct, but we run our own business and with my husband 6 years younger and planning to work until he's 70, I'll still be working at least part time. I'm hoping that I can work 3 days a week instead of 5 now. I actually think that would be good. I'm a little apprehensive about retiring completely and not being out there. My retired neighbors aren't really a good example for me. lol

I have the same plans for January 2019. The countdown has started. 19 months to go. Yay us !

I worked full time until I was 70, spending 42 years with the same company. I love being retired. Quilting is one of my favorite pastimes. I seem to be busier than ever. I thought I might miss working, but I don't - not even a little. All I miss are my coworkers, but I have lunch with them every couple of months. Enjoy yourself!

I've been retired for 5 years and I still haven't quite caught up. There's always another.....

That's great! I've been retired for two years this month. The first year was an adjustment but this past year was just great.

Stitch124 -- I only have one suggestion...Quit buying fabric now and start to set aside the money you would spend so that you have it when you retire. I bought a lot of fabric when I 1st started quilting, and as I have progressed I have wanted to try new things. You will find the fabric you have bought might not be what you want when you finally retire. But I would be aggressive about saving that money only for quilting. I know from experience that when you see something on sale or cute it's hard to pass it by, but you could be a lot happier in the long run. I hope you have a great time in retirement.

I took early retirement about 10 years ago and then I took a quilting class! I find so many ideas for quilts and great fabrics that I really love and I do sometimes think I can't possibly live long enough to make them all! But I will do my best. Obviously, I didn't buy fabric ahead of time because I didn't have any idea I would need it. I'm glad I didn't though because my tastes change plus styles change and who knows who I might need to make a quilt for. Anyway, I like the idea of having a special fabric savings account for future use so that you can get the latest trends. I know you will enjoy your retirement. And as my DH and I often say, we are so busy now, we don't know how we had time to work!

I'm with Loisf. I retired 10 years ago and never looked back. Don't miss it but then I too have coworkers that I meet occasionally and that takes care of the missing anyone stuff. I am now going to 3 quilt retreats a year because I don't know when I will not be physically able to. Enjoy all the new friends I have made and always something to look forward to. Only problem I see is finding enough things to do to keep me busy so I don't get bored doing the same thing and getting the quilts sandwiched and done before the next retreat. Oh won't my kids be proud when they have to go though all this stuff! lol

I retired last November, but I have not worked since 2007. (no car) Jim lets me buy any fabric I like as long as the bills are paid.

I am retiring from a 28 year career as a school librarian in one week. Spent the last few months getting my sewing room ready for full time sewing lol! I'll post pix as soon as school us over.
Installed CloseMade storage in closet and couldn't be happier with it!

Meant ClosetMade lol

I am retired as of 6/1/17 after 38 years of teaching Elementary school. Currently I feel like it is summer, with a rumbling in my head knowing I don't return in the Fall.

I'm so excited to have time to do what I enjoy.

Enjoy!!

I retired last year at age 52 and I'm loving it. I haven't done a whole lot of sewing/quilting yet but I figure I could probably go the rest of my life and not have to buy fabric.... that is if I didn't want to!

My retirement is planned for October 2017, may move it up to September just depends. I have been with this company for 36 years. I too have been purchasing fabric, kits, and now batting so come fall I will be ready!!!

I beat you to retirement 3 and half years ago and enjoy every day of it. I still do not have enough time to just sit and sew, sew and sew like I had planned. One day!!!!!!!!

Keep collecting and wait for March to roll around.

I retired about a year and a half ago and am loving every day. I do lots of quilts, but have also been making a lot of garments, got into purses and wallets, and my latest thing is hats. I stumble over new ideas all the time and just go for it. I take time every day to walk the dogs, go for a swim, take an exercise class. No TV on in my house until dinner time. I did not and will not "stock up" because I just don't know what I will be "in to" at any given moment.

I took up quilting after I retired 13 years ago and have almost no stash. It isn't because of lack of funds but I read here about so many quilters being overrun by and obligated to a stash that they dont love anymore. I agree with the posters who recommend putting that money aside so you can buy what you want/need when you want to

Happy you are awaiting retirement! I retired in 09 and never looked back! I still see the women I worked with monthly, and am in weekly contact with others. Every retirement is different. I thought I'd be quilting all the time, but grandkids, DH, gardening, cabin life, genealogy, remodeling, traveling, and just smelling the roses gets in the way! I do agree with stashing away fabric money for later use. Trends and skill sets change.

I'm in the same boat as Patrice S (aka Cashsmom), we own two businesses which are busiest in the summer months and until we decide to sell one or both, I won't be retiring anytime soon. My husband is 18 years older than me but he cannot retire, he says he'd go nuts...but I told him I definitely plan to retire but I'm only 54 (sigh). Therefore, I have to squeeze the majority of my quilting in during the winter months.

Enjoy your retirement! I retired about 7 years ago and love it, too. Some days all I do is quilt. Other days, I read. Some days I do other things. It is so nice to set your own schedule!

Retire from what? I'm still teaching, still gardening, still housekeeping. Now I teach English to the Spanish and am learning some Spanish myself. I do the readings and cantoring in church, which I didn't start until I was over 70. There is always something to do.

I took an early retirement and did the same thing you are currently doing - buying in preparation; but I agree with ksellers, save your $s to spend once you join the "retirement club". I still have fabric (have been retired 5 yrs now) that I have not used. I would suggest buying rulers, machines, etc. instead of the fabric prior your retirement. Also, I have learned from my past practice that it is smarter to plan a quilt then buy the fabric. Thank goodness that I do love the scrappy look.

Retired for a while and still have to make time to quilt.

Me too! Me too! Oh, I am so with you. My final day is December 31, 2017! (OK, I will continue to teach part-time but I am leaving my full-time faculty position.) My double closet is full of fabric just waiting for my rotary cutter and sewing machine. I am doing a dry run on retirement this summer and working just 3 days a week. Oh I have so enjoyed working quilts on quilts everyday. I have 4 that are in some stage of completion as I work through scraps, exchange pieces and a mound of baby quilts for family! I am loving it! I am looking forward to cold winter winds, toasty little condo, snug sewing room and a lifetime of patterns just waiting to be tried.

Congratulations a decision well made and plan in place. Wohoo!

Hope you have better luck on your first full day of retirement than I did. Decided to do laundry, cold water hose broke, water every where before I could get to the shut-off valve. Called SO to come home and help. Got the shop vac in to suck up water (after moving machine out), pulled up carpet, general mess. SO threatened to call my boss and find out if he would take me back:)

I see you are a square dancer. I am a contra dancer. Have you ever tried contra? I am off to a square and contra dance this evening. What fun! A good work out with friends and terrific music. A good alternative when I need a break from work and quilting on a Saturday night. As much as I enjoy quilting, I am sure I will stretch out to other activities also in retirement. Once a teacher always a teacher but in retirement it will be more on my terms!

I only bought tools I thought I might need. Those things I knew will be too dear for social security. I also purchased a long arm, because my quilt list was quite long then my hand quilting life will be. I have been sewing clothes for ever, so I had a fairly good stash.

Just a warning to all you guys...just because you retire does not mean you have more time...lol....I retired in May 2009 and I am busier than ever just doing whatever I feel like when I get up that morning..I get together with friends and we sew on Tuesdays and Wednesdays every week and I usually sew for about 4 hours early in the morning before my husband gets up and our day begins

I'm with KSellers. The manufacturers are ALWAYS taunting us with prettier fabrics. Some just scream to us "take us home". So what does one do. When you come across something in your stash that you decide you don't as well it always can make a partial backing. Pieced backings are quite common now. Enjoy your retirement; you'll be busier than ever - in a FUN way!

Another 19 months for me. I appreciate the posted suggestion to stockpile money for fabric rather than the fabric - I just donated some of my stash that I must have liked when I bought it but is totally not my taste any more. My plan is to buy a small RV, park on a different beach every week and sew in the evenings. Can't wait!

I second this. I have stacks of fabric and "stuff" - it has become somewhat of a burden instead of a blessing.

I retired in 2000 when I was 52 years old. I did go back to work full time then part time. I did start quilting just before I retired along with my other crafts. I ran a quilting business for 11 years with my husband and now I just quilt for me. I don't see where I had time to work. I am so busy doing retirement things. Just love being my own boss (and don't let husband know, his boss some times). In 2015 we moved from Missouri to Texas to be near grandkids. It was the best move we could do.

My friend once told me, "You're not going to have as much time as you think." Guess what? She's right!

I have been quilting for years. I will be 80 in September. I purchased fabric before I retired when a local quilt shop went out of business. I still love the fabric. However, the fabric is not always appropriate for the quilt I want to make. it is difficult to find new fabric in colors (other than Kona solids) that go well with them. Fabric colors change. Also, new ideas have come on the market. I prefer to make scrappy quilts. Have to love the charm packages, jelly rolls, etc. for making beautiful scrappy quilts.

When my husband and I set up our budget for retirement we put sewing supplies into the budget. That has worked well. I can purchase what I need and not have to worry about the budget. Just enjoy your retirement. It seems that we are busier in retirement than we were when we were working. Enjoy each day you are given. Thank you Lord for good health and able to do everything I enjoy.

I did the same thing and do not regret it for a minute. I do buy some new fabric, but it costs 5 to 10 times what I paid for a lot of mine. Now it's just finding time to use it. I think I am busier since I retired.

I have been retired for about 10 years now and have never experienced a day when I did not know what to do. I try to balance my life by doing some things for me and some things for others. I sing in a Sweet Adeline's chorus, have recently joined two barbershop quartets, and quilt at every opportunity. I also volunteer at our local hospital and schools, serve as a back up babysitter for my grandchildren and work as a costumer for local theater productions. For the past year and a half I have been in charge of my mother's medical and legal affairs and try to spend time with her several days a week. My husband and I like to travel and are fortunate to be able to do so. I wish you the same joy in your retirement.

That is exactly what I said 18 years ago.....and have been having fun ever since then.