where are you located and how do you do your retreats....

Oh what a tangled web we weave.....

wow you all really have me thinking about this - i did not even own a sewing machine when i got my policy ...

This is a good thread and all humor aside it is something to consider especially if you have been quilting a long time and have quite a stash built up (I've been quilting 30 years). I'm not talking just fabric either. I just did a quick calculation on my books and averaging them out to $20 each, I have at least $8,000 alone in them. It adds up fast. Then there's the longarm and all the rulers, templates, pantos, thread, etc. My three domestic sewing machines and all the notions and supplies, patterns, batting, my cutting table, ironing table..... As I look around I am quite overwhelmed. It would take me a good solid month to inventory everything. My books are already inventoried and in a spread sheet on my computer. When I record them I put down the retail price even tho that's usually not what I paid for it. I would also record the fabric at the current value and not what you might have paid for it five or ten years ago.
I use to think $50,000 was about right, but now with my longarm + supplies, I think it is quite a bit more.
I think it's time to talk to my husband about our insurance...

Most insurance policies, even those that say replacement coverage, limit a SINGLE item to a certain dollar amount. I think ours was $1,500 the first time I approached this subject years ago. Anything above the 'single item' limit is not covered unless you add a rider for that item to the policy.

That was about 10 years ago ... I'm not sure what the single item amount is now.

Too funny! Throw the quilters in jail...just give us a machine, our fabric and room to sew and we'd be fine. In fact, with meals served and then cleaned up by someone else, we might lots more time!!!

Oh my! They have no idea. When you can walk out of the store with one small bag and it costs $100....

What a great post. We have 21,781 members so our quilting board members have spent some dollars. I should think that we are one of the wealthiest groups in the world.

That's a good one. Yeah, I know, we all WANT to tell the TRUTH but really... If I had had as much as you, I would have been afraid of a homicidal attack!

LOL Seriously LOL! :lol:

Your story is hilarious and you told it sewwwww well.

Well, we just returned from buying some exotic woods and some other cool boards for my husband's collection that he makes segmented bowls out of. Do you really think I need to worry about how much my stash n' stuff is worth?

However, my DH is usually with me when I buy quilting necessities (fabric) and many, many times he asks me if there is someplace I want to go to buy fabric. If we are traveling he allows time for fabric shopping and even will check for places for me. As you can tell we are happy together!

Never thought of detailing it for insurance purposes. Thank you for such a great story. Sorry it was at your expense. :-D

Oh my... let me pick myself up off the floor... :lol: :lol: :lol: I can't stop laughing.

I am most definitely with you. Maybe not even clothes or furniture... it just has to be maintained. Oh dear, how am I going to get serious for the rest of this day? LOL!

He would probably said 500.00 but that is no where close.
I know I spend at least $100.00 a month every month on fabric or patterns and I have a large closet full of fabric and four shelves in my sewing room full of fabric and about five good size baskets full too. Have no idea the worth of all of it. Since Walmart closed I buy everything from a quilt shop at approx. $7 to 9 a yard. and you know you can't buy just one yard.
Plus I have a quilt frame and machine,one Pfaff and one Janome embrodiery machines, a Juki (I use to use for quilting before I got the Nolthing) and a Pfaff for sewing. I would say with everything I have for quilting & embroidery it is over $30,000.00

I wonder if any one of us really knows the true monetary value of our stash? It would be hard to me to even guess. I would have to use the bin method and multiply by occupied space :lol:

I went through this exact thing last night with our insurance rep. I have a small apartment with a little closet to keep my stash in, so needless to say, fabric wise 100.00 is probably accurate. It was explaining the machine I got on clearance was worth 800.00 that got my DH's jaw dropping. Then the agent himself had no idea, so I started explaining how much I had put into the fabric, batting and notions into a queen I had just finished. Hubby was not happy, but it was his quilt so what can he say?!?!

LOL :lol: thats an Idea, try it if works . I'll check with my dl she works for bcbs . :D

Can relate to the shoe story! Went for a holiday to Brazil to see my sister and while I was there I was overcome with the shoe buying gene (passed down to me from my mother) and bought 11 pairs of shoes! Had to purchase a new case in order to bring them all home. The look on my DH's face when I opened the case was priceless. He still talks about the Brazillian shoe extravaganza and the holiday was 6 years ago.
PS bought another 2 pairs in the first week after I got home as there were some great sales on!! Didn't bother to mentions those to my hubby cos I thought he may go into cardiac arrest!!!!!!

"Current replacement costs".....very very important. My policy in my previous house which was a rental specified replacement costs and the important word was "current".

To me it is not what the value actually is rather than what it would cost me to get enough together to restart on my favourite hobby, the cost would be phenomenal as I have bought so much on Sales etc; and I really couldn't do without my quilting for very long.

My Sister laughed when I moved down here a few years back, my quilting area was the last to be packed and the first to be unpacked and my machine and invaluable tools came in the car with me for safety, and my peace of mind :roll:

My Sister laughed when I moved down here a few years back, my quilting area was the last to be packed and the first to be unpacked and my machine and invaluable tools came in the car with me for safety, and my peace of mind :roll:[/quote]
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Exactly!!! When i moved I told the movers if you touch that box(my machine) you had better hope your Mommy is close by because when I get done with you, you will be crying for your Mommy. One mover asked me what was in the box, when I told him he says to the other mover, back away from the box, DONT touch the box. Turns out his Mommy is a quilter too so he knew what to expect if he touched my sewing machine. :evil:

great story. I bought a new Juki and when the sig other saw it a year later, I just told him I had had it for years and years (this also works with new clothes). I am now single, loving every moment of it and don't have to explain anything to anybody. BTW, he complained loudly and often about that sewing machine but not one word was ever said on my part about the room full of brass (at a cost of $1-2000 each) model railroad engines. I figure if you can afford it and want it, buy it.

I will have to get the camera out and take pictures. That is too funny.

my dh said a few years ago why do you need more fabric you have a semi truck load now. i quicky replied .you have a roof over your head don't you. i know that was bad,but since i spent my own money on it i didn't see why he had a gripe.dj

Luckily, MDOH never has asked of yet!

I have throughly enjoyed this. My DH was with me about a year ago when I bought some thread and he about dropped his teeth when he realized just how much embroidery thread I have. He knew the cost of my machines, which is close to $10,000, but he had absolutely no idea how much I had in embroidery thread. Now add my stash to that and oh my gosh. He never complained tho and even gave me $500 a year ago for Christmas specifically for material. He loved to see my quilts and really appreciated - but then his grandmother quilted and he never ever complained about my stash. We built his shop tools up one at a time and he figured I deserved stuff to quilt with. He was certainly a blessing! Now off to figure out what I've got and get an insurance agent too. LOL

WOW, I had to do the same thing, I got busted and had to take a picture of it all with the yardages. I was ticked. I have a lot of fabric and notions some of the fabric is still on the bolts with ten to fifteen yards on them, I truly have a lot.

Love this forum! I never considered insurance on all my goodies, and that is a BIG oversight. After 40 yrs of collecting, goodness knows what all is there. I just think value in terms of my machines, not all the other tools, thread, beads, material, etc. All my DH tools from his workshop were stolen a few years ago, and it was nearly impossible to value them for the adjustor. I know he lost thousands by just guessing. I'm absolutely going to inventory when I winter/clean my sewing space and take pictures as I go. Thanks for the idea!

Yikes! I'd hate to have to do that. You poor dear! Is he still able to speak??? LOL

I work a few causal hour in a lovely linen shop, I tell all the customers it is fabric money ....some just look and smile some want to know more , I tell them I quilt and it is a uncontrollable passion , one lady looked at me and sed she understands she has it to . Cathy

I like the way you started this off. I don't think I could tell a non quilter what my precious stash and notions are worth. I mean I would not want them to know how much money has been spent. Yikes!!!

I'm for more quilting and less cooking!!!

I was lucky my agents Mom is a quilter so he knew just by looking that I under-estimated by a couple thousand not including any of my old ladys

so here's the question:

Can I have renter's insurance if my name isn't on the lease?

I live with my boyfriend and he has renter's insurance. he pays for the insurance. he pays the rent.

i don't think it would be fair to ask him to pay more insurance money to cover my stuff - but i have a decent amount and would like to have it covered. (we had a leaky roof issue last year, and while i've moved stuff from the danger zone, it would be nice to know that i could replace my machines if they were ruined.)

so, can i get renter's insurance if my name's not on the lease?

It's right up there with telling my weight!

Lucky you! I would live in the Blue ridge too if I could. I just get to visit but someday!!!!!!!!! Where are you located? I am from SW Va.

Thanks for bringing this up...I just talked about it with my DH ( a retired insurance agent!)..He suggested that I take pics of all of it since I have no receipts. Since we have "replacement costs" that will be enough for our agent. Whew!


Jet....call your insurance agent and ask them..all situations are different.

This is all my agent tells me, take pictures our policy covers replacement. I think I need to talk to her instead of DH.

My DH says there's no way our insurance agent would believe my numbers. DH thinks my fabric stash rivals the cost of our home. ;-)

I had replacement value on my contence. Which I made higher than the house value. But when I had a fire,contained to the kitchen, The smoke damage was everywhere. I was told I had too much. I must be a business. The 18 finished baby quilts in the den were runird, but not covered. The one saving grace was that my stash in my sewing room was not damaged. The other 3 bedrooms were. Why? I closed the door to keep the cats out. So good luck trying to cover your stash. I was told I could not cover "a business" in my homeowner ins. But do keep the door shut when not in rooms upstairs or down the hallways. Makes a huge difference!

Omigosh, BUSTED! I just moved and my husband built shelves for my 14 ft long fabric closet. I filled it all up, 5 shelves worth. I'm glad he didn't ask how much I thought it was worth. Might be funny to get a number from him though! Wow!

It would be worth a phone call to ask if you have to be on a lease. I would hate to see anyone loose their stash, and not be able to replace it.