Moving Stash
 

I am retiring at the end of 2013 and moving from PA to TN. Any suggestions as to how to pack and move my stash. I have quilting, cross stitch, knitting and embroidery machine stash + 5 machines and a quilting frame. I have been trying to organize and pack this past weekend but I am rapidly becoming overwhelmed. I have decided not to de-stash at this time because I have a sister and 3 sisters in law who are crafters and I want to share with them. I think it's going to take a separate truck just to move my stuff. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I bought all this stuff but I did buy it over a 35 year period. The last couple of years I have told my husband I was buying for retirement.

Linda

We moved just last week and I must say that the process was very difficult. We packed everything and will get rid of the unwanted items as we unpack. The total in boxes was over 400! Plus furniture. I bought bins from Home Depot for my fabrics and quilting things, labeled them and kept note of what was in the bins in a book. I had about 40 bins of quilting supplies. My DH moved all my machines, Tin Lizzie, lamps and fragile things himself in our van. I didn't want the movers to move my machines. My sewing studio is painted a very soft yellow and is full of boxes- no clue when I will see my fabrics again! I miss sewing but the house needs to be unpacked first. Then I get to set up my new space.

I do not envy you this journey at all. 1994 was the last time I moved from Indiana down here to Texas. It was similar to a "Beverly Hillbillies" move. I sold most of my furniture since it was falling apart (I'm sure that is not your case). Borrowed my dad's pickup (1987 Dodge) with an 8 foot bed. Had to decide what craft's to leave behind (none) that was part of my income. When DH and I move, I'm sure 90% will go with us. It's always hard to pack and will become overwhelming. was for me but I had little time and had to dive in.

Do you like your current organization style? Will you keep it in the new house? I would consider how the stash is going to be stored when at your new home. Are they going on or in some piece of furniture? Are they going to be ruler folded or wrapped on boards? Then fold and wrap them now and put in boxes by color if that's how you organize. That way when you unpack the room is instantly organized. You have to touch them all now, so make that "touch" an effective one.

I agree with quilter1 about your machines. I just had to move my mother out of her home, only had to use about 50 boxes. I labeled every box as to which room it came out of and where in the room it was originally found. Example: Dinning room, north wall, left of china hutch, under counter. or maybe you could number the boxes and keep a list of what is in each box, or a combination of all the above. I would recommend you label or number every side, so you can see the label no mater which way the boxes are stacked. You really don't want to know why I recommend this!! LOL

I will pray for you..Hugs Moved last year !!!!!!!!!!UGH!!!!!!

Funny you should ask that question. I just moved from Hobbs, New Mexico to San Antonio, Texas. We downsized & I lost my studio and the related spaces. I used all my stash that wasn't already neatly packed up - link in chest of drawers as packing materials for other things. I save all my batting trimmings, so I stuffed them and Poly-fill stuffing into plastic bags to wedge into irregular spaces. When I got here, I used some of my boxes to keep track of the abundance of small pieces. We found fabric cradling lamp shades - they are a PITA to pack up, but they had to be boxed. I used smaller pieces of fabric to layer between dishes. We also used those jumbo storage bins (or should I say containers) to pack most of the kitchen things like pots & pans & larger things that don't nicely fit in moving boxes.

When we arrived here, the next day, I started to unpack & sort fabric from other stuff. Very quickly it became evident just how much fabric I had!!! When it's neatly stored on floor to ceiling shelves, it doesn't look like so much. Then I ended up in the hospital with a fractured vertebrae. No unpacking for me for a while. Now everything is unpacked, but some is still not put away. I don't know where I want to put it. The whole house has become my studio!

Attached are some pics of what things used to look like & what they look like now - more or less. I bought 5 shelving units to put in the entry way & living room to house fabric. More fabric is in DH's office closet & the master bedroom.

Just a note - nothing was broken in the move!!! Fabric does double duty!

I forgot to tell you that I, too, put my machine in the car with the 2 dogs & me. DH's truck had everything we would need the first night in our new house with the movers bringing everything the next day. This is the first move that our furniture arrived right after we did!

All the stuff in the window seats has just about found a new home somewhere in the house. Now, to get help hanging the quilts in our new gallery!

For you ladies that have used fabric to pack other things(dishes, etc) did you find it got dirty at all? Didn't the fabric make the boxes heavier than if you had used newspaper to pack?

We will be moving next spring after 22 years in this house. There is lots to do before we will be ready. I don't think I have a large stash but recently started really organizing it and found the stash a lot bigger than I thought it was. Lots to move!

I like laulswalia's suggestion. But i would also encourage you not to take anything you don't love. You won't miss it, nor will your relatives who haven't seen it.

Oh dear ... Moving. I don't envy you. But, I am sure you will be happy when it is all done. I think if you are able to pack like colored fabric together it will make the other end putting away much easier. The kits and things bought to make something special should stay together for sure and maybe placed together in a plastic bag so they don't get separated. I personally would begin at one end of my stash and pack it numbering and labeling each box as I went. If you buy a composition journal and number each box and list it on your page with what is in the box it would be a life saver. They are at walmart two for a buck right now. The other way would be to take a picture of the contents before packing it into the box. Then you know where everything is and in what box. Also, if you put away your stash in the same order you had it in the last house, you will not feel so lost in your new sewing space. Make sense? MAKE sure all of the cords, petals and feet stay together with each machine it goes to even if you have to tape them together or buy an inexpensive generic sewing machine case! How many times have I read on here of a lost cord or petal??

Just try and be as organized as you can with everything and it will pay off in the end of the journey.

Oh, buy colored markers and color on the box, assign each color to a room. Say blue kitchen, green bathroom ... on and on. That way it isn't a where does this box go in the new place.

If you can start now with things you know you won't be using until you arrive at the other house, I would go for it. Why wait and have the whole house to deal with at once?

Do you have a vehicle, that can tow a small U-Haul trailer? I would never trust movers, with anything breakable.

Good luck with your move.

We will have to do it, too - and I am dreading the idea!

This company wasn't concerned about weight, but rather than volume. I thought it would, but the fabric was coming with us anyway, so why not use it for packing?

After organizing, washing and pressing all my stash, I would no way pack with it. Oh no not my stash. I would use my linen closet items for that if necessary. I prefer the bubble wrap really.

Put it in totes, label it, and move it in. Then when you get the house in order, it will be like Christmas! I hope your move goes smooth and SAFE! Does your sister and SILs live close to you when you move, if so, I bet they would love to help you get your room up and running in now time!

We have moved many times. My recommendations are: 1. If you don't need/want it, then don't move it. Donate to the nearest charity. 2. Label, label, label. I know it takes time now, but it saves time on the other end of the move. You won't be sorry.

Good luck on your move, make lots of new friends and enjoy your new community.

I had to pack up all of my stash a few years ago after the floor in my sewing room collapsed and I went to WalMart and bought a lot of really big plastic totes and proceeded to empty each large shelf into a vey large tote - the lids just snapped on. When my DH went to move them, the lids popped off and were extremely heavy. So, back to WalMart and bought some smaller totes that had lids that had handles that snapped on - much better fasteners. Oh yes, and they were clear, so that I could see in them.

HTH

I moved a lot for a period of time.. One thing I learned... if you don't reduce prior to the move... it makes it that much harder on the new end. If you move all of your stash... organize it the way you will want it on the other end ... or it will seem like forever before you get your sewing space set up. I am not a fan of using stash for packing.. it can make for a good deal of work refolding and reorganizing . I once moved on two days notice( used professionals) ... it took a year to get things the way I needed. The movers just packed and marked the box what room . My sewing room was the hardest to get organized .

I worked for a moving company, and it was the best job I ever had. Beats doing payroll any day. I would not recommend using fabric to pack dishes, etc. The rule to follow is - the heavier the item, the smaller the box. Always stand dishes on end, not flat, glasses on end, not flat. If you have a large bowl or vase, fill it with paper. The paper will absorb a shock. Lay a layer of crumbled up paper, then say the plates, a layer of paper, then the smaller plates, a layer of paper, then the cups, etc. Just number the boxes and keep an inventory if the moving company does not.
Use one different colored box, we used red, and that will hold all the small items - such as - if you remove the harp from a lamp, wrap it in paper and mark Lamp #1, L/R, and put it in the red box. Wrap the lamp in a blanket or heavy towels, and stand upright in a box. I kept lamps together. Then the shades, use a different box, put the little shades in, separate with paper or a towel, then a bigger shade, then a larger shade. Put paper on the top. Seal the box and mark the box, lamp shades, do not top, meaning that nothing should be put on the top of this box. You will have to mark the boxes on one side, not the top because once the boxes are stacked, you cannot see what is in it.
I would use small boxes for my fabric, like books are packed in. If you are using the plastic bins, tape them shut with packing tape. If you can, a better way is to fold blank newsprint till it is about 4" wide, laid inside each other and pulled out, and use the tape on top so no tape residue is on the plastic box. That way you can write on the tape. You can buy new or used boxes from moving companies or get free boxes that are advertised on craigslist, or some from the wine store. I do not envy someone doing it themselves. I would go in ahead of the men, strip the house so to speak, pack the dishes from the kitchen and dining room, then the lady's clothes, then whatever I could to finish my day out. Pictures are always packed with wrappings, placing them back to back, and front to front to avoid any puncture from the fixtures. If I can be of help to you, please send me a private message. Good luck. Our company used to unpack in a day, and I had all the dishes in the cupboards, the clothes where they belong, and all the furniture placed. All the client had to do was hang the pictures. I am serious. It can be done.

I don't envy you but I do think it is a good idea to take all your fabric and craft stuff. I could handle "new" furniture (Craigslist) before having to replace my fabric. I agree with it being a good idea to use fabric instead of news paper if need be. I would prefer to take it in the bins I have it in now so I could just set up the studio as soon as I arrived.

where in PA Linda? I am heading to Pittsburg in end Nov. I can "help" you if you want. lol Patti

I used my fabric to wrap my china, collector's glass and pictures when we moved from RI to KY. Actually use less than paper and is better cushioned. And I did not have dozens of boxes labeled Fabric.

Moving stash
 

Space bags for fabrics/battings and then inside totes as to save rooms, not necessarily cheap but may improve the desire to pack up & not be overwhelmed by the volume of it

I have moved many times, too and agree with GrandmaPeggy. :-) Good luck with the move.

No ideas but wanting to welcome you to TN. We came from MI just over 7 years ago and absolutely love living on the Plateau.

When I had to move from VA to GA I decided I had things sorted the way I wanted and wasn't going to mess with it much. I already had my fabric on boards. Which out of everything I have tried is the best for me. I found or cut down boxes to fit the boards and packed that way I also took a photo printed it out on plain paper and taped it to the side of the box so I knew what was in it since I didn't know how long I would have before unpacking. I didn't have a whole house to pack just two rooms so it was easier for me. Books were packed in small boxes I could handle and a list taped to the outside of the box. I tried to label every box as to what was actually in it. Toward the end there were some things just put in wherever they would fit but all in all its been easy to unpack. I had already downsized while in VA Had to get rid of a lot of things I didn't want to but that's life. :)

Been there, done that. when I decided to put my house on the market, I packed up all my stash in plastic totes, machines in their perspective packing boxes, etc. Never in my wildest imagination did I think it would take 3 years to sell the house. My entire sewing room was in a supposedly A/C storage unit for all that time. But it all came out okay. The plastic totes didn't survive as they put heavier items on top of them and the weight cracked either the container or the lid on most of them. I even found one of my embroider machines at the bottom of a very tall pile and shreked from horror. Since the machine was in its original box with the styrofoam forms around it, the machine came out okay. Sure makes you wonder what these professionals are thinking about when they load up their trucks though. Some of my furniture didn't come out as lucky though.

Good luck on your move. I moved from Florida to Iowa. It was so good to see my sewing room again after all that time. I too put the sewing room off to the side till the rest of the house was unpacked. Hardest thing I ever did.......:-)

In 44 years of marriage I've moved 18 times. In some of the early moves I had to totally dejunk and move the bare minimum. The most important thing I've learned is that more small boxes are way better than less big boxes! I also use my fabric, as well as towels, sheets, etc., as packing material. Yes, the boxes are a bit heavier than if I used paper or peanuts to pack, but on the other hand I don't have to pay for as much packing material then throw it away when I get to the new place. I do pack my fine china and crystal in foam and load it at the top of the truck. Using the fabric to pack clean dishes and such does not get it any dirtier than packing it alone in boxes, and helps keep the number of boxes/bins down.

When we had to downsize from a 3 -bedroom home, with 2 sewing spaces, to a 2-bedroom apt. I had great difficulty paring down my stash. Thanks to a dear friend who "inherited" the majority of what I left behind, helping me decided what to keep, what to give away, knowing that if she couldn't use the fabric, that she would find someone else who could, like a mutual friend who makes "Caring Covers" for children who have been hospitalized and need some comfort. I "downsized" my stash by almost 50%, but then told my husband that I refused to give up any more fabric, especially when quilting is my "sanity", and we would be together 24/7. I tried to organize by fabric type, Christmas, children's, fall, etc., but in the end, the majority of it went into clear plastic bins. Besides adding some color, it's easier to see some of what I have with the clear totes. I'm so glad I kept what I did, as I haven't bought much fabric in the last 3 years, only "fill-ins" where I needed a background fabric or a fabric to finish a quilt, but mostly I quilt from my stash. I find it nice to go just a few feet to "shop" in my stash, not quite as much fun as a quilt shop, but it works for now. By the way, we are retired, so I need a hobby and have even made some money from my quilting and crafts.

We have been in Pittsburgh for 25 years and are really looking forward to moving home to TN. Our daughter lives in Knoxville and we will be building a house in Gray, TN near Johnson City. We are being ruthless in purging our house. We have decided not to take some of our furniture so we will either sell it or donate it here. All my lamps are really old so I will be getting rid of them too. They are not worth the extra care it takes to pack them. My craft room and kitchen are going to be the problem areas. My husband is a packrat when it comes to computer stuff so he's on his own with that stuff. I am packing now so hopefully by the first of December everything will be packed except minimal stuff we need everday. Moving makes you realize how much stuff you have.

You will love Tennessee...lots of quilters here

We have lived in the same place for 44 years. We have no plans to move until leave permanently. I have moved from room to room several times. Think I'm about done with that also.
I like the idea to pack all sewing items and fabrics in boxes and marking contents on all sides. You could just stick all boxes in the room where they will go. When you get the main things put away, then concentrate on the sewing things. I think that would work the best. I would not use my fabrics for packing. More logical to keep all together.
I like dejunking before the move.
Good luck and hope all goes well.

I have moved several times with my stash holding up pretty good. I labeled boxes with each type of craft: crochet, embroider, quilting. Since I like to make purses with heavier material, I labeled those boxes also. If you are in the middle of a project and know that you will want to start with that when you get settled, then put a big 1 on the box and label it your craft room. Each box should be labeled first with the name of the room you want the item to go into and then in smaller letters, you list what is in the box. Since I put towels and sheets around my lamp bases or other glass items, then I am sure to list that too: towels/lamps/sheets. I have moved into at least 19 houses since I was 18 years old. And that was a long time ago.

We moved from MN to NV a year and a half ago. We had a 4000 sf house and only had a 26 ft Penske truck to move it all in. I couldn't afford to waste an inch of space. I used my fabric as packing materials in places where I would have used bubble wrap or peanuts to fill void spaces in the boxes. All boxes were packed tightly so that there was no chance of them caving in or their contents moving. The only item that broke was an outdoor table leg which was not boxed and I think that was due to someone tugging on it. I do pre-wash my fabrics but I don't iron and starch until I am ready to use them. I mostly rolled the fabrics up for stuffing into the boxes so I found unpacking to be very easy. The fabric was clean when exiting the boxes. Even though I used a bunch of stash for packing, I still had over 27 boxes of just fabric. I will use my fabric again for moving since I found it to be economical and an environmentally friendly packing material.

I had to move and downsize as well. I bought totes at Walmart. Just don't make the totes too large because fabric is really really heavy when the tote is full. I organized mine into colours and labeled them well. The other quilting items I used packing boxes. I really advise that you label your boxes well. Tell yourself what's inside. It really will make your life much easier. This is my 3 rd move in 7 yrs. I hate moving but I am getting good at it!

While the fabric used for packing material will be heavier you are cutting down on boxes. One box full of fabric weighs a lot and takes up space. You might look at FlyLady. I used her packing hint for a notebook and numbered boxes. We moved in July and things went crazy. DH has been in the hospital 3 times since. My notebook has been a lifesaver.

tartan gave you my idea. I've moved often and use my fabric as packing material...never a breakage.

Brilliant!