sewingitalltogether

I hate to add this but really feel like I should. My sister died last week and her husband said us girls have 2 weeks to clean out her sewing stuff. She had already given away tons of stuff. But if your sewing room is like mine.....then maybe we need a solid plan. I don't want anything thrown away. Quilters love scraps! The one sister-in-law threw away all her scraps. They made plans to give stuff to the local guilt. You couldn't fit my whole sewing room into 2 car loads. Or 3. If your anything like me, then you have collected stuff for 30 years or more. It make me sad to think about this. I think my brother-in-law would have just thrown it all in the trash. What about my sewing machines. I guess I need to rewrite my will. Adding the handwritten page about who should get what. Especially for larger items. And for quilts.What do you think?

ManiacQuilter2

I will probably have 3 woman of the church (from my church's quilt group) to clean out my apt. They have 30 days to get everything out of the apt after my death. I am already starting to purge.

cashs_mom

I'm going to have to get a plan going. Years ago, I had one but so many people have moved and so aren't in the area any more. My husband will probably sell my machines on eBay. He's bought a couple for me there and so will realize that there is value. The fabric? Who knows? He may donate it. I'll have to get on writing up some handwritten instructions to go with my will.

daisydawg

I am working on who gets my "treasures" when I am gone. I don't want it to end up in a thrift store. I don't have a huge stash but folks who are going to benefit from what I do have will be very happy to receive it.

NikkiLu

My BFF of 50 years passed away several years ago - she worked in a fabric store and was "paid in fabric" if that tell you how much fabric she had. Long story, but her DH was in the process of burning it all when I found out about it. I took my DH and all of the boxes, totes, and bags that I could find and went and loaded up our truck with what was left. The only good thing is that he started in the basement where she had a TON of flannel, and all kinds of denim - family members worked at the HD Lee factory when it was in town and the ladies could buy a box of remnants of the blue jean fabric for about $3 for a box that would take two people to carry out to their cars. He knew that her sister had a machine quilting business and could have used the batting, etc. Evil.

peaceandjoy

Gail, I'm sorry for your loss.

Two weeks doesn't seem like much time to take care of your sister's sewing things, although perhaps her husband feels a need to remove things that remind him of his loss.

Whatever the case may be for this situation, you are right - we should all consider how we'd like to see the things that we have collected moved on. For me, as neither of my girls has an interest, I've asked that the guild I belong to have first dibs, there is an active group there that makes charity quilts. They can use it, sell it for funds, whatever they'd like.

That plan is fluid though, as if we move when we retire, I'll no longer be part of that guild. Perhaps a new guild or sewing group, new friends... Or, if none of those things work, an animal shelter would be my wish. They could do a sale to raise funds.

I hope that your memories bring you peace and comfort.

Robin

Onebyone

My sewing buddies and I use to say the group of us got the other's stash if we die. Well, we are all the same age and don't need to haul anymore stash to our sewing rooms. My plans are to start giving away as I age, if I go in a blink of an eye then my DD can keep, share, donate or sell, whatever she feels like doing. DH has no clue to what I have so he won't be of any help other then to tote stuff out of the room.

Deb watkins

I have quite a collection of fabric, patterns, books so on and so forth. Reading this has put my entire 'stash' in a different light. My hubs would have no clue about anything, my kids not much more so. I think that I will sort again for donation to the local guild, and get started on those projects on my list! Good in a way that fall and winter is on the calendar.....sewing room - here I come!

gramajo

I have been using my stash for new quilts and have bought very little new fabric, just what I needed to complete a quilt. I have plans for fabric I've bought in the past and when I finish up my UFOs, I'll get those done. DD is a quilter, so she will get everything and will know what to do with what she doesn't want.

JenniePenny

Gail,
I'm so sorry for the loss of your sister.