Anniedeb

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.

jmoore

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.

Mkotch

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!

maviskw

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.

abc123

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.

LindaJ

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

WMUTeach

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!

sandy l

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

WMUTeach

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!

kyquiltlover1942

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.