Lots and lots of fabric

I am eager to read what your reaction is to this obsession. It touches me first as so many lost opportunities. She could have enjoyed sharing with charities that dress children or warm the laps at the Veteran's homes ... etc. But she didn't. Makes me want to get going and weed out stash that I may never use and get it in the hands of somebody who can. Makes me think my own stash is minuscule. Maybe my 'practical' side has taken over. Just my personal thoughts. Yours? Polly

On Sat, 22 Jan 2011 07:28:16 -0600, melb wrote (in article ):

Oh, my! There is more fabric there then there was when one of our LQS had a going out of business sale.

Maureen

On Sat, 22 Jan 2011 09:05:36 -0600, Polly Esther wrote (in article ):

I'm in the process of weeding out my stash in the hopes of getting back into my sewing room before spring. This really does make want to get down there and do a little cleaning. I love my stash and I love shopping for it, but that was just so overwhelming.

Maureen

I can understand wanting to have a variety of stash to choose from. But at some point it becomes overwhelming and a true addiction, that would get that much fabric into that lady's possession. How sad for her, how sad for those who could have used her donations if she had been in that mindset.

I hope that the estate auction was to help pay for outstanding bills/ funeral and memorial expenses. I hope the rest was donated to a worthy cause.

My stash is tiny compared to hers, but it is still too much for me. I have done a purging, and will do more. Yes, there are some pieces that recall the where/when they were acquired, and some are sentimental pieces. But there is much that no longer calls to me. When I organized it all a couple weeks back, I set aside the first group of purging.

G> I am eager to read what your reaction is to this obsession. =A0It touches= me

Polly, you are right as usual. I've been weeding myself. Styles I enjoyed 15-20 years ago no longer appeal as much, nor do they fit with the quilts I aspire to make. So the novelties and sweet florals are getting used up for toiletry bags for the women's shelter, or going into charity quilts.

But do keep >I am eager to read what your reaction is to this obsession. It touches me

My stash is big, but nowhere near!! Last October I passed the age 60 milepost and it is beginning to dawn on me that I will have a hard time using it up in a normal lifespan. So I've been pulling the special fabrics I've been saving, and the ones I don't like that much too. They come out, get pressed and get cut up into strips of varying widths. I've been doing quilts from Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville page, and I've adapted her scrap user system. There's something so satisfying about this process right now. I especially liked her idea to take some of those older fabrics and cut them into 10 1/2" squares. Pieced together randomly they will make a nice backing for quillows, which are what I've been making.

Iris

And just how do you know she didn't? Gen

WOW!! and i thought i gave away alot before i moved!!! she has TSWLTH beat!! Sheesh! Bless her soul.

Well, that's true. She may have. I wish she'd called me to come help. That would have really been fun. Polly

"Gen" wrote > And just how do you know she didn't?

That's how I got started quilting a couple of years ago. I'm an antique dealer and was at an auction looking for furniture. There was two big Rubbermaid totes full of fabric that I bid on and won for $12.50! I could see that the people who consigned it to the auction were disappointed (with reason) on the low selling price. I talked to them and they said they were cleaning out the house of a friend of theirs who had passed on. She had SEVENTY totes full of unused fabric in her attic. When I got home and went through my find, it was beyond belief. The previous owner had each piece labeled with price, yardage, and the day purchased. All in all, it was $1000 worth of fabric that I bought for so little. Marvelous, beautiful fabric from Moda, Hoffman, Henry.....and then I knew I had to do something with it. So, my quilting adventures began. I have barely put a dent in it all. The photos that you posted reminded me of what that ladies house must have looked like. I agree with Polly, it's overwhelming and a loss of opportunities that could have happened. Donna

Yep, and I am there. Sigh. Anyone want to come help me sort and organize when I get the money to rent a temporary mobile storage unit?

Pati, in Phx

snipped-for-privacy@j19g2000prh.googlegroups.com...

H*ll yeah, I've never been to Phoenix :-) Always looking for excuses to see more of the US - inside of a storage unit full of fabric sounds good.

Hanne > Yep, and I am there. Sigh. Anyone want to come help me sort and

snipped-for-privacy@j19g2000prh.googlegroups.com...

Oh....that is kind of sad. It looks out of control, like hoarding. I gave away a whole rubbermaid container full of remnants (and yardage) to a friend of my daughter's who wants to learn to quilt. It wasn't hard to fill it up at all. I found that some of the remants I had used in so many quilts I was now sick of them. And the yardage was stuff I bought 4-5 years ago, loved it at the time, but didn't like it now. Makes me think you can really "outgrow" fabric, or your taste changes or something. My new motto is to either just buy fabric for a current purpose, or use it while I still like it. I wouldn't want my kids to have to deal with a massive stash like that after I was gone. But then, some of that fabric may have been many years old, and she reached the point she could no longer physically organize or get rid of it.

Sherry

WOW!!

But just think of all the quilts that will be made by quilters who bought fabric that day.

Allison

On Mon, 24 Jan 2011 09:52:35 -0600, Sherry wrote (in article ):

As I work on cleaning up my studio to get new flooring, I've decided I need to donate at least a third of what I have. Tastes do change. I'll keep a few of the "uglies" because sometimes a little piece of it is just what a quilt needs, but if I'm not going to use it, someone should.

Maureen