(Here, I was sitting on the living room floor, sorting around me.)
I've spent some time over the weekend, sorting through some stash fabric.... but not my stash. Via some of my husband's extended family, I was recently gifted with the stash from a deceased woman (elderly). I couldn't bear the thought of them possibly just tossing the fabric, so I said I would take it and go through it to see what I would like to keep and pass along the rest to others or to charitable organizations.
I really didn't think to ask how much they thought it might be. People, it filled the back of our mid 1990's SUBURBAN (This thing can comfortably fit 7 people and there is still the "trunk" area"). The first night I picked it up, our nephew stopped by (he was in town from Oregon) and packed up an old suitcase that we had acquired for just this purpose and packed up some material from one or two bags we had brought in. His wife has recently joined a quilt guild in their new town, but he doesn't want her spending money on fabric (Their financial circumstances are pretty limited, I think). These photos are what I sorted out AFTER he was here.
Oh, and there is still stuff in the Suburban... a whole basket of patterns/books and some boxes of I don't know what....
Honestly, most of this will be heading its way to Goodwill or wherever. I have come across a few cool vintage type prints that I can bear to part with, some big pieces of muslin and a few cute cheater prints. There were a bunch of solids, but they didn't seem to feel like 100% cotton to me and they also seemed pretty thin, so I just packed them in a bag to go. A lot of the fabrics seem to be really thin and I'd hate to give them to anyone I know, for fear they would wear out really quickly. I also tossed a bunch of cut pieces that I have no clue what they were for. I should have kept them to cut up for pet beds, but I didn't know when I would find the time to do that and I don't have enough space to store them.
I have contacted a couple bloggers that I thought about when I was going through the fabrics and saw something that made me think of them. I'm going to send them boxes of fabric and one to the nephew's wife, too. I just know my husband won't let me keep this stuff around forever, plus it's taking up my kitchen table which is my sewing area...so I can't sew until this is taken care of!
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Sorting through this much fabric has really made me think about my stash, too. I've been trying to get my fabric organized and also to finish up WIP's, too, and this just emphasizes to me that I need to continue to work on this effort. Heaven forbid anything should happen to me anytime soon, I wouldn't want my husband or any of my other family to have to deal with that. I'd at least want it organized so that things would be easier.
I guess I know what I'll be doing for the next few months or so (I'm a slow organizer!). Plus, I have some projects in the works and other things that I've committed to.
7 comments:
With that much fabric given to you all at once, there's just no way you can do proper justice to every single piece - it's too overwhelming! I was gifted 2 green garbage bags of fabrics a few years ago but it was all 80's prints - I've never seen so much pale pink + pale blue + mint green + peach + burgundy + hunter green! Individually the prints were lovely (although somewhat dated) but en masse - it was like the 80's threw up on my carpet! I used as much as I could but ended up giving lots of it away because there was just too much for one person to use!
I'm right with you on the using up of stash and progressing on WIPs - I have sons and a husband who have no interest in anything fabric --- fortunately they would know enough to contact my sewy friend to take care of my goodies, but I'd still like to have my fabric and projects under control sooner rather than later, lol!
I would like to think that when I die (hopefully not for a long time yet) someone who understands fabric will be who goes through my stash. I can't bear the thought of it all just being thrown out! What a chore for you, you're doing a great thing for the family though x
yikes! that's a huge project. better you than me!
Use the word stash and post those types of pics and my salivatory glands go into full drip. OMGOSH
I get what you're saying tho'. It is overwhelming isn't it? But on the other side of the coin how much fun is that?
I asked Pooldad the other day if he had thrown out my stash of fabric [since I wasn't able to sew/quilt these past few years and didn't think I would ever be able to again] and you would've thought the poor man was a deer caught in the headlights. I felt so bad for him because just looking at him I knew he had, but he had a very valid reason. He said that he couldn't stand to see me so sad whenever I would open the bins and just play with the fabric. He thought he had done a nice thing and he did actually. I know why he did it and he donated it to a nice charity, so alls well.
I thought I was done shopping tho' [for clothes at least] but apparently now I have to build back up my stash 'cause I have a new found freedom and dare I say lust to sew again. Good thing my husband enjoys the fabric stores as much as I - his colorblindness and all. I honestly think building the stash is half the best part of sewing anyway. Right?
You enjoy your fabric and I cannot wait to see all the end results. And I love Sandra's comment about the 80s fabric. ::laughing:: I remember those colors all too well. I bet it looked like a bridesmaid pageant on parade at her house. Whoa. :)
Hugs and love my friend. Take care, Skip
Thanks for popping by my blog and commenting on the baby lemon post--fingers crossed that they turn into big yellow lemons!
Wow, a Suburban full? I'm sorting through my own (smallish--two bins) fabric stash as we speak...
And vintage patterns too? Heaven! Since I both collect and sell them, my ears always perk up at the thought of a stash of patterns! Fun...a lot of work, but fun!
Whoa now that's a lot of fabric! :)
wow! Your pictures tell quite a story. THank you for thinking of ME! I've used some of it ALREADY!
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