I plan on donating much of this to local church groups who rely on donated fabric to make charity quilts, but I'm looking forward to finding a few fun pieces to include in my scrap quilts as well!
I'm almost afraid to dump the fabric out of the bags lest I can't get it all back in again! :-)
See you at 9 PM Eastern for Quilt-Cam tonight!
38 comments:
Have fun sorting through it all. I've inherited partial stashes before, but never one that size!
Its a treasure!
OOOh, I wish someone would give me their stash! I'm about to start teaching 3 young girls from our church how to quilt and I'd love to give each of them their own little stash to get started with!
I couldn't refuse either! (And, I haven't!) I find ways to use the fabrics I wouldn't normally quilt with. DH is a woodworker, and is always looking for fabric to rub on finish coats with. Dogs need beds. Rag rugs are fun, too. I can always find use for fabric.
I couldn't refuse either. Twice people told me they had a lot of quilt scraps and most of it was unusable! Good luck!
Jackpot!!! Have fun getting buried in it! :)
Jaci,
That's for the hints. I do always try to use it or donate it.
Joan
I inherited a stash that took 4 van loads (with seats removed) and a truck, and included her sewing furniture and storage. I am now retired and making quite a dent in both of our stashes. When I complete one of my late friends projects, it feels like she is in the room with me and cheering me on.
When our dear friend Martha passed away from breast cancer her husband gave over Martha's entire fabric stash to us and we formed a mini group. "The Remnants". We inherited over 20 jumbo plastic bins of fabric! Martha was truly a fabric collector! We meet twice a month and cut, sew, quilt, bind and label quilts that we donate to local charities and some are also donated to our local quilt guilds Donation Quilt program. We have been using Martha's fabrics since 2008 and still have not used it up. Bonnie, we have used some of your website patterns for our donation quilts. Right now we are doing Pioneer Braids. We like to think that Martha is pleased with our efforts to use up her fabrics in a giving way. Our quilt labels say: "Martha Quilts" are Dedicated to the Memory of Martha----Made with Love from Martha Fabric's by her Friends, The Remnants. Sonoma County, Ca.
A pile of fabric is just as fun as a pile of leaves to a kid! Love your story Angie. Keep up the good work!
Angie, I loved reading your story and I am sure that Martha is doing a happy dance because of your group ... love the name you call yourselves!
I can never walk away from a donation of 'stash'. I quilt with several groups that make charity quilts and it is always nice to have new fabric to sew with. Your patterns make it very easy for us to make beautiful quilts.
i couldnt refuse. While living in Australia a friend was moving back to the USA and wanted to sell all her fabric i got over 100 yards of good american quilting fabric for 100.00 australian so was about 90.00usd
Thank you Sue. And thank you Bonnie for all the wonderful free quilt patterns you provide, like the Pioneer Braid for instance. We have used several of your quilt patterns for our donation quilts.
Thank you Virginia! We have enjoyed doing the quilts and using some of Bonnie's wonderful patterns.
Just a little bit of each one-each fabric that is, not each bag! Have fun rummaging!
Angie, THANK YOU for sharing this sweet story of Martha! I have way too much fabric I may never use up; I am a fabriholic too I fear! My husband has instructions to donate my quilting, cross-stitch and other hobby materials if I pass away first.
Oh fun! I used to do the charity quilts for my guild and it was so fun to sort through the fabric. Enjoy!!
I teach a beginning sewing/quilting class for 6 young 20-something year olds with very, very little resources. They appreciate every donation possible including fabric, thread, and I am even loaning two of them machines! I teach it for free weekly so these young gals will learn a fun creative hobby that will last them all their lives. Two of them were refered to me because of depression issues and the others (also) just want to learn. Of course I would say yes to donations! :D Blessings to all of you out there for donating to your charities. Kathy Aho in MN
Oh, how fun! I envy you for the chance of digging through the fabrics, petting them and taking a few funny pieces for yourself...
there will surely be plenty left for the local church groups... have fun!
How lucky are you!! No, I couldn't refuse it either. I wish I knew of someone getting rid of their fabrics. Hope you find lots of goodies.
Angie that's a great idea that you and Martha's friends are doing. Love your that your label is in her memory.
Nancy
Sewing for Project Linus we have been the recipients of many stashes of fabric from those that have passed on. If we can't use it we find somewhere else to pass it on to. We almost have too much fabric but we are very glad to get it.
Sad to say, I DID refuse a stash from a lovely lady who was moving across the country to live with her son. At the time I had 4 young children, a house that was already overloaded with boxes, and she described the amount as "half her basement". To this day there's a little tug in my heart when I think about it, and I sincerely hope she found someone who is to this day enjoying her generosity :)
Sounds like going on a treasure hunt, sew much fun! I don't turn down donations either. A few friends and I meet once a month and make quilts for Project Linus. What we can't use goes to our local Project Linus chapter. The coordinator has knack for getting ladies to use donated fabrics that might not be considered 'normal' blanket making materials. They have some really creative ideas for making cute quilts and blankets.
That is precious. Thanks for sharing.
Last year I started a Group Called Iowa Comfort. The goal was to make 12 twin size quilts from local quilter scraps and stashes, and donate the quilts to the local crisis center. We finished the year at 65 quilts. And we have 15 done already this year, with another 20 ready to be quilted. The generosity was so overwhelming that I had to ask people to stop donating fabric for a while because I didn't have any place to store it. But I had a lot of fun going through each and every container I received. Now we donate to many organizations here in central Iowa.... and I love that we can do it. I recently bought a shirt that said " NEVER under estimate the power of a group of quilters!" I will wear that shirt every time we have a community sew day!
I recognize the pigs fly fabric, some one used it in a block exchange I did in 1993!
yep, like you i'd take donated stash with open arms.
There are many local groups around me who use donated fabric to make prayer shawls for those going thru critical illnesses, lap robs and foot warmers for disabled Vets, incubator blankies for newborns, girls dresses for third world countries...the list goes on. There's never a shortage of places that can use donated fabrics.
Yes, I would take the fabric and love going through it. I would keep some for me but give most of it to my church quilting group for community quilts.We have made quite a few quilts together and have given them to people in need.
Welcome back. You have lots of fabric in those bags!!!! Such luck. I think. Looking forward to Quilt Cam tonight. Plan to work on block a of Easy Street. BTW, my new issue of Quiltmaker finally arrived.
I bet everybody and their brother is offering to come and help you with this dilemna, I know some AZ Folks who are willing ;) Enjoy, I just love looking at other people's stash :)
What a WONDERFUL thing you are doing!! I am sure she would be so pleased to learn about all the quilts you are donating. I just think you all are just amazing!
Oh how I would love to be in your shoes. I would use it all to build my stash as I am new to quilting conn_and_vans_mom(@)yahoo(dot)com
I have had that happen - 8 garbage bags full that filled the trunk of my car! I took it home and cherry-picked what I knew I would use. :D I sorted OUT the polyester for a group that I knew would use that, washed and ironed the rest of the cotton for my charity quilting group and we sewed with it for a LOOONNNGGG time. There were some big 4-6 yard cuts that were great for backs.
Wow; when you get it sorted out, your local groups that quilt for charity will be so happy! Hope you find at least 1 fun fabric to keep for your stash!
Hi Bonnie,
I am in Michigan and we got our snow last night, about 6 inches or so. Can't complain. I am still working on my scrappy Irish chain, got all of the main blocks finished a couple of nights ago, and tonight I am working on the alternate blocks. Love Quilt Cam cuz it feels like sewing with a friend!
that pigs fly was my favorite fabric ever! I even made a scrub top (nursing uniform) out of it! Hope the lady donating was just changing hobbies, and not ill. It will be fun to look at it all!
I had that Kaufman (or Hoffman?) flying pigs fabric in two colorways. I used the brighter version to trim a set of bed linens for my husband. I used the lighter version (as shown in Bonnie's photo) to make a toddler sundress for our granddaughter -- who is now a junior in h.s.
I may have a scrap or two left.
You'll have fun sorting that stash out! When a friend died from cancer her husband brought her stash to our quilting group and we all bought pieces of it with healthy donations to the cancer council where we lived. I kept some to remember her by and donated others to quilters who lost their homes to bushfires a few years later
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