Because I'm in the midst of cleaning out my parents' house, I'm starting to take a good look at my own home.
My sewing room is full of fabric and projects that I have begun. When I decide to start getting rid of some of these things, the fabrics will go to groups that make charity quilts. The projects will most likely go to a "free" table at quilt camp or a guild meeting.
But at what point should I sort out the quilts that I have made? Where should they go?
And what about the old quilt tops and quilts that I have collected? I also have a large collection of old quilt blocks, old quilt patterns, and other assorted quilt ephemera. What will happen to all of that?
I'm definitely not ready to get rid of a lot of these things now. They are still needed for the talks I give, the workshops I teach and the patterns I design. But at some point, they will have to go. Is it better to give them away while you can still "control" where they go? Or is it better to let someone else do it after you are gone and not know what happens to them?
I guess I feel that I need a plan. Do you have a plan? If so, please share your thoughts. Thanks!
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Carol, I have seen your collection (Marshall Quilt Show), and I think you should consider doing some research and finding out if there is some kind of quilt museum or historical society somewhere that would recognize the historical significance of your collection and be THRILLED to have it. Maybe even the Smithsonian! Naturally, your children would select their favorites before donating the balance of the collection, but I think it would be wonderful to know that the bulk of it was going to be preserved in such a way. AS for me, I accept the fact that most of our accumulated 'stuff' will have to be sorted and divided by our children after we are gone. People have been doing that for 100's of years. However, we have a trust that designates what is to be done with certain 'big ticket' items like my husband's car, motorcycle, and gun collections. We spelled that out mostly to alleviate any added stress for our kids later on. They love each other and I could see them all going over board trying NOT to appear greedy and then no decisions would be made at all. So we made the decisions. I am a bit of a Christmas nut and over the years my kids have given me a good portion of my collection as gifts. (I have everything divided into 5 different themes that I rotate each year.) When sorting through a loved one's property after their death, we have a tradition (started by my mother's family) that if you gave the deceased a particular item as a gift, then that item automatically goes back to you (assuming you want it). So quite a few years ago I started marking my angels and Santas and snowmen etc with the name of the person that gave them to me and the year they gave it. Each year when I get a collection out to decorate, I haven't seen it for 5 years. It makes me happy to read the names of the kids and remember that they gave me this gift. And I love that I have things that go all the way back to the 70's when we first got married. I think the dates (and my handwriting) will mean a lot to the kids and grandkids someday. Also, by marking everything now they will know how to divide up the collection when I'm gone...or at least most of it. I know older people who have marked just about everything in their house to tell people who they want all of their things to go to. I don't feel the need to go that far...at least not when I'm still in my 50's! My Mom still has all her quilts, but we went through them with her before her dementia got bad so she could tell us the history of each one and we could write it down. As for me, I tried to follow the 'if you don't use it, get rid of it' rule back in the 80's and got rid of a ton of stuff in a garage sale. I learned the hard way that I am the kind of person that can live with clutter much more easily than I can live with regret, and that is the mantra I have lived by ever since when it comes to cleaning out basement or garage etc. 'When in doubt, keep it!' Sorry for all the random thoughts...hope some of it is helpful. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteMy dear friend Carol, often I look at the stuff my husband has collected and start to tell him to clean it out, then I think of my sewing room, he could say the same of it. So I don't say anything about personal stuff in his "room". Now stuff in the attic? That's a different story, He has promised me to clean it out in November. My sewing room, I cleaned once when Wayne died, remember? I gave each of my friends something from my stash, books I have donated to the library, quilts I have given to many that needed or wanted them. I was/am fortunate enough to have gained a whole new family that didn't have a quilter in their family. I gave them all one, some of them got two! What a thrill for me. Well, the stash got bigger again. I just ended up making 51 pillowcases for Mott's Children's hospital and the home where my mother lived. Now each one takes a yard of fabric so you can imagine my stash too. The pillowcases make hospital rooms so much happier and bring such great smiles. If you haven't made one, google "Hotdog pillowcase pattern" Many shops are involved in the million pillowcase challenge, you can give them to the shop. Good luck and may God continue to bless you.
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