One of the saddest days of my life was spent with a friend of mine at an estate sale. Katy’s dad died when she was very young, and then her mother remarried at age 60, long after after Katy was an adult and out on her own. Her mom had been married for nearly 30 years when she died several years before Katy’s stepfather…and her stepfather refused to share Kathy’s mother’s quilts with her.
Not even one.
So here we sat, at this estate sale, buying back one quilt after another, dozens and dozens of quilts that her mother had made. Buying back her mom’s sewing machine, buying piles of fabric and notions. It was agonizing.
And Katy’s mom isn’t unique. All the quilter’s I’ve ever known were “all in” — meaning they didn’t make one quilt and stop, they made lots of quilts… and table runners… and lap quilts… and mug rugs… and wall hangings… and the list goes on and on.
Quilters convert guest rooms into quilting rooms, they turn basements into quilting studios, they bring “she sheds” into the back yard and transform them into quilting retreats.
And in all those rooms, quilters accumulate things. Lots and lots of things.
Fabric stashes of yardage and fat quarters and layer cakes and charm packs and jelly rolls and spools upon spools of threat.
Some quilters end up with sewing machine collections. The sewing machine they use the most, the treadle machine they use when they want to get a little exercise, a sewing machine that’s small and portable and perfect for quilting retreat. Put a bunch of sewing machines in a room and close the door and somehow they reproduce!
Then there’s all the other random stuff like irons and ironing boards, bags of batting, interfacing, buttons for decoration, and all the patterns and quilt kits that are still on the to-do list.
One thing is for sure, when you add it all up, it amounts to a huge financial investment. Quilting has been estimated to be an almost $4 billion per year industry, with an average quilter dropping between $6,000 and $8,000 each year to purchase equipment and supplies.
It can all get to be quite overwhelming. And if it’s overwhelming for you to think about, consider how your family or friends (people who might not know or care about quilting like you do) might feel having to deal with All. This. Stuff.
That’s why it only makes sense to have a real plan in place for what happens to all these things you love if and when something happens to you.
And that’s also why I created this Quilter’s Guide to Swedish Death Cleaning.
Together we’ll work to create a plan for what you’d like to have happen with all your quilting things when you’re no longer here (hopefully a long time from now!).
There are six one-on-one phone call sessions over a 12-week period, with email / messaging in between calls. Clients also receive access to several supporting videos and worksheets to help further the process.
But the best part is, by dealing with your quilting stash now,
- You’ll be more likely to enjoy and use the things you really love,
- You’ll be able to toss out some of the things that aren’t useful and don’t spark even the smallest amount of joy.
- Your family will be relieved that there’s a plan in place for what to do with “all that quilting stuff!”
It’s a win-win!!
Cost: $499
