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I inherited her stash (Moderated by Deepika, EleanorSews)
Posted on: 4/17/15 6:17 PM ET
Not looking for sympathy or a bunch of "sorry your friend is gone" type of posts. Joyce was a friend of mine for many years. I knew she sewed and she knew I sewed. For all the time we spent together over the years, we never really discussed sewing, and I had never seen her sewing room. She lived a long full very happy life. The past 9 months or so she had been very sick and we all knew her end was coming soon. I have to give her credit tho...right up to the end she was out doing the things that made her the happiest. Guess I just wanted everyone to know what happens when you bequeath your stash to someone else!
Apparently 2 weeks before her death...She told her husband that she wanted her stash of fabrics and notions to be given to me. OMG! I have spent the past week going through all these boxes. Over all these years, I never realized what a "hoarder" of fabric and notions she was! She liked to sew mostly blouses....I now have hundreds and hundreds of yards of silky blouse and dress type fabrics, along with some very nice pieces of velvet, stretch velour, knits, bottom weights, etc etc. Add to that all the bolts of lace and trims. Also I found within the boxes many many 50+ yard spools of elastic in every size and color you could possibly imagine. I now have an entire big drawer filled to the top with buttons...all new on cards, and another drawer full to the top of assorted zippers, there is also a rather large box of assorted bindings and seam tapes. There are cans and cans of spray starch and way too many assorted scissors to know that to do with. I think the thing that blew me away the most was her love of tricot fabric. I am not sure what all she used it for..I just know that I mostly use tricot as lining for dresses and skirts. There has got to be no less than 150 yards of it (some of it 120 inches wide no less!) in every color you could possibly imagine. Her husband just called to let me know that he just found her stash of thread...He estimates there are about 300 spools there, mostly brand new.
Love you Joyce and miss you lots! I will do my best to sew lots of things with your stash...but no way I can use this all up in my lifetime! It will eventually be passed on to someone else! Next time you should warn a person they are getting all the stuff you hoarded for years! Took me week to get my sewing room organized to the point that I can work in there again!
Apparently 2 weeks before her death...She told her husband that she wanted her stash of fabrics and notions to be given to me. OMG! I have spent the past week going through all these boxes. Over all these years, I never realized what a "hoarder" of fabric and notions she was! She liked to sew mostly blouses....I now have hundreds and hundreds of yards of silky blouse and dress type fabrics, along with some very nice pieces of velvet, stretch velour, knits, bottom weights, etc etc. Add to that all the bolts of lace and trims. Also I found within the boxes many many 50+ yard spools of elastic in every size and color you could possibly imagine. I now have an entire big drawer filled to the top with buttons...all new on cards, and another drawer full to the top of assorted zippers, there is also a rather large box of assorted bindings and seam tapes. There are cans and cans of spray starch and way too many assorted scissors to know that to do with. I think the thing that blew me away the most was her love of tricot fabric. I am not sure what all she used it for..I just know that I mostly use tricot as lining for dresses and skirts. There has got to be no less than 150 yards of it (some of it 120 inches wide no less!) in every color you could possibly imagine. Her husband just called to let me know that he just found her stash of thread...He estimates there are about 300 spools there, mostly brand new.
Love you Joyce and miss you lots! I will do my best to sew lots of things with your stash...but no way I can use this all up in my lifetime! It will eventually be passed on to someone else! Next time you should warn a person they are getting all the stuff you hoarded for years! Took me week to get my sewing room organized to the point that I can work in there again!
Posted on: 4/17/15 6:22 PM ET
What a wonderful story! You have me imagining the comments you made to yourself, the smiles, the laughter at one discovery after another.
As friend, she must have been one of life's wonderful gifts.
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As friend, she must have been one of life's wonderful gifts.
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"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." Anais Nin
"Attitude is the difference between an adventure and an ordeal." unknown
“Be curious, not judgmental.” Ted Lasso
"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." Anais Nin
"Attitude is the difference between an adventure and an ordeal." unknown
“Be curious, not judgmental.” Ted Lasso
Posted on: 4/17/15 6:41 PM ET
Have to agree with Eleanor, what a wonderful story and sounds like you will have such great memories of her for many years to come!
I use tricot to make underwear and find it really comfortable because your clothes don't catch, but instead they glide on the shiny tricot.
A few years ago I came upon someone's ex-stash at the Op Shop (charity shop) and while I didn't know the previous owner I used to wonder what she had planned for those beautiful pieces of silk and hope she liked the lovely blouses I made.
Have fun with your new stash! ;-))
I use tricot to make underwear and find it really comfortable because your clothes don't catch, but instead they glide on the shiny tricot.
A few years ago I came upon someone's ex-stash at the Op Shop (charity shop) and while I didn't know the previous owner I used to wonder what she had planned for those beautiful pieces of silk and hope she liked the lovely blouses I made.
Have fun with your new stash! ;-))
Posted on: 4/17/15 6:52 PM ET
I know for sure she was making underwear with the tricot...found a well used pattern on heavy duty pattern tracing paper amongst the pieces of tricot....but 150 yards is a whole lotta undies! she had to be doing something else with it too! Going thru her stash kinda brings up the whole question...What does your stash say about you?
Posted on: 4/17/15 7:06 PM ET
Wow, 150 yds sure is a whole lotta undies!! not sure I will live long enough to need that many!!
Good question...my stash is quite varied and I guess it would depend on who was going through it as to what they would say or think. If you are surprised at your friends, then someone who doesn't know us might be really perplexed.
I'm on a mission to use my stash after moving house several times in recent years, but also because if/when I die the stash will just be dumped, either at the Op Shop or in the bin.
Good question...my stash is quite varied and I guess it would depend on who was going through it as to what they would say or think. If you are surprised at your friends, then someone who doesn't know us might be really perplexed.
I'm on a mission to use my stash after moving house several times in recent years, but also because if/when I die the stash will just be dumped, either at the Op Shop or in the bin.
Posted on: 4/17/15 7:07 PM ET
Another thought....was your friend making lingerie for other people? maybe she had her own little lingerie business going? All that elastic and lace would be such a find...
Posted on: 4/17/15 7:13 PM ET
In reply to NanaAnna
She just sewed for herself and occasionally made a blouse for a relative. I am pretty sure that the bolts of lace and elastic came from a small shop called The Lace Shop that was here in town for many years before the owner retired and moved... Joyce had mentioned how much she missed that store, and Im betting she went hog wild buying during the going out of business sale that happened years ago.
Posted on: 4/17/15 7:18 PM ET
I would be absolutely blown away and totally speechless! 

-- Edited on 4/17/15 at 7:19 PM --
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-- Edited on 4/17/15 at 7:19 PM --
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OLD CHINESE PROVERB: I HEAR & I FORGET; I SEE & I REMEMBER; I DO & I UNDERSTAND.
Posted on: 4/17/15 8:53 PM ET
Bras. Maybe she made her own bras?
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Brother Stellaire XJ1, 1034D, Pacesetter Cover Stitch 2340CV
Bernina 770QE Kaffe, 570QE, 435, L890QE
My blog - https://texasquiltgirl.wordpress.com/
Bernina 770QE Kaffe, 570QE, 435, L890QE
My blog - https://texasquiltgirl.wordpress.com/
Posted on: 4/17/15 8:54 PM ET
Sounds like it Grandma! Oh well, we know you will have lots of knickers in your drawers now?? LOL
I'm a sucker for nice lace when making lingerie, nobody would ever know what I'm wearing underneath but that's not the point....nice lingerie makes 'you' feel good and I guess Joyce would be happy for you!
;-))
I'm a sucker for nice lace when making lingerie, nobody would ever know what I'm wearing underneath but that's not the point....nice lingerie makes 'you' feel good and I guess Joyce would be happy for you!
;-))
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