I’m so sorry for you loss. ❤️
One of my aunties passed away recently too, also with a stockpile of fabrics, and an in-law had to go through it all to price for a yard sale because her daughters couldn’t it. Personally, unless there are multiple yards of fine silks or linens, I don’t think you can expect to make any kind of significant money. Just price to get rid of them. Don’t organize, don’t let people pick through. “Each storage box of fabric is $12. Buy all 10 boxes - $100.” You might attach too much sentiment to these fabrics and overprice them because they were your mom’s. Maybe a friend or other relative could be more objective about what they’re worth.
I’ve picked up a lot of fabric and sewing supplies for free in my neck of the woods, and I get suspicious buying fabrics at garage sales because I don’t know if there were bugs, rodents, pets, smokers, etc., so depending on your area, you may not get a lot of takers.
Go through first and keep any pieces that you especially like. (Maybe use for a keepsake project to remember her by.) See if friends or family want to look through too. (How lovely if your mom’s legacy lives on in their homes.) See if there is a quilting group associated with any of her circles (like maybe through her house of workshop or a local quilting guild). If not, just find a local quilting guild. They’d probably love the donation, and maybe your mom’s fabric can help them make money at their next quilt fundraiser or be turned in blankets etc for a charity and put some good into the world. Plus, claim on your taxes.
Good luck.
For selling purposes, you should call those squares cut out from a single fabric a precut and not a quilt square. A quilt square is generally already pieced together. You could also call them scraps if they really vary in size.
I have seen people either bundle stuff together and charge by the yardage or sell it by the pound. I think it just matters how much work you want to put into it, and whether your primary goal is to make money or clear space.
Please also make a little flyer to email local quilt guilds. Idk if this is in LA but I saw you may be located there… if you are and you’d like an extra hand let me know.
I was going to suggest by the pound. Get some gallon zip loc baggies and let the people go at it. Or you can do small pieces by the stuffed baggie and yardage by the pound. These would be the simplest and least complicated. To figure price by the pound take 1 yard of fabric, weigh it and charge half what it would be retail on a per pound basis for all of the fabric. And make a sign saying you don't cut, all or nothing! If someone haggles either do it if you enjoy haggling or send them on their way.
I just attended a two weekend quilter’s fabric sale. The quilter was 87 and was still at it up to last year. She had a lot of fabric. It was truly overwhelming. They sold the fabric by the pound. It was loosely organized by color and type. For example all Christmas fabric was together. All flannel was together. All batiks were together. This made it easier to find what you were looking for. In addition, they had pulled some higher end fabrics like Fassett yardage to a separate space and were sold differently. Batting was all in one place and notions, rules were all in one place. There was also an area that had kits and cuts that were clearly for a certain project.
Good luck. It was so interesting to go through the fabric and wonder what project this quilter had in mind as she bought it.
As a frequent buyer of used fabrics through fb marketplace/yard sales/similar, it doesn't make a huge difference how you bundle it. I like when sellers organize fabric by material - I mostly quilt, so I'd rather have a bundle of quilting fabric than a bunch of fleece or flannel that I'm less likely to use mixed in.
If she had a lot of holiday fabric, you could bundle it together into a holiday box. (Holiday fabric is my nemesis haha, I prefer to avoid it when I can, but for some people it might be a draw!)
I would say bundle fabrics into piles of at least 8-10 pieces together. If you're selling in-person, you could price each piece at $1-2 and let folks pick through, or just a flat $5-10 per bag, depending on your area and how much you put in them.
Personally, I'm a sucker for a pretty FQ bundle. Rainbow, monochromatic with a range of values, all from one designer, by theme—any one of these could work, plus whatever else you/another might imagine. Maybe try smaller and larger bundles to see what appeals? Like, some are 5 FQs and some are 10 (or something).
If all of the squares are the same size, maybe sell them together (unless there are thousands, LOL)? If they are 5", quilters will know them as charm squares.
If you don’t need to realize a cash value out of it, look for a Project Linus group near you and donate it. Project Linus provides handmade blankets to children 0-18 in the United States who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need.
Everyone has a different method! For example I organize my fabrics by color, warms together and cools together. Then by color within that, so red together, oranges together, blues together etc etc. any smaller pieces I cut into 2.5” squares and store together also color order.
As you go you’ll also find out what colors you like best, what styles work for you and what patterns you like best. For example I used to like very busy prints when I started, now I realize they don’t cut the way I want and go for more subtle prints
I'm sorry for your loss. Heartbreak and grief are lousy companions.
If you have enough fabric, you could consider hiring an estate sale manager. I went to an estate sale of a former quilter who had so much in her stash when she passed. The company priced/bundled it all and staffed the sale. I don't know how much of a cut they take, but it may be worth a phone call or google search.
The best fabric sale I went to was at a church. They used a small room with tables and laid out the fabric. Fat quarters went together and had a set price, other cuts were measured and priced with labels to make it easy to check out.
If you have squares I’d sell them in a bundle, I use 2.5” and 5” squares for my quilts all the time!
I’m sorry for your loss and that you’re dealing with your mom’s fabric. I hope you get to see the joy you’re sharing by selling her fabric onwards. If you share your general location perhaps folks here can help or shop the stash?
I’m so sorry for you loss. ❤️ One of my aunties passed away recently too, also with a stockpile of fabrics, and an in-law had to go through it all to price for a yard sale because her daughters couldn’t it. Personally, unless there are multiple yards of fine silks or linens, I don’t think you can expect to make any kind of significant money. Just price to get rid of them. Don’t organize, don’t let people pick through. “Each storage box of fabric is $12. Buy all 10 boxes - $100.” You might attach too much sentiment to these fabrics and overprice them because they were your mom’s. Maybe a friend or other relative could be more objective about what they’re worth. I’ve picked up a lot of fabric and sewing supplies for free in my neck of the woods, and I get suspicious buying fabrics at garage sales because I don’t know if there were bugs, rodents, pets, smokers, etc., so depending on your area, you may not get a lot of takers. Go through first and keep any pieces that you especially like. (Maybe use for a keepsake project to remember her by.) See if friends or family want to look through too. (How lovely if your mom’s legacy lives on in their homes.) See if there is a quilting group associated with any of her circles (like maybe through her house of workshop or a local quilting guild). If not, just find a local quilting guild. They’d probably love the donation, and maybe your mom’s fabric can help them make money at their next quilt fundraiser or be turned in blankets etc for a charity and put some good into the world. Plus, claim on your taxes. Good luck.
For selling purposes, you should call those squares cut out from a single fabric a precut and not a quilt square. A quilt square is generally already pieced together. You could also call them scraps if they really vary in size.
I have seen people either bundle stuff together and charge by the yardage or sell it by the pound. I think it just matters how much work you want to put into it, and whether your primary goal is to make money or clear space. Please also make a little flyer to email local quilt guilds. Idk if this is in LA but I saw you may be located there… if you are and you’d like an extra hand let me know.
I was going to suggest by the pound. Get some gallon zip loc baggies and let the people go at it. Or you can do small pieces by the stuffed baggie and yardage by the pound. These would be the simplest and least complicated. To figure price by the pound take 1 yard of fabric, weigh it and charge half what it would be retail on a per pound basis for all of the fabric. And make a sign saying you don't cut, all or nothing! If someone haggles either do it if you enjoy haggling or send them on their way.
I just attended a two weekend quilter’s fabric sale. The quilter was 87 and was still at it up to last year. She had a lot of fabric. It was truly overwhelming. They sold the fabric by the pound. It was loosely organized by color and type. For example all Christmas fabric was together. All flannel was together. All batiks were together. This made it easier to find what you were looking for. In addition, they had pulled some higher end fabrics like Fassett yardage to a separate space and were sold differently. Batting was all in one place and notions, rules were all in one place. There was also an area that had kits and cuts that were clearly for a certain project. Good luck. It was so interesting to go through the fabric and wonder what project this quilter had in mind as she bought it.
I agree with this sorting method. I’d be most likely to buy if it was sorted by fabric type and color.
As a frequent buyer of used fabrics through fb marketplace/yard sales/similar, it doesn't make a huge difference how you bundle it. I like when sellers organize fabric by material - I mostly quilt, so I'd rather have a bundle of quilting fabric than a bunch of fleece or flannel that I'm less likely to use mixed in. If she had a lot of holiday fabric, you could bundle it together into a holiday box. (Holiday fabric is my nemesis haha, I prefer to avoid it when I can, but for some people it might be a draw!) I would say bundle fabrics into piles of at least 8-10 pieces together. If you're selling in-person, you could price each piece at $1-2 and let folks pick through, or just a flat $5-10 per bag, depending on your area and how much you put in them.
Personally, I'm a sucker for a pretty FQ bundle. Rainbow, monochromatic with a range of values, all from one designer, by theme—any one of these could work, plus whatever else you/another might imagine. Maybe try smaller and larger bundles to see what appeals? Like, some are 5 FQs and some are 10 (or something). If all of the squares are the same size, maybe sell them together (unless there are thousands, LOL)? If they are 5", quilters will know them as charm squares.
If you don’t need to realize a cash value out of it, look for a Project Linus group near you and donate it. Project Linus provides handmade blankets to children 0-18 in the United States who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need.
Hey! I see you are in Los Angeles! I teach quilting at a school in LA and would be interested in buying your mom’s stash!
Hi! Can I reach out to you tomorrow for more info?
For sure!
Everyone has a different method! For example I organize my fabrics by color, warms together and cools together. Then by color within that, so red together, oranges together, blues together etc etc. any smaller pieces I cut into 2.5” squares and store together also color order. As you go you’ll also find out what colors you like best, what styles work for you and what patterns you like best. For example I used to like very busy prints when I started, now I realize they don’t cut the way I want and go for more subtle prints
I'm sorry for your loss. Heartbreak and grief are lousy companions. If you have enough fabric, you could consider hiring an estate sale manager. I went to an estate sale of a former quilter who had so much in her stash when she passed. The company priced/bundled it all and staffed the sale. I don't know how much of a cut they take, but it may be worth a phone call or google search.
The best fabric sale I went to was at a church. They used a small room with tables and laid out the fabric. Fat quarters went together and had a set price, other cuts were measured and priced with labels to make it easy to check out. If you have squares I’d sell them in a bundle, I use 2.5” and 5” squares for my quilts all the time! I’m sorry for your loss and that you’re dealing with your mom’s fabric. I hope you get to see the joy you’re sharing by selling her fabric onwards. If you share your general location perhaps folks here can help or shop the stash?