In September of 2003, Sandie and I (well Sandie did all the driving) drove a UHaul from Colorado to Bowen Island. It was full of my moms stuff. For some reason, at the time, I really thought I needed all that stuff, and over the last 11 years have sorted, sold, tossed, and given most of that stuff away.

Of course I kept some of her treasures as well, jewellery, dishes, art work, and what I thought would be a lifetime of sewing supplies, including a fancy sewing machine, and a sewing centre to work on.

Sandie and I sorted moms stuff for a total of 20 days on two separate trips to Colorado after her death. My brother, the Sally Anne, and several of moms friends also took a lot of her things. My step father kept the majority of her treasures. I mention this just to give a scope of how big her hoard was. Mom lived in a 600 square foot house with Jack and it was full.

I know I’ve written about this before as well, and I’m bringing it up again because 11 years after her death, I am coming in on the end of her fabric stash.

When Sandie and I left Colorado in that UHaul, we took with us (I kid you not) at least 30 banker boxes FULL of fabric, and that was the good stuff. We had already culled it and gave at least that much away to the quilt guilds mom belonged to.

I continued to cull and held one sale at the house on Bowen, where I sold fat quarters for $2.00 each. I made $1500. that day! I’ve given bags of fabric away and finished several quilts mom had started. Over the years, I put together A LOT of patchwork, and never went to a fabric store for even a pin.

I do wish I had counted how many quilts I made in the last 10 years, but I didn’t.

A few days ago, I finished a quilt top I will name Alice’s Garden. It is so different from any quilt I’ve ever done. Old school in design, a simple nine patch, it has a lot of white and flower print fabric, that I passed over time after time when choosing what to make.

When I started picking fabric for the quilt, I was surprised to see that this is all that is left of moms stash. I might be able to create one or two more scrappy quilts, and I know I could make a plaid one, but really — it’s done. Amazing!

Eleven years ago, I had 30 banker boxes full of cotton fabric, and today, there are two plastic shoe boxes with odds and sods in them.

For all the quilts, for all the friends, I never made one for my mom. So, as I use up the last of her momentous stash. I dedicate Alice’s Garden to Alice Frances Chambers Hudson Del Dosso, and I’m pretty sure, I will probably keep this one.

Salute!