Donna, I know exactly where you're at, we had to do this last year for my FIL's house. Unfortunately, DH didn't relinquish the job for quite a long time. I kept asking him if he felt he was obligated to put his hand on every last thing and do it all and he kept saying no but he worked every weekend for months. FIL was a hoarder so it was bad. After he had put his hand on about 90 percent of it all he finally called the dumpster company and at least had a place to dump most of what was left. I did help sort and drag around a lot of it at first but the heavy stuff I couldn't help with because of my back. As for quilting, I have been piecing a Mountain Majesties, but I usually add my own touch to any pattern. I'm doing it all in denim and white muslin and now I'm adding pillow ticking sashes. I had all this stuff left over from the slipcover project so I decided to do a quilt to go along with it.

Not much quilting time for me this weekend. DS and family were here since Friday afternoon. They left last night but this grandma is TIRED!

I'm sure the house clean-out will be worth it. I had to do it for my mother's house. My SIL helped but I felt as though I had to check out everything. I sorted out things and she helped me clear out the house.

If I have any energy this afternoon (Sunday) I may go up to the sewing room and work on a little quilt that is in the frame.

Emptying a house is a scary proposition. Our neighbour of 50+ years just left this last week for a retirement home many miles away. She has been a widow for 5 years and has very little vision. One son was here a year ago and they did a major purge then with lots of loads to the dump. However, she would not allow anyone to come in to help with cleaning so you can imagine the dust erc. This year, her daughter arrived and she spent three weeks going through every drawer and closet and cupboard. And this time the furniture was to be disposed of. Again, many loads to Goodwill and the dump. Daughter's husband, brother and my husband were the haulers. So now my children are telling me to get purging. So every day, one drawer or closet is my goal.

sewing wise, I finished another set of placemats today.

Theresa

I've spent quite a lot of time this weekend working on two tops for quilts for the African children's home. I was cutting out one, but just kept cutting and have enough for two. I won't tell you the pattern, but it was one of you who posted a picture and made me do it.

I'm "only" 64, but after cleaning out my mom's home (that she was born in) I learned my lesson and every year when I do my spring cleaning, I purge more. I'm now to the point where it would be easy for someone to clean our house out. I just couldn't stick my kids with a horrible mess.

I am working on a queen sized quilt a friend asked me to "help" with for her son's wedding in October. I made the star blocks while she was out of town this summer, then she wasn't sure where to go from there (the center is a photo quilt). I took all the fabrics and have all the borders - including the star blocks - done and am piecing the back. I am going to have her come over this week and help sandwich it, then I will quilt it. She loves to crochet, thought she could quilt, but happlily gave it over to me when I offered! Not my colors, but she loves it, so that is what matters.

DH and I have talked about moving, but he loves to keep all of his junk, so we will never move. Our poor son will have to sort through all of his dad's stuff. I am pretty good about purging - until you walk into my sewing room! Guess he will have a LOT to sort when we are gone!

Rita, my DH's cousin was the same way after her mom died. She needed to see and touch and photograph everything in the house. She wanted to know where everything had come from. Her two sisters were very frustrated with her - they just wanted to get things taken care of.

Theresa, my mom really should have had help around the house for the last several years, but stubbornly refused. The house is full of dust bunnies as you can imagine! She had also told me she was getting rid of things, but I can't see much evidence of it. :)

I got the frame quilting done yesterday. I want to add some outline quilting around stars which I will do at the sit-down machine. Now to finish my hand quilting! I'm on the last of it - a line of quilting all the way around the outside of the applique designs. I'm 1/4 of the way around.

Donna

I had a very productive quilting weekend. I made the October lotto block (I still have September to do) and I made a quilt top from scraps and free fabric for a friend's new granddaughter. I'm not wild about it, but I'm going to get some teal Minky for the backing and I think it will be a fine quilt. I have many yards of the floral print (it was a mistake from Thousands of Bolts and they said I could just keep all 9 yards for free). I think it would make a great Warm Wishes quilt someday. Or, looking at the photo, I think it would have been better had I just used solid blocks of the print fabric. That would have been really easy. Oh, well, next time.

Very pretty and colourful. Baby will love it.

Theresa

Very nice baby quilt. I love the floral fabric, what a great mistake!

I just finished cleaning out the third family house and now it's down to my own one day. I still have boxes of papers here to sort but it sure taught us to trim out our own loads before we no longer can. I still take loads to thrift stores every week. And only the one parent left now, nearing 97. Go Mom!!

Not much sewing here but cleaning up my sewing room and getting my big frame together to sell it. I seldom use it and it takes up so much room. I'll replace it with a table. I am enjoying gathering a project for the October retreat. I think I have a plan and organizing all that is fun in itself. It will require a stop at Mary Jo's of course. Onward and upward.

My plan to do a drawer etc. Every day is underway. Last night at 12:30 I Went through my desk drawers. I do not need 15 pencils and 25 pens. This morning I Went through all the upper cabinets in the kitchen. Where are the tops for these bowls? Or where are the bowls for these tops? Clean out, feels good. Time for a rest and plan the next quilt.

Theresa

Theresa, I collected a box full of pens, pencils and highlighters at my Mom's house. It was about the size of a ream of paper. The erasers were hard and a random sampling of 6-8 pens yielded one that would barely write. I put the whole box in the trash!

And do you remember the old glass-lined thermos bottles? I found at least six tops for missing bottles. I'm sure the glass broke and the bottles were thrown away, but she kept the lids just in case.

Three coffee carafes, even though she hasn't owned a coffee maker in 20 years. And two huge packages of filters!

Donna

I think those of us who are "depression babies" or were not financially well-off have always had a hard time pitching. I can see my children are not afraid to toss. It really is an effort to purge but at age 83, it must be done.

Good on you for tossing in the trash. Some things here will go to the thrift shop.

Theresa

Yes, Theresa, she was a Depression baby! Even though she had lots of note pads, she would cut one-sided ads from the paper into 4 pieces and use those for notes. :)