Sunny Sewing Rooms--Have You Had UV Damage to Your Fabrics??
 

My sewing area is in a very sunny nook. I originally had my fabrics in plastic storage boxes but got to the point where I had too much fabric for this to work. I bought two of the $25 bookcases from IKEA (the Kilby style--I highly recommend) so for only $50, I have almost 4 feet across and 7 feet tall which gives me 5 shelves of almost 4 feet each storage. I have been folding my fabric using the corroplast sheets cut down to 8 by 12 inch boards. It is working out great and looks fantastic. However, the big downside is the potential for UV damage to the edges of the fabrics that are exposed.

I am curious how soon or how long it takes to damage the color. I have enough fabric to last 5 to 8 years so I know I need to do something to cut down the UV rays. I am considering having my husband put up the solar screen fabric (we have 80% solar fabric on our sunscreens we use on the front of the house) in front of the bookshelf as a curtain. I am considering the windows, of course, but unfortunately, there are 6 windows and 2 are a special shape that you have to custom order the screen for (an octogon). Have you resorted to the special solar screens for your windows I am talking about or do you "curtain" your fabric somehow to shield it?

I am not sure where you live, but I am in sunny FL - believe me the sun is strong down here and direct sun can really do some damage. If the windows in your sewing room face the east, I would put film on them & cover the fabric on the shelves with a piece of fabric to protect it.

Maybe you could use a pull down blind in front of the shelves. Covered with flannel this could double as a design wall.

What a great idea, Kat Sews.
Esther

I have a southwest exposure and the damage is bad. I love the sunny room, but the rays just ruin items I have in this room.

Wow, Kat Sews, that is a great idea!!! I have no other place for a design wall and now with both shelf units together, I have a 4 foot by 6 foot area. Thanks.

I haven't had any sun damage, but I had a yard of very dark blue & black starry fabric folded up on a corner of the table right underneath the overhead lamp/ceiling fan. It's got CFL bulbs in it - fluorescent. The top layer of fabric is clearly much much lighter than the rest of the yard.

Fluorescent lights can cause fading as fast or faster than sunlight. :(

Great idea, try an inexpensive shade from the local big box hardware store. The sun will fade your stash. In NH (where the sun doesn't shine much), our dressing room closet had a window in it, in a couple of years even my suits were discolored at the shoulder and arm. We ended up creating a true closet complete with doors where our clothes were hung. When we built in DE, we used Low E windows, but my stash is in a closet, not in the open. I love my stash too much.

You could do a simple pull curtain in front of the shelves.
I reciently helped my Mom re -do her sewing space.... Frist thing was to get shelves with doors , as she had sun fading damage happening .

I guess maybe I shouldn't complain so much about sewing in a "dungeon!" :)