Originally Posted by
deedum
I have an old cedar chest, was wondering if it is ok to store my quilts in it. What do you think? Is it safe?
Please do not store quilts or other fabrics in cedar without some protection from the wood. I've seen too many stained antique quilts as a result of storing in cedar as it has oils. The stains are varying shades of brown and cannot be removed. Placing in a pillow case doesn't work because the oils can penetrate the case and migrate into the quilt.
To use a cedar chest (which does protect from tiny critters eating away at fabric and cotton batt) line the chest with a sheet of aluminum foil or other similar substance (not cardboard or cover the cardboard with the foil) and then store the quilt in a pillowcase or just stack them. The object is to protect the quilt from touching the wood, but having the advantage of bug proofing.
SandyQuilter