Candace

Me too.

thepolyparrot

Fluorescent lighting is just as bad as sunlight for fading dyes. I really need to make some kind of covers for my plastic bins to keep the light off of them.

I've never stored fabric in sunlight, but I opened up a yard of fabric the other day to turn into bias binding and the top layer was bleached out, in exactly the right area to make the whole piece unusable for the binding. :(

So many of us are using compact fluorescent bulbs, these days - and they're really terrible on art and textiles.

bigdogmom

I store mine in closed baskets or in plastic tubs. I have heard the plastic can hurt fabrics over time, but I know some of it has been in there for YEARS waiting to be used and still looks crisp.

dreamer2009

can you just get a flat dark sheet and place over the boxes ?

roselady

I feel the same way. I just have to walk into my sewing room and see the beautiful stacks of fabric...and I am happy. My creativity just insists on seeing all these projects-in-waiting, along with my bulletin board covered in ideas, photos, etc... It is my happy place!! Most of my fabric is stored away in bins but I have "artfully" placed some fabric in amongst my favorite books, childrens and pets photos, favorite greeting cards from loved ones, that I can't bear to throw out. I also have to have light in my house, the first thing I do in the morning is open all blinds in the house. If I ever build a house, it will have more windows than walls!! One can dream! A faded line in a piece of fabric wouldn't keep me from using a favorite fabric, I would cut that line out and find a pattern to fit it!

quilt1950

Is 'fade' the cause of the light streak down the fold line of fabrics? Sometimes I think I carry it home from the fabric store with this light line. Of course, I never notice it in the store.

QuiltQtrs

I have my fabric stored in open shelving, some near windows, some in clear plastic containers .... but sewing every day doesn't allow much stash
accumulation.

dreamer2009

yes it is..
check your fabric when getting home and return if faded.

Butterflyblue

Well, speaking for myself, I have neither the space nor money for big tubs to hold my stash, so it is on open shelves. I have put curtains on both of the windows in my sewing area and keep them drawn (and the fading of the fabric of the curtains is enough to scare me) but it's just not an option to not let them get exposed to sun. Although I might think about putting a sheet or something over the shelves, I hadn't thought of that.

wolph33

mine are on shelves but curtain is always shut.I have not had a problem yet.I have had small quilts in rooms where sun hit a lot and they faded after about 5 yrs of daily exposure.gave me a reason to make more,lol