What is the down side if you store in plastic bins? What type of harm does it do to fabric? I currently have about 15 plastic bins for my excess fabric that won't fit in the closets. Guess I'm off to the store for more white foam board.

I store my stash on shelves but hadn't thought to refold them. My quilts, I lay flat on an unused bed and it seems to work for me.

dude

i saw somewhere yesterday to use plastic boards to put big peices of fabric on store on shelf like in fabric shop i wonder if cardboard would work as well i have a lady that saves me the cardboard that her bolts come on. smaller peices could go in plastic bins.

I am like most who have answered on this--I use plastic storage bins for much of my fabric. I am not convinced that the theory of not using plastic is a fact, as opposed to what somebody just wondered about. Seems ideas can sometimes become facts rather easily and without any factual data behind "the fact". I wonder if this idea might have arisen when plastic containers were new and at that point the "old way" seemed better???? Also I think I remember the early plastics having a lot more chemical smell to them than the ones we get now do, which might have lent credence to the do not use plastic idea?
Maybe one of you is a chemist and can give us a really definitive answer.

Why wood chips? What does plastic do to fabrics?

I store mine in plastic bins. I get them at Wal-mart, they have 3 drawers with wheels easy to roll into the closet. I label the drawers by seasons.. :-)

I also keep mine in an unused dresser. I sort them by color. Though the dresser is getting full.

i KNOW FOR HISTORICAL PURPOSES PLASTIC IS NOT ALWAYS IDEAL BUT IF YOU ARE CONCERN USE A LAYER OF TISSUE PAPER (WHITE) TO COVER THE PLASTIC. I STORE ALL OR MOST IN PLASTIC AND HOPEFULLY USE IT IN THIS MILLENIUM, (HA-HA-HA). i NEED A LICENSE PLANT THAT SAYS I BRAKE FOR QUILT STORES, OR MAKE A MAP ON QUILTS STORES I LOVE TO VISIT. TALK ABOUT ADDICTION!!!!!

check out the storage item for fabric on coltide i thought it was a neat idea

Mine is stored in those plastic three-drawer units. I roll them up on my 24 x 6 ruler, pull out the ruler, and then fold them in half. I write on the selvage how much yardage I have (or use a safety pin with a scrap of paper). Yes, they get wrinkled, but I just iron them when I'm ready to use them. So far, no permanent creasing. Just the other day I found some perfect little four drawer units just the right size for my fat quarters. Prior to that I was using those plastic tubs that lettuce comes in. I still use those for holding projects.