http://www.polarnotions.com/

been racking my brain to try to figure out how to do it less expensively (i guess cardboard isn't acid free).

call me cheap . . .

Looks nice but a little pricey for me. I'd rather spend the $ on more fabric! LOL
Jo

I agree...way too expensive...must be for those quilters that have nothing better to do but make things look nice and neat.. ( do they quilt?)I agree..I'ld rather spend 60 dollars in fabric....there are so many other alternatives to this solution!

I'm mostly a fan of the dig-thru method :!: That way I get to see what all I have each time I look!

Patty-If you like the way this looks and want to do something cheaper then try chipboard. It is like cardboard, but acid free. People use it all the time for scrapbooking. Here is a link to 50 12X12" sheets for $12.00 plus postage. They have 4 available, so you could get 200 if you need that many and could probably get a break on shipping. I have purchased this for scrapbooking and think it might serve your purpose.

http://cgi.ebay.com/12-x-12-Chipboard-White-50-Sheets-032-12x12-Scrapbook_W0QQitemZ250261697751QQihZ015QQcategoryZ 11791QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Wow, $1.38 for a piece of plastic that is 5% smaller than a piece of paper is more than a LITTLE pricey in my book!

Be aware that chipboard is coated with clay to make it 'acid-free', which is fine for mounting photos, but I would think twice about storing fabric on it. Also, not all chipboard is coated, and not all coated chipboard is treated on both sides.

A quick thought (fleeting idea!!!)..what about the corrugated plastic that's used to make signs? Should be able to find it somewhere...cut it to the size you want.

*slap to the forehead*

you'd think i would have thought of that. my other hobby is scrapbooking. will check into the acid free status. i've gotten large pieces of chipboard at Hobby Lobby and cut it down.

thanks!

will have to see if i can find it! sounds like a good idea!

Dick Blick has corrugated plastic. http://www.dickblick.com/zz132/00/ I still wouldn't wrap my treasured fabrics around a clay-coated piece of recycled cardboard. Clay, aka dirt. :shock:

i saw that. almost as expensive as the other. oh well. don't really have enough to worry about 'cause i try to use it before buying more (yeah, right :shock: )

OK, Victory.com sells the plastic in 12x24 inch sheets in lots of 10, but priced by the sheet. 10-20 sheets are @$1.50/sheet. you cut to get 3 "bolts" per sheet, so with shipping, I can get 60 for $38.80. BUT, 30-40 sheets are $.75 ea. so I can get 120 bolts for $39.92!! 50 sheets @ $.70 ea makes 150 bolts for 45.73!! Of course shipping will vary, but I wouldn't think it will be much different. I couldn't find anywhere on their website that said wholesale only. and its a little difficult to navigate...but..
Victory.com
under campaign products and services click yard signs
click blank coroplast signs
scroll and click on "order now" under blank plastic signs
scroll to 4mm 24x12 corrugated plastic (its on the right 3rd down)
go to 1st little gray "order" box (before the 'you may be interested in these products) you must order multiples of 10. Hope this helps!! I only wish I was that organized!! and sorry for the long post.

I went to that site and didn't really see the product - but it sounds like it's plexiglass. Even buying plexi at the hardware store is a tad pricey (would you believe it costs more than glass?!?). Still, if that's what you wanted, I'm pretty sure the local hardware store could cut ya some and it'd be cheaper than ordering from that site, especially since you could buy a few and try them. If you liked 'em, you could always space out your purchases until you had all you needed.

Go to the fabric stores and ask them if they have empty Bolt holders they throw them away in the bin. try Joanns that is where i got mine when i was in Florida

i have some of these, but it seems there's a problem with acidity - i've been wondering myself why they would use them in quilt stores if that is the case.

*shrug* dunno -

They are cheap and the fabric is not on the bolt for all that long. Perhaps that is one reason many quilt shops sell 'end of bolt' cuts at a discount. :?:

You can find plexiglas at most glass stores, hardware stores and big box home improvement stores. You'd only need thin stuff and it's pretty easy to cut at home.

How about cardboard covered with contact paper :?:

hmmm . . . have plenty of contact paper left over from another project.

nor'easter - any thoughts?

I wondered about that, too, Ruth.

I know the acidity level of the adhesive side is too high for book preservation purposes and the like, but you probably don't care about the long-term preservation of the cardboard. So far, I have been unable to find anything that tells me the pH of the vinyl side of Con-Tact Paper or whether the acid from the adhesive will leech through to the front. I'll let you know if I find anything new.

Have you asked the quilt shop if they can save you some empty bolts? I would never spend that much on the those plastic ones. You still have to be tidy using those.

I tried the folding method that someone posted not long ago, didn't help my fat quarters though. I did buy a small plastic 3-drawer container for my threads. i have a beautiful sewing cabinet but the drawers are long and narrow so makes it hard to find thread. Hopefully this is handier.

Mee too! But I'll have to admit this system does look pretty and would make it easy to see what you have.

Could you simply wrap acid free tissue paper around reclaimed cardboard? (like all those tons of corregated boxes stores throw away every day?)

foam-core is cheap - a poster sized board available at most dollar stores. you can easily cut it with razor blad or craft knife.

Regular straight pins can slip right into it.

ya know, michaels had this on sale not too long ago for $1 for the large piece. i got one, but should have gotten more.

still not sure about acidity, though?

If you mix baking soda and water together, then place on an acidic surface, it will bubble. I have seen archival quality foam core, but not sure whether the cheap stuff is.

Foamboard is a great idea...but...

Michael's sells Elmer's (yup, the glue guys) foamboard. I strongly doubt that it is acid free in any way, but that's just an opinion. Most that is sold as acid free is not entirely safe for archival use. The foam itself actually produces gasses that can damage artwork (major orangish discoloration to photos and prints, not sure about fabrics).

Bainbridge makes one (Artcare Archival) that protects against this "outgassing" and that is what I get from a local art supply store for my prints. A 32x40 sheet sells for 6.25 and the 40x60 sheet is 11.75. If you have to get it on line, any savings will be lost in the fact that you'll have to pay oversized shipping rates.

Thanks for the acid testing tip, Moonpi. I'll have to remember that!

From Presentation products FAQs at Elmers.com


Presentations Products
Is Elmer's foam board acid free?
If your foam board is acid free it will be clearly marked as such.

What's the best way to cut foam board?
An X-Acto Utility Knife will give you a good, clean cut. Change the blade often to avoid ragged edges.

So some are, some aren't

OK - time to think recycle!!! Most of the political signs are just thrown away after the elections. We helped "collect" some and have a DH who cut them to the different sizes and I have "most" of my fabic friends all lined up on shelves just like a quilt store. The cost was minimal and we helped improve the roadsides. Be sure to have DH round the corners of the plastic signs, as they are razor sharp and I have the scars to prove it!

good idea ruthie! are the ones you are using corrugated? i'll have to watch this election year. my neighbor is a city council person. she may still have some in her garage from the last go round (last year).