A Question Regarding Your Projects in Progress
 

If your sewing room has many windows, what do you do to keep the UV rays off your fabric projects. I have a quilt in progress and have almost all 16" squares completed but had to stop to do a doll blanket and prepare several pieces of fabric (to make Minnie Mouse bows) so that the children could put together their own bows. Also, heading to Illinois for a visit. I try to keep everything covered and even hung some of my quilt on a clothes line in the furnace room.

I have two windows but have never thought much about it. I guess I thought that it would have to lay there a long time to affect it, wouldn't it?

I keep the shades pulled when I'm not in there - and that goes for the room the LA is in too.

I have dark fabric hanging over my stash shelves, they are in a separate room that only has one east facing window. I keep the shade pulled in there too, but it does not keep it completely dark.

I bought cheap twin and queen sized flat sheets at Walmart and use them to cover all my in-progress work. I can't leave anything uncovered due to light and pet hair. I keep my thread hanging on a wall and it is also covered with a large towel to keep it out of the light.

I keep the shades pulled when I am not in the room and I thought it would take a long time to fade any fabrics if they were exposed to the direct light but maybe I am wrong. I often wonder what quilt shop do as they sometimes have bolts and bolts of fabric that you can see thru the large windows of the shop.

I have 2 windows set in with window seats in my sewing room. My sewing room is fairly large so that helps too. There are big trees outside so I really don't get any direct sunlight in them. I don't keep fabric on that side of the room so I don't worry about it. I don't think fabric will fade in a few days unless exposed to heavy direct sunlight all day every day.

I keep my fabric for long periods so I store it in cardboard boxes. Most of the time I can't afford the archival quality boxes so I buy the regular office file storage boxes (buy the heavy duty ones! the light ones don't hold up) and line them with archival tissue paper. I write on the outside of the box the theme/color. The boxes stack well up to 4 boxes high. I do have a couple of large clear tubs that I put my completed tops in, they are out of the direct light with a desk between them and the window.

For my works in progress I have a number of men's dress shirts in the sewing room -- I just lay them over the project/open box. I'll admit, it looks messy but it works for me. Lots of yardage in there, they spread well and fold up well too.

I have two very crazy kitty cats. I keep all my current works in progress in a storage box to keep my cats away from it. I never thought about the sun. I keep the curtains closed in my living room which is where I do all my sewing.

I have a sewing room with windows that let light in. I have dark curtains up. I am now noticing that my curtains are fading in areas that are gathered. Of course these same curtains have been hanging for 12 years now. I guess it's about time to change them.

My sewing room is on a climate controlled Sunroom. So, 3 walls of windows. The fabric fades fast if left out. So, I keep all my fabric in enclosed storage. I use a single Ikea chest for most of my fabric and pretty decorative boxes for different sets of fabric on top. I do hang stuff up from time to time to cheer me up. But, I can't leave it up long. I have hung temporarily heavy duty table cloths with command hooks to block some of the light and bonus, they double as design walls. But, long term, I'm thinking eventually I may need some type of window treatments. Or, maybe I will move my sewing room inside someday. We'll see. I like it where it is right now. The Florida sun is a fabric killer. So, I do have to be careful. I'd love to tint the windows someday.

There is a frosty type of stuff that comes on the roll to cover windows. The brightness of the light will still be there but not the sun rays. I have a tree by one window and sheers on the other one. I don't like it really dark in the house.

Good thought! I had a quilt in the window at the store for about 4 weeks and it faded pretty bad.

I filled the East window in my sewing room with house plants. I have the cleanest air in the valley!

Hmm. never thought about it. I don't have a big fabric stash and what I have is in drawers but I haven't done anything about projects I am working on. It hasn't seemed to matter. Maybe because they don't stay there for extended periods of time. I have three windows that I have my machine in front of, for good light, and only some parts of the year does the sun shine directly into one of them.

I have one west facing window. Fabrics are behind closet doors. Thread hangs next to window. Lately not much sun. Winters are fairly gloomy looking. I get a small amount of sun in the window. Projects are spread out further back in the room.

In my sewing room upstairs I have a dormer and only get late afternoon sunlight so have darker curtains on it. Where I long arm I have mini blinds that I adjust to not get direct sunlight--plus try not to leave a quilt on the frame very long.

My stash is stored in clear totes on our 3 season porch. I cover them with blankets to keep the sun from fading the fabric. I sew in the dining room, which is off the 3 season porch separated by patio doors. I get a little sun in the dining room, but have never thought to cover anything in progress.

I have 3 large windows and 2 smaller windows, I have mini blinds on 3 of the windows, but my fabrics are folded in drawers, the tops are folded and not in the sun until I get to them. I don't think that having sun shining on the projects would hurt them, unless it's for an extended period of time.

I honestly never gave it a thought. I have a small second bedroom that I use as my sewing room. It has one north facing window and I have never thought about fading. We in SW Michigan don't get many days of intense sun. We live in clouds because of our big lake to the west. I guess I will now consider covering a quilt in progress if it were to be on my quilt wall for an extended amount of time.

Ironic that you posted this thread yesterday...my DH and I are on a month long road trip and I realized I left a quilt (now in two sections, the top and bottom) on my design wall. I emailed a quilting friend of mine to request that she get my hide a key sometime this week and take the quilt down. My sewing room is full of windows and I love that it is bright and sunny but not for quilts left out to fade. She went to my home yesterday and also covered my new longarm with a sheet. (I feel much better now)

If I had a project that was going to be in one spot for a long time I would just cover it with a blanket or something. Otherwise I don't worry much about sunlight ruining anything.

I have a wall of windows, with my working wall on the opposite side of the room. I sometimes have projects on the wall for months while I think and rethink, move bits around, and ponder.

That said, take a strong colored piece of fabric, cut two decent sized pieces, and take one to the window. check it against the 2nd piece once a month for a year. Then you'll know. We can't say, in your situation because age of windows can have much to do with the results. I doubt with my new windows there will be any fading in my house, but the wall of 40 year old windows in my liviing room caused my carpet on that side of the room to fade. .. over 25 years.

Interesting question. In a lqs, I purchased a fabric that was a good 20' from the windows. As the fabric was unrolled to cut, I noticed a faded part at the same spot - so about every 10 - 12 inches or so - with each unfolding. It took about 4 'unrolls' to reach the part of the fabric that was not exposed to daylight while sitting on the shelf. The fabric did not get direct sunlight.

It is possible that at one time it was closer to the front of the store, though. Even so, the fading had penetrated farther than I ever imagined it would.

I have two goodsized windows that face north with an substantial overhang. Most of my fabric is in draws. I have not noticed any sign of fading.

I also was looking at fabric from a store that had no windows and the fabric had faded just from the fluorescent overhead lights.
I bought some very dark room darkening curtains and covered all of my fabric on shelves with them. Hangs from a curtain rod above the shelf works really well.

I'm lucky to quilt in a basement with a large picture window on the northeast wall. No direct sunlight comes in, but I have nature light. This has been my quilting room for the last 24 years, I have quilts hung on two walls and my fabric stored on open bookcases. I have not noticed any fading on the fabrics.

That should say Tape one of the two pieces to the window ;) duh..

I think I'm ok. Most of my fabric is in a walk-in windowless closet, and the rest is in a room on the North side of the house. The house has Bee Windows which are supposed to exclude harmful rays.

My sewing room is in the basement so no direct light coming in. And all my fabric is in closets with doors, and all precuts are in file drawers. I recently bought a piece of fabric that has a fade line. I was using it as borders, so I just cut that narrow section out and resewed the pieces together. Any unfinished projects are put in tinted artbins. The lighting in the room, if strong, can fade as much as sunlight or bright outside light.

We live in a very sunny climate and have a very bright and sunny house. We had UV coating put on all of our main floor windows to protect the furniture and carpeting. We purchased UV film from Lowe's and installed it on the two garden level windows in my sewing room which is a walk-out area of the basement. It was not difficult to do. We had it installed on the main level because of high windows and the need for tall ladders. In the past, in another house, we experienced sun fading. We had a sun room in a house we bought that had sun faded carpet. We re-dyed the carpet and had the windows professionally coated. We lived in the house 15 years and never had the carpet fade again. However, I made a quilt for the bedroom and it faded (and rotted) where the sun hit it.

Years ago I left a drawing - on paper - in the spare bedroom; the sunlight quickly discoloured the paper. If it had been consistent, it wouldn't have mattered too much except that part of the drawing had been covered at an angle.

The room I chose at our new place is long and skinny with windows at one end and a large closet at the opposite end. The closet does not have a door and I have wondered about creating a sliding door that would also be my design wall at the same time. Then I would have no light penetration. You can have fading from electric light as well as sunlight.

Looking back I see others have mentioned fading from interior lights.

My sewing room now has a special shade my son got for me, works perfecr for the one large window! It’s the brightest room in the house! Well, not anymore and no faded fabric!