I've heard/read that one should not store fabric in plastic

How about plastic totes? I had my husband drill air holes near the top of some of mine - was that a good idea or not?

How about plastic bags? I just read about storing cut pieces in baggies - which would not be an issue if they get sewn in the near future - but what if they are left in them for many years?

I have had fabric in totes for years, and it seems fine.

I have, too. I do give fabric a "yank" test to see if it seems more fragile in any one spot.

I do try to rotate the contents now and then.

(Translation - I root about looking for something and dump the fabric back in the container)

I store my fabric anywhere i can and in anything that works. I have never had a problem. I have fabric that is years old and is still in fine condition.

I store fab in plactic containers, too. Every 6 months I go it and play around with them to let them get some fresh air. My way to get inspired and see what's hiding in there, Just don't have direct sun it them.

90% of my fabric has been stored in large plastic bins for years. No problem, in fact, because I store my fabric in the basement it doesn't get musty!!

How about ordinary cardboard boxes?

Cardboard boxes are acidic and can cause damage, too. I use plastic, and have never run into any problems. I guess the true test will not be for a hundred years to see which holds up better, but for shorter term, totes work and are affordable.

Fabric warehouses and storage have fabric on cardboard bolts and wrapped in plastic and it's kept that way for a long time. I have mine wrapped on fabric boards I cut myself from Wilton Cake boards on bookshelves. I'm not the least bit worried it will ruin before I use it. If it does get discolored then it will be a new color for me to use.

:lol: :lol:
You too?
Ditter

I like the way you think! :-P

Ditter

I was told by a quilt appraiser that it was safe to store my antique quilts in plastic containers. They are wrapped in muslin, but if he said it was safe for vintage quilts, I figure it's safe for my stash. Plastic bags are a whole 'nother thing.

Why/how are plastic bags and plastic totes "whole different thing"?

Plastic bags leech more chemicals faster then a solid plastic.

Oh.

Thanks.

I think that sealing them in a plastic bag doesn't allow moisture to escape, totes don't seal as tight.

I wonder if the cardboard used for fabric bolts are acid free? Most are only stored on these a year or two in fabric stores, and maybe not meant for longer term like in our stashes :roll: the same with being wrapped in plastic awaiting shipping...

I have wondered too how much the different climates play a part in storing our stash and having bad experiences... I have not seen any silverfish/other bugs in my home, and the humidity is also pretty low in my home too. Can't say the same about other places where I have lived :roll:

wow, thanks for starting this thread, lots of good ideas and comments!

It depends on for how long. I think poking holes is a good idea.

I store all my quilts in pillowcases. Sealed plastic containers can make cotton fragile and it can hold in moisture. This is what a quilt appraiser told me.

I have some of my stuff in plastic containers, but I am in and out of them all the time. I wouldn't keep cotton fabric in it for permanent storage.

I use plastic totes for my fabric. It seem to work just fine.

I think if the lids on my plastic totes weren't just balanced on top of the fabric in them then I might have to think about the whole storage in plastic thing. As it is, the fabric gets plenty of air :)

I think it's OK to store in plastic, as long as eventually it comes out and goes into a quilt where it can breathe a long sign of relief!!! :-)

My fabric is in plastic bins in a cabinet but I take it out periodically to pet it.

Thanks for the information

They often have inks and imprints that will leech into the fabrics, too.

I was told not to store my quilts in plastic bags, but pillow slips. The wadding was the problem not the fabric.

It also helps to toss in a desiccant packet - those silica gel thingies you find packed in with electronic equipment or in pill bottles. They keep the humidity down in a sealed plastic tote.

When I give a quilt I try to give it in a pillow case. I used to buy them cheap at the linen discount stores but now they are gone. Some times I have enough fabric left to make a matching pillow case. On the other hand I kept the quilt my mother made for me when I was little (and I'm in my 70's) in plastic for a long long time, and no problem.

Fabric should not be stored in plastic containers. Fabric needs to breath. Plastic boxes outgasses formaldhyde. The fabric therefore can become toxic from this outgassing. Fabric pieces can be stored in a baggie while you are working on a project to keep pieces sorted. But long term is not recommend since the fabric isn't able to breath.
I'm sure this is a topic with a lot of opinions.

Polypropylene, the most common plastic used for storage tubs of the type used for fabrics (it's marked with a 5 and the letters PP), contains no formaldehyde. It is, in fact, also used for drinking straws and yogurt containers. I find no reference anywhere of plastics containing formaldehyde in today's production. Plastics may or may not outgas chemicals, but formaldehyde is not one of them.

On the other hand, fabrics are coated with the stuff as part of the manufacturing process. It wouldn't matter where it is stored, if it's not prewashed it is outgassing formaldehyde.

You also forgot about storing them in cedar chest which also is a no-no.

I can assure you that plastic containers (those that are flexible, that most storage containers are made from.)(not hard containers like yogurt containers) do outgass formaldehyde.
Several years ago, as I started my fabric stash. I stored them in plastic storage containers. I always prewashed my fabric to remove excess dyes. When I opened my container a strong smell was omitted. I immediately developed respiratory distress. My "doctor" said it was formaldehyde outgassing.

Like everyone else here, I've had fabric in plastic boxes, no air holes, for 20+ years. The fabrics are all fine.

The only fabric I store in a plastic bag is hand work that I'm currently doing. I would not use the bags for any long term storage.

So the question is, when you give a quilt as a gift, do you suggest how it should be stored?

No, but I do give washing instructions

Yes, it should be stored in a pillowcase, 100% cotton. Never stored in a plastic bag. Especially plastic from a dry cleaners.

Why is it not a good idea to use a cedar chest?

What fabric I have is in a plastic tote. I put tissue paper with bay leaves on top & keeps it just fine & bug free.
Hubby's grandmother's quilts she made us are in pillowcases & frequently take them out & fluff them & back in the case. These also have bay leaves in them.

Mine is all in plastic tubs. We had a house fire and had the fabric not been in tubs I would have lost it all to smoke damage.

Hi Quilters,,, I have all my fabirc in plastic storage containers
,no problems at all. I found this really nice cloth bags to place my finish quilts in--From Clotilde's
Use those fabric on a Reversible Quilt by Sharon Pederson
Fun and not hard to do

formaldehyde is still used to make/process lots of stuff. it's a real problem when new office buildings go up and get furnished with poly upholstery and carpeting. the fumes are circulated through the building via the air conditioning ducts (god forbid you could open a window) and people get sick and even develop asthma. only fairly recently has it become known what the cause is. the practice has been stopped in many places.