Skylark53

That's a tough one, but as mentioned above I would definitely avoid cardboard. Ideally fabrics are able to "breathe" but it sounds like the best bet is plastic totes. Sterilite ones should be archival safe: http://www.sterilite.com/general_info.html, http://takecareofyourstuff.blogspot....ival-from.html, nd this link in particular has some good info about storage and general preparation: http://www.preservesmart.com/baby_cl...eservation.htm

I use Sterilite drawers from Target to store my vintage and antique fabrics. I have stayed with white and clear colors though in case because to me the less extra ingredients (i.e. dyes) the better.

LTeachergeorge

Our guild stores donated fabric in plastic bins in a non-heated, non-AC unit and they are fine. We do put a new dryer sheet in each container, but the silicone packets would be great too.

Linda in MO

Anniedeb

I would not use plastic totes!! My sister had her things in outside storage for 18 months, no A/C, no heat. The plastic totes were stacked several high and they "melted" in that the sides warped and pushed down due to what we think was the extreme heat...When we moved her it was below zero out, and the totes were shattering due to the cold! This was in Minnesota...

sewbeadit

We live in wet Washington State and I have no trouble storing any of my fabrics in a storage unit all year around, no air conditioning, but we don't get hot for long here and then it is heated to 50 degrees in the winter and my fabrics are A okay. I don't store in cardboard or plastic bags because the cardboard in the damp does draw moisture, which doesn't mean it will ruin it necessarily but may make in smell awful. The big totes have some air getting to it too. Just my thoughts on in. I think plastic bags in the heat will get ruined themselves after very long in that hot of weather.

Belfrybat

Thank you all for your replies. You have set my mind at ease.

I hadn't thought of using the silica packs or dryer sheets -- great idea and I will certainly do that.

joyce888

I would not use dryer sheets, especially where it is going to get hot. They have left stains on clothing that was in a drawer for several months.

Jan in VA

Make yourself some of these little sachets and place 2-3 in every container you use for storage. I've done this for 20 years and do not have musty odors/bugs in my fabric or packed away quilts/tops/projects. I even used to stick them among the fabric stacks in my shop years ago.

You can buy the little muslin tea bags - which are about 1.5 inches x 2.5 inches - or you can make them by the dozens in cheap muslin. It's like tiny a pillowcase but with the top edge folded and sewn to make a small channel thru which you can run some thin cotton string to tie the top edge closed.

I fill mine using a small spoon. The filling consists of the following:
dried lavendar )I buy mine in bulk online)
cedar shavings (Some is available in pet stores for bedding)
a few cloves or dried rosemary if you wish

Massage the little sachets a bit before placing in the containers to release the lavendar scent.
These make cute little gifts, too, when tied to a present with the ribbons.:)

Wish I had a photo of some of mine, alas....... Maybe this will help.

Jan in VA

RosaSharon

My mother gave me a cardboard box full of fabric scraps about 25 years ago. I didn't sew at that time; don't even know why she gave it to me. I stuck it out in the garage, then we moved about 5 different times, each time the box was in our garage, until one day I decided I wanted to make potholders with it. The fabric was just fine! Just to ease your mind. It survived heat, cold, dark, and everything in-between.

Anyway, that is when after sewing some potholders, I said to myself, "If I make enough of these potholders, sew them all together, I could have a quilt!" That is how I got started!!

Belfrybat

All of you are wonderful! And have set my mind at ease. I've ordered silica gel packs just to hedge my bets. Now to decide which goes to storage and which stays with me as I have no plans to stop quilting while I pare down and get ready for the move. Thank you all!

I also need to sell two sewing machines, so guess I'll be listing those shortly.

Stitchit123

I stored dozens of plastic totes of fabrics and quilts in my Dad's basement-no heat or AC. They were there for almost 2 yrs and every thing was as clean and fresh as the day I packed them. I did use packing tape around the lid closures as a precautionary step to keep out spiders or ants. We live in an area where Brown Recluse spiders are as bad as ticks in population and I really hate ants.