Tuesday 23 January 2018

How I Store My Quilts: Use Your Noodle!

I use plastic pool noodles to store my quilts. I prefer to roll my quilts, not fold them as I can't stand creases, particularly as many of my quilts end up on the wall.
I sew a calico 'pouch' over each noodle to protect the quilt form the plastic fibres. I have never encountered any colour transfer, but you can't be too careful. I always buy the lightest coloured noodle I can get my hands on - usually pink or yellow
 I roll my quilt carefully, taking care not to bend the binding. Once I'm sure the binding is nicely lines up with the covered noodle, I simply roll.
Than I tie my rolled quilt up with cotton tape, and finally I'll cover this rolled quilt with a calico long bag. Every few years I make a batch of new, long calico bags for this purpose. If I run out in between, I wrap the rolled up quilt with the calico - like a present- and then store it in a dark room. I actually store my quilts in a spare room with the UV blocking blinds closed.
I usually keep large sprigs of drying rosemary in this room to repel any moths or other fabric eating nasties and this has always worked. Except I haven't done this in the last few years as I got complacent. I will have to return to this habit as I'm currently cleaning up a moth attack in my wardrobe. Luckily they didn't reach my linen cupboard, bedsheets or fabric stash. That would have been a very expensive loss. When I dry rosemary in the room, the whole room smells like a herbal shop, it's very fragrant but stays contained and doesn't waft around the house. I find rosemary a bit irritating after a while so I might start growing lavender as someone suggested it had the same effect on moths. I will have to look into this as I find lavender very pleasant and would probably prefer it. As for now, I don't mind the cedar balls I've popped in my wardrobe.

Now it's time for me to finish my rolling and get back to making.. I have 3 BOMs to get started!

4 comments:

  1. Oh, Esther, I feel your pain! We had a terrible bout with moths at my house in Massachusetts,last fall! They came in on a couch my dear mother gave us and ate away at my oriental rug underneath it long before I detected the issue. Then they also found their way to dd clothes closet. It was quite a disaster! I did alot of research and yes, lavender is supposed to be a quite effective repellent. The rosemary is news to me, though. I will keep that in mind as my lavender bush is of limited production.

    On another note, using pool noodles to store your quilts is ingenious! Thank-you for sharing that bright idea!! I am definitely going to start doing that! Cheers, from Cathy vJ in MA

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  2. Hi Esther,
    This is a great suggestion for storing quilts. I don't like the creases either, especially as you mentioned, for those that are wall hangings. I never thought about rosemary or lavender being natural repellants for moths - that is a handy tidbit. ~smile~ Roseanne

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  3. I bought a couple pool noodles last year. So I could boast my quilts for quilting them. I also love this idea too! I guess I better go buy some more! 😂

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