Quilt Storage: The Pillow Case Solution

Wanda, our store MacGyver, came up with this great idea. She made an awesome quilt for our quilt challenge. And then she made a great pillow case to store it in out of her left over fabric.

One of the neat things about being a quilter is that at some point you probably have more quilts than you have beds. You might even have more quilts than you have walls. 

This is a good thing. But a quilt not being used needs to be in a place where it won't be damaged by time or the elements. 

The humble pillow case has been the time honored storage for quilts for years for some very good reasons. 




There are basic things that you need to defend your quilt from. Water, Light and Dirt. Other bad things can happen but these are the most common disasters.

Dirt happens. Even in a clean closet you get dust and pet fur. The best defense against dirt is to wrap your quilt in fabric. It keeps the particles from settling on your quilt.

Water is always bad news for quilt storage. And it's not obvious when you put a quilt away that water damage is possible. That very safe cupboard up high might have a leak from the roof. So check for ways water can get to your quilt: a leak, an open window, freak accidents. Do I need to say that you never store a quilt in a basement?  

Plastic can keep out water. But it also can seal in water so it makes a chancy storage for quilts. Any moisture in your quilt is mildew really soon in plastic. The best storage for quilts is more fabric. And you want all cotton, because it breathes better.

Light is really deadly for fabrics. That beautiful  wall storage where you can see all your quilts is really damaging if they have direct sun or lighting on them. Fabric doesn't really fade. What you see when you see sun fading is fabric that has burned. Commercial fabrics fade more than hand dyes, but no fabric is immune. For heaven's sake, don't store a quilt in a sunlit area. But fabric storage can shield your quilt. 

Are you seeing a theme here? Pillow cases make really good storage and really can protect a quilt from many hazards. 

So, do you have extra pillow cases?
You can scour the thrift stores for pillow cases. But most linens now-a-days have polyester in them, which keeps them from breathing properly.  If you were smart enough to buy a little extra fabric, you can have a pillow case for your quilt that looks as great as your quilt does. And isn't that smart!

Here's  a very slick tube pillow case tutorial.  Not only are they useful. They're fun!