You finally finished that quilt you have been working on forever! Congrats! Now what are you going to do with it? There is the obvious answers like, put it on my bed, or hang it up, or snuggle with it, or gift it. But what if you are going to store it? Make sure you take good care of that quilt to make sure it lasts a long time!
Here a few tips I have accumulated over the years from some well-experienced ladies that were willing to share their knowledge.
First, if you hang your quilts, change them out every few months so that their colors wont fade from the sunlight (direct or indirect.)
If your quilt is not going to be out, the best place for it to be is laid out on a bed that is not getting used. I have also seen a tip that encourages the use of sheets between layers.
If you need to fold up your quilt, fold it against the seam lines. This prevent un-do stress on the seams.
For this quilt the seam lines are horizontal and vertical, so I folded it on the diagonal.
There it is! Remember to try and make a few big folds to keep the creases at a minimum.
This quilt is on point, so I folded it horizontally and vertically.
After the quilts are folded, store them in pillow cases, not plastic. This will hold in moisture. Do not use moth balls, and do not store them in plastic boxes. Plastic boxes are good for temporary storage or moving, but not for long term storage.
Also, refold the quilts ever few months to prevent permanent creases.
Alternatively, you could roll the quilts around a foam pool noodle or an old batting tube. I would put a scrap piece of fabric or a sheet around the noodle or tube first, roll it up, then cover with another sheet.
Lastly, do not stack a lot of quilts on top of each other. This will cause permanent creases. Small stacks or shelves are the best.
Have fun quilting!
I always fold my quilts in thirds each side into the middle with the right side out side, this helps prevent that harsh creased line down the center that is impossible to get rid of.