Quilt Storage

How do you store your quilts when they are not in use? Perhaps you don’t have this problem because they are all in use! I have many quilts that are used for trunk shows, class samples, and exhibitions and they need to be stored between events. We all know that keeping quilts folded for great lengths of time isn’t recommended, so where are we going to put them?

For years, I solved this problem by laying all my quilts flat on the guest room bed. When guests would come, or when it was time to go to an event, I would pack them up into suitcases. This system worked quite well – until we decided to convert the guest room into my home office and remove the bed! I needed a new place to store my quilts.

As it happens, there are two large double-door closets along one end of my basement sewing room: one with shelves; one without; both jammed full of stuff. I set about to convert the shelf-free closet into a simple, but effective, quilt storage system.

First, the closet had to be cleaned out and cleaned. To further protect the quilts, I tacked white cotton along the outside walls.

Next, I enlisted the help of my husband to mount wire shelving a couple inches down from the ceiling.

Almost all of my large quilts have hanging sleeves on the back. An easy, inexpensive way to hang them is to cut 1″ x 2″ wood the length of the sleeve and screw an eye hook into either end.

Once the wooden beam is inserted in the hanging sleeve, only the hook is visible.

A couple of metal S-hooks are all it takes to hang each quilt from the slats along the ceiling.

Smaller items, such as table runners or handbags, can be stored using pant hangers.

Now my closet is full of quilts, all hanging straight and unfolded, awaiting their next destination! How do you store your quilts?