Displaying quilts

You all know how much I love to display my quilts and there are a couple of cabinets to hold them.  You have seen them before, but here they are again.  These are old photos and the cabinets were not completely full when these photos were taken.  Fast forward to now and there are too many quilts and I'm running out of storage space .... again.  No, I'm not giving away or selling any of my quilts (which my family would love me to do).  I love to change out my quilts every month and now have quilts to coordinate with the seasons.  Oh yes, I do love my quilts!

They are also rolled up in a huge wicker basket and a big plastic bin.  There is also a quilt ladder that holds quilts.  Whatever is needed does the trick.

To store quilts in a basket or bin, I use pool noodles rolled up in the centre of a quilt and ties help to hold them in shape.  The only problem is when the quilts are extra long/high.  The pool noodles just can't keep them up straight and they kind of flop over a bit.  

How to solve that issue?

Enter garden stakes.  Yep, garden stakes.  The bamboo or metal kind.  They are both strong and perfect size for slipping inside a pool noodle.  Buy them while garden season is here because once they are gone, they are gone until next season.

The green stake you see below slips into the hole in the centre of the pool noodle.  The white sleeve covers the noodle and the quilt is then rolled around the noodle.  

Edit:  Depending on the length of my quilt, I will tape two stakes (unless I can buy a very long stake) end to end and then slip inside a noodle and a half noodle to ensure a proper length.  The fabric sleeve holds everything together as the sleeve is made for a tight fit (it is a bit of struggle to get the sleeve onto the noodle, but it works).

Why a fabric sleeve?  It helps protect the quilt backing from whatever chemicals are in the noodle.  This advice I got from a quilt appraiser.

Fabric selvedge strips are good for tying up the roll.  

Here is my basket of rolled up quilts.  This basket will hold up to 10 quilts.  A piece of fabric is used to cover the sides and bottom of the basket so that no resin from the wood will transfer and eat into the bottom and sides of my quilts.  Got to protect my lovelies!

A funny story .... I was at the $ store and was buying more stakes.  A lady passed by me at the checkout and wanted to know what I was going to use the stakes for?  There was no way I was going to tell her exactly what my intention was because that would have involved quite a long discussion, so a quick answer was to stake up plants in the garden.   She was happy with my answer and away she went.   If only she knew!  LOL 

So, this solution works for now ..... until the next overflow of quilts and then something else will come to light.  Sigh .... too many quilts but I'm such a happy camper!  LOL

Cherish your day, cherish your life!