Storing Quilts

I love quilts. Hand sewn or machine sewn, there is something about the warmth a quilt gives. Comforters are warm too, but I just prefer quilts. They remind me of my grandma. We always had quilts and a colorful blanket underneath.

My woodstove is in the main area of my very small house, so the bedroom stays pretty cold in winter. So currently, I have four nice quilts on my bed! Comforters just don’t give the same feeling of a warm hug like a quilt. But anyway…

It seems thrift stores will bring out a lot of blankets in the colder months, but they get snatched up quickly. I look for good blankets and quilts all through the year. They’re usually cheaper in the summertime so the stores move inventory faster.

And then there’s always the need for extra blankets for guests! We’ll need them when SHTF too, as people gather in one place to continue to survive. Be ever on the lookout for good blankets and quilts.

But where to store them so that they aren’t in the way or taking up precious closet space, or in storage where you risk pests eating holes in them.

So how do you store all these lovely quilts?

When I bring home new (or gently used) quilts and blankets, I’ll wash them with borax and washing soda (I have to be fragrance free for Multi Chemical Sensitivity issues), and line dry. When I get a couple ready for storage, I’ll lift up the mattress and store them flat between the mattress and the boxsprings. I’ve had as many as six there, and I’m sure I could add more as needed. But I tend to give a blanket to someone in need, so I replenish my blanket stash often. Storing them this way takes up much less room, and they are fresh and clean and ready to go, unlike storing in a barn or in a box with moth balls in some other storage.

If a quilt is longer than the mattress, it can be folded over, so it doesn’t hang over the edge of the boxsprings. But typically, I’m fine with them hanging over a little. My bedspread covers them anyway. Sometimes, the extra material can even appear to be the bed skirt, as needed.

Other storage areas

Storing under sofa cushions is another good area for blankets and sheets, especially if your cushions have gotten a bit flat or just aren’t as fluffy as they used to be. Fold them ‘just so’ to fit under the cushions, usually in thirds so they fit and add lift to the seating area.

Happy quilting and quilt hunting!

~Suzanne

Suzanne Shires is the author of Wild Herb Gardening and Beyond the Garden Gate, Wild Food Recipes. She is an herbal ‘granny-mentor’ and shares her herbal knowledge in blogs, articles, groups and posts. She grows herbs on her homestead, Birchwater Farms, and creates herbal concoctions, tea blends, and remedies in her shop. Watch for her granny mentorship program to open in 2023!