Preserving antique yarnwork.

Some advice for textile preservation can be found here:

Before putting anything in storage , you should CLEAN it , Best advice is approach a Textile museum near you and ask their advice. mirjam

This is all hearsay:

Quilts are best used on a bed; that way they get aired and looked at every day. If they are fragile and can only be stored, then plain white tissue paper and boxes (that are white on the inside as well) is probably the first step. People talk about cedar chests, but I've read that the cedar should be at least half an inch thick or there isn't enough cedar oil to repel insects; just putting cedar blocks into a drawer may make it smell nice, but the scent isn't really intense enough. The tissue paper should prevent the fabric from touching the outer container, too.

Archival quality boxes can be bought, and so can archival plastic bags, though it may be hard to find them big enough. I don't know whether the huge zip bags are archival plastic or not.

I am told that most plastics will eventually emit gases that get into fabrics and that the best thing is to use a storage container that is guaranteed not to damage the fabric. (I'm also told that Tupperware products are archival, but I don't know for sure.)

While you are contacting museum textile archivists/checking the library for books on archival storage and preservation, I believe the usual method is to put clean white tissue paper between the folds (refold annually in a different pattern to avoid weakening in one place), and keep in a plain wooden box or drawer that seals tightly (unlike most bureaus).

For the afghan(s): As long as the wool is strong, an airing once a year is probably enough. If the wool is old and dry, it may help to put it in a steamy bathroom to let it gently absorb some moisture.

=Tamar