Garb storage?

[ladypearl]

I'm looking for good ways to store my garb and all the accessories and other bits and pieces.  I live in an old house, so I have humidity problems (or lack of humidity problems), dust, bugs, the occasional mouse infestation, no closet space, and 4 cats who love shredding, shedding and otherwise messing up things.

Any suggestions on how to keep the garb clean and safe and easily accessible?

[Adriana Rose]

I live in a tiny house and since between mom and I we have more garb than normal cloths. We store ours in plastic totes with dryer sheets in them, it keeps every thing togeather (theoretically lol) and we can put them outside with out having to worry about the totes getting messed up. It keeps the bugs and little furry woodland creatures out!


hope that helps

[LaurenLee]

I have a huge dowel rod nailed between rafters in my attic (fortunately, my ex put down some plywood for a floor).  Everything is hung up there.  My garb is mostly Civil War - big dresses!  I put an old sheet over them to protect from dust, but the extreme heat and cold don't harm them. Just have to pull down those stairs in the hallway whenever I want to get to it.. 

[Celtic Lady]

Sir Morgan and I live in a very tiny apartment so we bought one of those garmet racks on wheels and a big garmet bag to hang our garb in and we have it in a secured climate controlled storage unit. For us it's ideal as we only use our garb a few times a year (we only go to a couple of faires). If money isn't a problem I'd suggest in investing in something like that. Ours is open 7 days a week and is open until 9:00 p.m. (not sure what time it opens, pretty early though).

[Miranda]

Loaner garb, i.e. old cotton skirts and my peasant bodices etc, go into a rubbermaid tote.
Linens, shifts, partlets, stockings shirts, drawers, and the like go into their own rubbermaid tote.
Shoes go into a smaller rubbermaid tote.
My gowns and my boyfriend's doublets and breeches go into protective bags I purchased at Ikea (SKUBB 3.99) which is hung on a rolling garment rack also from Ikea (STATIV 24.99)

This set up works really well if you have a storage room, basement, garage, dorm room, sewing dungeon etc which lacks closet space.  The tubs are stackable, and take up very little floor space and come in handy during faire season, as a great way to schlep your garb from point a to b.

OH, for humidity issues (too much that is) DAMP RID is fantastic.  Lived in a really nasty clammy dorm room in college and this stuff works wonders.

[ladypearl]

Thanks for the great ideas!  I don't really have any spare room at all here - it's a small house and I have a LOT of stuff.  In theory I have plenty of attic space, but I don't have a way to get up there without standing on a shaky shelf in an awkward closet.

The biggest problem (other than my cats) is that I need to be able to get at things easily since I don't have a real off-season anymore.  I have to have cold weather gear, warm weather gear, lots of rain-proof gear and lots of layers for those days that go from hot to cold.  Clear Rubbermaid tubs are helping, especially when I need to grab and go, but I need a way to keep the skirts from getting wrinkled and whatnot.  I also have a TON of accessories and the small whatnots that get lost so easily.  I keep the jewelry in a tacklebox, but not everything fits.

What is the best way to hang/fold/store a big heavy overskirt?  I'm afraid to hang them by the waistbands because I'm afraid that there will be too much strain on the stitching.

My hoop skirts also present storage nightmares since I just haven't got the knack for twisting them up into a small little package.  One day I really need to make a corded farthingale - they store better!

Damp Rid.  Huh.  I use it in the rest of the house, so I have no idea why it never occurred to me to use it with my garb storage.

[Miranda]

How much non attic space can you spare?  It would be helpful to know what kind of space you are dealing with.  Even a dedicated corner can work.  I once shared a 500 sqft apartment with my musican boyfriend.  So imagine garb, sewing stuff, instruments, and sound equipment.  There is always a solution. 

[gypsylakat]

I've heard the best way to hang jeans is by the ankles/hem so that the waistband helps hangout wrinkles... not sure if this would work for skirts... but hypothetically it should..

[Randal]

I bought plastic clothing containers that are designed to roll under the bed. They hold doublets and bodices just fine, but aren't long enough for a gown. After the season is over, everything gets washed and folded, then separated into my wife's tub or mine. Throw in a few cedar chips to keep the critters at bay, then roll them under the bed.

Cloaks get hung on sturdy wooden hangers, then hung on the back of the bedroom door.

Granted, our garb is lower middle class, and you may want to take more care with noble garb.

Randal

[CaraGreenleaf]

Like a lot who have posted above me, I store most of my stuff in the xtra large plastic tubs. Most of that is my fabric, my larger trim amounts, etc. My patterns all go into ziploc bags, then into binders.

For my finished garb and such, I went to a dry-cleaner and asked to buy a roll of their plastic hanger bags. They actually just gave about a 1/4 of a roll to me, so I use those. Then the dresses/skirts/blouses/etc. get hung on hangers and covered w/ plastic for protection. My belts and boots go into tupperwares and my tail and anything the cats would steal go into their own container.

[ladypearl]

How much non attic space can you spare?  It would be helpful to know what kind of space you are dealing with.  Even a dedicated corner can work.  I once shared a 500 sqft apartment with my musican boyfriend.  So imagine garb, sewing stuff, instruments, and sound equipment.  There is always a solution. 

Until I get a safe way to get into the attic, I can't use any of the space at all.  My house is around 1000 square feet and the attic covers the entire space. 

Anything that gets stored anywhere in the house has to be cat-proofed.  They are very jealous of my time and attention and they do NOT like the time and attention I spend on faire things!

[Miranda]

Non-attic space.  I mean, do you have an available corner in a bedroom, etc?

[ladypearl]

Non-attic space.  I mean, do you have an available corner in a bedroom, etc?

Sorry, I didn't read that right!  I have some space, but none that are protected from the cats unless I use one of those free-standing fabric closets, which the cats shred.

I guess a better question was "How can I protect my garb from my cats and keep all the bits and pieces organized."

Sigh.

[Miranda]

Things that can be folded can go into tubs, most definately.  If you are careful, even foreparts and sleeves can be "tubbed."  Hats can also go into tubs, which prevents the more structured hats from being smooshed  I still recommend a clothing rack and zippered garment storage bags for the hangables.  One "SKUBB" can hold the average velvet elizabethan court gown.     
After "SKUBBING" your gowns, affix double sided tape to the shred prone areas of the garment bags.  "Sticky Paws" is the best for this, saves furniture too.  Then spray the area with something like "kitty be gone" which is again supremely useful in saving furniture.  Repeat the spraying about once a week.  Increase frequency if you see the kitties messing around.  Both of the kitty proofing items can be had at most pet stores.

Eventually they will stop messing with the garb and you won't need the tape or spray.

[ladypearl]

 
After "SKUBBING" your gowns, affix double sided tape to the shred prone areas of the garment bags.  "Sticky Paws" is the best for this, saves furniture too.  Then spray the area with something like "kitty be gone" which is again supremely useful in saving furniture.  Repeat the spraying about once a week.  Increase frequency if you see the kitties messing around.  Both of the kitty proofing items can be had at most pet stores.

Eventually they will stop messing with the garb and you won't need the tape or spray.

I had heard about "Sticky Paws" - that's definitely something to look into - THANK YOU!

[Miranda]

Do you clip your kitties' claws?  It makes a big difference in the fight against shredding.  IF you are really ambitious, you can fit your kitty with soft paws.
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2754502

[gypsylakat]

my cats are pretty ok with the softpaws... but i "trained' my cats early to put up with me doing stuff to them.. if they see a towel... they know it's inevitable..

[Adriana Rose]

For my hoop I have it hanging against the wall in the back of my closet by a thumb tack.

[Nailin]

I've got everything stored in two plastic rubbermaid containers - alas i'm still figuring out where to put the hoops currently they are living in my trunk

[LadyStitch]

My theater department loves to do authentic Shakespeare so we have alot of heavy elizabethan skirts lying around.  Our instructor had us put twill tape anchored inside the skirt.  When worn it is flat against the waist band.  When we store it.  It  hooks onto the hanger notches. You aren't putting all the weight on little clips to hold the skirts.   The only problem was finding hangers that didn't crush under the weight.

As for keeping the fuzzy animals out.  The sticky tape works well for my husband and I in our small apartment is using the luggage we aren't currently using.  We have a large suit case we lay our stuff out flat and keep neat.  I use my husbands suit case as my night stand.  I haven't made full gowns in a very long time, but it is an option. 

[Adriana Rose]

I have used the sticky vermin papers to keep the cats out of the stuff that they arent supposed to get into..
it doesnt hurt them its just that cats hate sticky stuff

[Jack Daw at Work]

I picked up a couple of large plastic framed garment bags that hang in a closet.  I put my kilts and other woollens within and zip up with some cedar chips and blocks.

[Dance_Dance]

If you have a backyard or a side yard, you might consider getting a storage shed.  They come in many shapes and sizes and if you buy on sale, they can be relatively cheap.  My mom and I have a shed in our backyard that's pretty old, so we take a few more precautions than someone who has a newer shed might.

For starters, we got a couple of plastic mattress covers from a moving store - the cheap kind work just fine.  After cutting them down the seams, we were able to tape them up to the ceiling and walls with moving tape.  They haven't come down all year - from rainy season to summer and back to rainy season.  This has helped not only keep out moisture but bugs as well.  Can't prevent spiders, though.

For spiders, rodents, and whatever other critters that might try to work their way into your shed, a few repellents will do the trick.  There's also plenty of non-chemical ways to keep critters away from your items, if you don't want to harm them or possibly surrounding nature.

Inside the shed, I would still use storage bins, tote bags, plastic closets, whatever you need for your clothes.  Not only will these add extra insurance against the elements, but they will make things easy for you when you need to pack up and head off to an event.  I don't really have tips on how to keep them fresh or how to fight against humidity sense I'm in a pretty non-humid area and I go to so few faires that I have plenty of time to wash and iron my garb before hand.

Also, save a corner in the shed for your all your jewelry and odds and ends.  I've found that plastic boxes made to hold beads also work great for holding earrings, bracelets, and thinner necklaces.  Also, many hobby and craft stores have deluxe versions of these bead boxes, where they have several drawers of different depths and storage separators.  You might find that useful to keep track of all of your odds and ends.  All else fails, different sized Ziploc bags can be good for storage as well.  When you're on the road and want to keep track of your jewelry and whatnots, an over-night bathroom bag can help out a lot.

I don't have any tips on how to keep your cats at bay - unless they're strictly indoor cats, then the shed in the backyard solves that problem.

I hope this helps,
-Dance