Storage rules
- Breathable first. Unfinished yardage wants a cotton pillowcase or a muslin wrap, not a sealed plastic tote as the only layer. Plastic is fine as a rain shell around a wrapped bolt, not as the cloth’s only skin.
- Off concrete. Garage and lanai slabs wick. A shelf or a pallet keeps the bottom fold out of that film of wet.
- Cedar versus plastic. Cedar chests and blocks are for moths on wool, not a humidity machine. They do not replace a dry shelf. Plastic bins stop a storm splash; they also trap a wet fold. If the cloth went in damp, it stays damp.
- Thread. Spools in a closed box away from a south window. Heat and sun fade dye and dry the winding until it snaps. All-purpose poly survives a Florida closet better than a silk thread left on a sunny sill.
Pre-wash still belongs to the garment plan, not to a humidity myth. Extension pages on preparing fabric for cutting treat pre-wash as a shrinkage and finish step you do on purpose. Florida shrink numbers stay off this page. Care symbols on a finished garment: care labels. Fiber on the bolt: choosing fabric.