Someone mentioned odorless moth balls. Just wanted to point out, simply because something toxic has had the odor removed, does not mean it is no longer toxic.

I quilt (although when I finish the last 7 memory quilts, I am no longer making quilts). Quilts are three layers: The top, batting (middle), and the backing. When you get to the quilting part, those layers need to be temporarily held in place so they don’t shift in the quilting process. I do my own quilting on a regular sewing machine, not a huge quilting machine, or else I hand quilt them. I have to securely keep the layers together. Now to my reason for mentioning the “odorless” moth balls.

The sewing shop I go to has a ton of quilters. Almost everyone quilts there. There is a quilt basting spray, many brands of it, and using quilting spray is very popular for quilters to hold the layers together. The alternatives are to use safety pins (my preferred choice) or hand sewing in both directions in long stitches (my second choice). Almost everyone else in that shop uses basting spray, and tells newbies to use it.

It is toxic! The cans all say that. They say to make sure you are doing it in a well ventilated space, take the quilt outside, or whatever. They use it in the shop! They use it in their sewing rooms! Needless to say, I did not join in on their quilting sessions, no care was given for when they were spraying it. It was sprayed like some people spray room freshener. Don’t even get me started on that one. After my first experience, I just went for get togethers and purchase items when quilting was not being done.

Well, we were all sitting around during a non-quilting project lesson. The owner said that she had odorless basting spray. The regular spray has a horrid odor, as well as toxicity. She said she just uses it in the house now. I asked her, if they removed the toxicity too, or just the odor. I told her that they add the odor to natural gas as a warning. She got out the can. Still has the toxins, still says to use ventilation, etc. Irregardless, those ladies still, to this day, treat that odorless spray as non-toxic. There is more than one brand of odorless basting spray and it applies to all, as far as I know, the adhesive chemical is still in it. That spray adhesive is toxic, let alone those adhesive molecules are being inhaled into the lungs. Maybe there is a brand that is not toxic, but what she had was toxic.  

My point is, simply because those very toxic moth balls are odorless, does not mean they are still not extremely toxic and poisonous. Just a word of caution. Moth balls are really bad.

There is the issue with a specific mite and bow horse hair. It has to do with the horse hair and that mite’s or beetle’s attraction to it, I believe. The solution to this issue is simple, sunlight. It is suggested that about four times a year to place the open cases out in the sunlight for a few hours. It is also suggested you do not store your case on carpeting. If you have the issue, vacuum the case out really good, then place in sunlight.

If the bow has the issue, get it professionally rehaired. If the bow is not rehaired, you will see them again.