Quilting Fabric Question

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vickil
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Quilting Fabric Question

Post by vickil »

Hi All, Been away for awhile now. Life has just gotten so busy and complicated. I have 3 HAEDS started. One I hope to finish by Christmas. Will try to post some pics later.

But, I have a problem and am need of advice. We just went through 5 days of Hurricane Harvey rain (35 + inches of rain) and the roof on my mothers house leaked a little bit. Nothing major, fixable, but I have one of her quilts that got wet and is stained from the leaking roof. Does anyone know how I should try to clean it without harming the fabric? Some of the stains are really dark. Not sure where to start.

Thanks in advance for the help.
Vicki
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rcperryls
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Re: Quilting Fabric Question

Post by rcperryls »

Glad to hear from you Vicki and very glad to hear that you have mostly gotten through Harvey with not a lot of damage. I don't know how best to get stains out of the quilt, but I am sure that someone here will know how to do it. Hope once things settle down you will be able to stay for a while and share what you have been doing. Truly hope you will be able to salvage the quilt.

Carole
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agi
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Re: Quilting Fabric Question

Post by agi »

I would wash it first with a mild detergent, just the way you wash it normally. If the stain is still there then you need to try with some stain remover. If it is a quilt made with usual quilting cotton, it will probably be OK. You can perhaps try the stain remover first on another piece of similar fabric... :thinks:
Agi

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vickil
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Re: Quilting Fabric Question

Post by vickil »

I wasn't sure about just washing first. Didn't know if when I washed it and the stain didn't come out, if the stain would "set" or not.
Quilting is not my thing. It was my mothers. I just don't want to ruin it further.
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DisneyStitcher
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Re: Quilting Fabric Question

Post by DisneyStitcher »

So sorry to hear about the damage (to both your house and the quilt.). What condition was the quilt in before it was damaged? Was it a sturdy, often used quilt that was washed semi-regularly, or did you keep it more as a display item? If you've washed it before, put it in your washing machine with your regular detergent and a color safe stain treater like Clorox 2 or Shout or whatever. Let it soak a good while, then wash it on the gentle/delicate cycle. Do at least one extra rinse, maybe 2, depending on the quilt size and thickness. You can throw a stain catcher sheet (I use Shout Color Catchers) if you think there is a chance the stain is going to spread. If it looks like the stain is lightening, repeat the process until it's gone. Depending on its pre-stain condition, as long as you wash the quilt in cold water and do not put it in the dryer, it shouldn't set the stain. If it's really old and the quilting is getting soft, you can do the same process in your bathtub instead of in the washer so the quilt won't be damaged by the agitation. Fair warning - anything larger than a lap quilt is going to take 2 people and a lot of towels if you choose the bathtub route. You'll need to smush out as much water a possible, then get it enclosed in dry towels, you then roll the quilt/towel sandwich as tightly as possible (without twisting) and let the towels soak up the excess water, repeating as necessary until the quilt isn't dripping. Just to cover your bases, once you think the stain is out, DO NOT put it in the dryer yet. Let it air dry, then get the spot where the stain was wet again, put a white towel over it and then put a heavy book or something, let it sit, then check later to make sure the batting didn't hold any of the stain that could be re-transferred to the outer fabrics. If the regular washing doesn't seem to be helping, then you really need to try and find out what caused the stain. If you can figure out the source of the staining, it will be easier to select a cleaner/cleaning method. For instance, something petroleum based like roofing tar might respond to WD-40. Don't go blasting it with WD-40 until you've exhausted other options and then only do a very tiny spot to see if will work - like a bit on a q-tip at the edge of the stain until you see what it's going to do. It could be rust, it could be some kind of dye that was in the insulation... could be just really dirty water. Also, if you can determine the source, you will have a better idea if the stain is something the batting will hold and transfer it back out to the outer fabric. If you have local quilt shop or fabric store, bring the quilt with you and go in and see what they recommend. My local shops (before they closed) used to carry special soaps/detergents that were used for restoration and to remove yellowing. I've been quilting for 25 years, PM me if I can help you in any way.
vickil
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Re: Quilting Fabric Question

Post by vickil »

Oh Thank you DisneyStitcher, what a process. The quilt was fairly new. I'm not sure if Mom ever washed it, if so not but a time or two. Possibly never. It's one of the last that she made. Do I need to be in a hurry to wash it, or can it sit for awhile? Its been 2 weeks now. Time is an issue for me.

I will print this out and get all of my supplies, I might find time this weekend to put it in the wash.

I'll post my results.

Vicki
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Squirrel
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Re: Quilting Fabric Question

Post by Squirrel »

I have washed my quilts in the washing machine no problem on the "dainty" cycle and your should be ok to wash in a machine - provided it is made of cotton material. If it is silk then me thinks that hand washing is the best way.

I would just lightly spray some stain remover over the worst area and plonk it in the machine - quilts are stronger than they look and cotton or linen are very strong fabrics.
Sally in Brisbane Australia

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DisneyStitcher
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Re: Quilting Fabric Question

Post by DisneyStitcher »

I'd wash it sooner rather than later, although if it's been sitting this long, a few more days probably won't make a difference.

If it's fairly new, chances are it's all cotton and the washing machine won't do a bit of harm. Pre-treat the area with a color fast stain remover, let that sit a bit, then dump it in the washer. Be sure to use cold water and DON'T put it in the dryer until we're sure the stain is gone. If the fabric doesn't look like cotton, let's talk before you do anything. The size of your machine makes a difference. It needs room to swim freely, if it's jam-packed in there you're going to have a harder time.
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Re: Quilting Fabric Question

Post by DisneyStitcher »

Any progress yet?
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