scrapinmema

Try going to a pet store and purchase a box of charcoal and put it in a bag along with the material. This works great in getting the smell out and it's not that expensive.

sewmom

Bounce fabric softener sheets would help too. If you can get them 'clean' enough to make into a quilt, then you can wash the whole thing. Good luck.

solstice3

How about just charcoal? Mom use to use it and sometimes newspaper to remove smell from tupperware

JustAbitCrazy

You can find charcoal where they sell aquarium (fish) and supplies.

meanmom

I would lay them outside in the grass for a couple of days. If that doesn't work get one of the boxes of baking soda that is made for the refrigerator and seal them up in a bag with it for a week or so. Martha Stuart say to put things in a bag with some crumpled newspaper for a week or so. I have never tried it.
I would think this should at least make it so you can stand the smell to sew them. Ironing might bring back some smell but hopefully it will be much less. Then you can wash the whole thing when it is finished.

RosaSharon

Someone else wrote on the Quilting Board, about a week ago, that Awesome from the Dollar Store worked for her. I haven't tried it. If it doesn't work, you can always use it to mop the floor.

patchwork

Place the pieces in a large plastic bag with a bar of Irish Spring bar soap an tie tightly and let set for a couple of days.

matraina

We have custody of our 13-year-old granddaughter. Her mother recently brought over some clothes she said she just found of hers. I told her they smelled horrible cigarette smell and I was going to wash them and give them to Goodwill. They were fine after washed. I didn't keep them because my granddaughter takes a 14 and these were XXL. I'm sure they weren't hers.

ILoveToQuilt

You can find odor removing "soaps" at most pet stores. The one that comes to mind is "OdorMute" (can be used to take urine odors out of fabrics like pet beds, carpeting, etc., also works on skunk smells). This is an enzyme cleaner that is used to eliminate organic odors. (Google OdorMute for more information). Sounds like this is a similar product to the Sam's Club one mentioned above.

Activated charcoal can be purchased at Walmart in their pet section. Just be careful with it because it makes a lot of black dust! The last time I purchased it, it cost around $8 for the bottle. (It is used in aquarium filters to help clean the water.)

Good luck! Hope you get the smells out. If nothing works, how attached to the blocks are you? Just a thought...

nwm50

I gotten some recently from a yard sale and what I did was pour some vinegar with little laundry powder on delicate cycle and put fabric/blocks in after it started washing....I don't see why you couldn't use an bag that made for delicates items. Everything came out great for me, no torn edges or bundle up piles!