Advice needed please
 

Hi all,

I am sooooooooo dissapointed!! I have been working on collecting and saving fabric for a particular quilt for some time. I had found the pattern on the Andover free patterns page, and fell in love with it for a very good friend. Fit her perfectly. I wanted to do the pattern exactly as it was shown with the same fabrics. The majority of the fabric I had to buy from the actual designer as I couldnt find it in stores. I had emailed them to inquire about it and they did have it for sale. So I bought it in a few broken up purchases.

Ive started cutting the fabric and am quite a ways through when I started noticing that most of the fabric reeks of cigarette smoke!!!!!! I am totally flabberghasted!!! Not only that, but one of the pieces has a lot of mildew on it.

I just dont know what to do. I have sent an email about it, but Im not sure what the resolution is. I have a lot of cutting done. Im just so dissapointed.

What stinks of smoke - the fabric from the designer or the fabric from fabric shops?
Same question for mildew?

Are you certain that someone hasn't smoked near the fabric in your house?

The smoke can be dealt with - put the fabric in a plastic bag with either baking soda or vinegar (not both - they'll react)

You might be able to get the mildew out with oxygen bleach (like oxyclean). I would try one or a few pieces first. You'll need water for this. I would handwash, rinse, and then dry on a towel.

Oh it most definitely was not from my home. My father died of lung cancer and we are big no smokers. And on the off chance someone tried to sneak it, Im a stay at home mom.... Wouldn't get past me. Lol. I bought the fabric directly from the designer.

I can't wet the fabric as some of its cut and some not and I don't want uneven shrinkage. This just isn't something I should even have to be dealing with! Arugh! As for the mildew, I just cut around it. @@

one of those (reasons) many of us bring packages into the house- open them in the laundry room & put the fabrics right into the wash- before it goes anywhere near the sewing room we wash & dry it- then take our new, freshly laundered soft wonderful new fabric into our sewing space to iron it & either use it or fold it to put away. you never know what you will bring into your home that comes from a stranger's home. since you've already cut the fabric & don't want to wash it now- you will need to struggle through the smell & wash the finished quilt. i'm surprised you did not notice it when you opened the packages- i can usually tell as soon as i open the packages- even if the fabric is in plastic bags.

That's horrible that anyone would sell you something in that shape. Let us know what they say when you get a reply. I'm curious.

Try putting the cut pieces of fabric in a plastic bag with an opened bar of Irish Spring soap. I have used this method to rid textiles of funky smells. You can also try it with the uncut fabrics, just make sure you open them up in the bags, don't keep them folded so air can circulate around it.

Can you put it in a bag with one of those baking soda discs for the fridge

Okay, I'll try some of these.... I've got enough fabric that I can try them ALL! lol! Now I'm wondering, what should I expect from the seller? I mean, it was from an Andover designer, and from her 'store'....... I don't know what the protocol is here. Am I just out of luck? I kind of feel like.... if I'd have gotten this off eBay then I'm taking a risk, but from a professional? I just kind of think I deserve better than this!

I can tell you from experience, the smoke will come out when you finish the quilt and bind it. I had purchased some jelly rolls from ebay. It smelled so bad when we picked it up from post office we had to put it in the back of the truck!

Oh and I'd like to mention that this is a very well known designer. I don't want to say who because I don't want to..... well.. you know, I don't want to 'trash talk'.... I just want guidance in this. Thanks.