I have not read all 12 pages so forgive me if this is a repeat. I think I would baste it well with thread not pins and wash it with one or more of the suggestions here before going on with hand quilting.
Now to the cat. We had a male cat and his eliminations smelled horrible for years. he was also that cat the if you looked at him wrong he would puke on command. One day he got diareha. We took him to the vet and locked him in the bathroom while we gave him medicine after medicine for three months trying to get rid of the multitude of ailments the vet said he had. After three months and lots of money I got fed up with the vet changing his mind and had it out with him. We switched vets. The new vet said the cat had irritable bowel syndrome and to change his food to a natural food. We chose Natures Choice for sensitive stomachs. In one week the cat was fine and out of the bathroom. THe biggest bonus was no more smelly eliminations!!! Number one and two were practically odorless. He has since died of old age but we do the same with our two new cats and you would never know we had cats. High quality food is essential for odor free cats ownership.