I will be surprised if your vinegar doesn't work. My husband accuses me of being part bear because I can smell things no one else can smell. (The bears sense of smell is 400 times more than man's.) So I can understand what you are saying. After you wash the fabric, consider hanging them outside for a while. And ask some of your quilting buddies to smell the fabric - if they can't smell it, then chances are the fabric is okay. I got some fabric from a smoker and I thought I was going to wash the color out of the fabric before the smell came out. Not sure if it was the baking soda or the vinegar but it finally stopped smelling.