Retro-Clean washing issue
 

Hello everyone. I am actually posting this question on behalf of a friend. She was cleaning out an elderly relatives home that recently passed due to Covid-19 and came across several hand appliqued quilt blocks. Several were stained from what her family thought was bc they were in an old wooden chest without any type of protection. So one of the daughters took the blocks and got some Retro-Clean at a quilt shop. She followed the directions and although most of the stains came out, the black stitching around the applique (looked like embroidery floss) faded to gray in many spots. Some of the blocks were allowed to sit in the solution longer then others depending on the level of yellowing and stains. So I get a phone call from my mother who is elderly asking what they can do to "fix them." I am new to quilting, but have been doing cross stitch and embroidery for years. The only thing I thought of was to take 2 strands of good DMC floss and go over the faded lines. But that would be a lot of work for these women. Does anyone think a black permanent fabric pen would work? Or any other ideas? The picture I zoomed in on what they are wanting to fix.

Oh, what a shame! :( And that's very odd that there would be that much difference in fading within just a few inches of stitches. https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/shock.png

I would check and see if the thread is still sound. Does it break easily? Like with a little pull with a toothpick? If so, you'll probably have to re-do the stitching.

If you go with re-coloring, I would use a permanent fabric marker like Fabrico, Pigma Micron or Identi-Pen - colors made to be safe on fabric.

Good luck! I hope it turns out beautifully!

It almost looks like it was variegated thread - making it a design choice https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images...es/biggrin.png

I couldn't find any at dmc.com or anchorcrafts.com but did at https://www.ebay.com/itm/25494694680...75.c101224.m-1

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.
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I know black is a very hard thread to dye per thread manufacturers. One of the first questions people in the know ask if I am having trouble with thread breaking is "is it black" because of the difficulty in dying it, it apparently weakens the thread. I don't know if this is true for the older threads as maybe the black dyes back then just didn't "dye" the cotton as well and so are easier to fade with chemicals? Don't know how my comment helps. I sort of like the variegated look too.

I think you could go over it carefully with a marker, but I wouldn't. We already had one unexpected thing happen while trying to deal with another thing... I'd also be concerned about the soundness of the threads/quilt in general and would treat it delicately, but I'd probably go over with a new round of thread rather than mark each stitch.

As for the black thread, Sewingpup, what I've been told is that black thread is often thread that failed their color tests or had other problems and has been reworked multiple times. So maybe it started as beige and turned into pink and then into black, each time going through sets of processes to set/release color and wind/rewind the thread. Cotton thread, like fibers, do have directions -- many of us have been trained to thread our needles as it comes off the spool. But if it kinks and causes problems, then thread by the cut end so the thread is reversed.

The best bet is to leave it. It may have simply deteriorated to the point that the dye didn't hold. As long as the threads are still there, it will be fine. Not like before but okay.

I agree with this. If the rest is faded, I think intensely dark "stitching" would look weird and out of place.

I also would choose to leave it as is, and consider the fading as part of the "old charm" of the quilt.

Thanks everyone--I think everyone decided to leave it alone. Just was very odd that certain areas like that faded. I suggested to put some small hand stitches near the areas that faded to keep the fabric attached to the muslin if there is concern of the strength of the blanket stitch around the applique.