A friend of mine found a quilt top (small nine patch scrappy blocks)at a garage sale. It is sewn very nicely and about the size of a queen, although I would like to add a border. But it has obviously been kept in a trunk with moth balls. The smell is VERY strong. How do I get rid of the smell? I will have to do that first before I can work on the quilt--or I will be blowing my head off!

I would spray it with fabrize and let it air out on a line outside. (as long as it is not raining) that is probably the best thing to do till you get it bound and can wash it properly.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4453525_get-...all-smell.html

sounds like time, air and warmth is what you need.

This may sound crazy but newspaper is supposed to absorb odor. If all else fails or there is a bit of a smell left, you might want to crumple up newspaper sheets and place them on back of quilt.

I think the naphtha in mothballs is volatile--air it in a shady, sheltered place--the odor should evaporate. That's what Mom did with our winter coats and her furs.

My daughter helped me with a table runner. When I got it back it smelled so bad it made me sick to my stomach. (The odor was cigaret smoke and vomit.) My quilt class teacher told me to spray with Fabreze and close it in a plastic bag over night. Next morning the smell was gone!

I've heard that charcoal will do the same. Put the fabric in then set some charcoal in a box or something and close it all up.

do not use anything on it..the chemicals in the moth balls will just get worse...

hang it outside with a sheet over it to protect it from direct sunlight...might take a week or more though!

Fresh air and sunshine!