Stains
 

bought an unfinished quilt top which has storage stains on the muslin, how can I remove them?

I would quilt and bind the top before attempting to remove stains. Wash first in Synthrapol to make sure none of the dyes bleed, then follow directions at http://www.retroclean.com to remove the stains.

It's risky to wash a top that has not been quilted, especially since fabrics can shrink in different ways. This can result in a distorted top that will not iron flat. Quilting prevents fabrics from shrinking so radically.

I soaked an old quilt in Oxyclean - it took out all those stains much to my delight.

I would recommend soaking in a product called Restoration. It is made specifically for vintage and fine fabrics, and will take out many, many stains. I would deal with the stains before putting any time or effort into finishing the top. You can soak it in the washing machine, just do not agitate at all. Put the Restoration into the water to dissolve, then add the top and push it all down into the water with your hand and let soak---all day or night is ok. Spin it out, then add rinse water, and let that soak, again, with NO agitation. Spin that out and do another rinse the same way. If possible, lay flat to dry (outside ontop of a clean sheet in the shade, with another clean sheet ontop of it if it's under a tree and birds may dirty it). If that's not possible, hang it over a clothesline to dry.