I was pawing through my closet for a blue. This one was perfect, but look at the yellow!! It looks like it started on the fold lines. This piece has been in my closet for years--not exposed to sun in any way. Is it just from age--and quality? It seems to be a nice close weave. I'm going to toss it.

It looks like a stain maybe you could wash it out.

I've had some do that. I have assumed it was from household dust and smoke.

Don't toss it away, toss it in the washer. It looks like it would come out. Also a lot of it isn't stained and you could take your cuts from areas that aren't yellow if it doesn't come out. If you still aren't happy with it, donate it to good will. Don't leave it for a landfill, I am sure someone would be happy to have it.

I would give it a wash before considering tossing it. Maybe you can rescue some of it for a small project.

If you're really going to toss it, toss it my way! ;)

There's never been smoke in here--from cigarettes--ever. We do have a wood furnace, but this piece was in the back of a closet--behind other fabrics. Another blue piece I pulled from a back pile had some too--but in streaks--not on the fold lines. These are old pieces, but I thought that didn't make a difference.

The reason I wouldn't use it is because I wouldn't want the "good" parts now to become yellow in the future--while it's in a quilt! That would be terrible, esp. if I sold it! And if I gave it away, I'd want the person to see what was wrong. I'd not add it to the landfill--I'd use it for something else--I meant toss it from quilting purposes. :wink:

They're in the washer now.

Is the closet painted or plain wood shelf? Wood will do that to fabric. It will come out, it's just from sitting for so long.

The closet walls are painted white, and the shelves are wood, but I covered them with fabric or batting before putting fabric in.

They're in the dryer now... that will set the stain if it didn't come out, but I won't use it if it's still there. Oh--I hope it washed out. These two blues are the perfect hue for this baby quilt. I think the second one I found will be fine, but the one I posted is the worry one.

I checked a bunch of other fabrics and they're fine.

Any part of that shelf not covered will cause yellowing of fabric. I had a closet lined with pine and all my clothes stored in there yellowed down the sleeves and over the shoulder area.

Did it come out in the wash, Shadow???

Yes, I got it out. :)

Darn--this didn't all come out. It's definitely improved, Since out of two stacks of blues in there, these two are the only ones that will work, I'm going to selvage what I can for this baby quilt. I need 2" strips, so that should make it easy to avoid the trouble spots.

Have you tried Oxiclean? I use it all the time when I am cleaning up vintage chenille. I love the fact that it cleans without bleach.

Glad to hear that you can salvedge most of it :D:D:D

You can get that stain out. You may have to soak and wash it more than once.

Try this. I know it worked for my stains!

Soak only the stained area with a mixture of Dawn dish soap and a dissolved denture cleansing tablet in 1/4 c water. Mix together. Use a soft toothbrush to scrub it in lightly. Soak over night. Wash in warm water. After washing, check stained area if still visible, repeat the wash/soak cycle, before drying. Drying will set the stain.

I am hoping you can save this fabric. :thumbup:

DeeDee

Well--I needed 8 2" strips is all, so I used the other fabric--not the one posted. I'm thinking that one looked yellowish as an optical illusion--it's just part of the coloring and light I had it in. I cut the stains from the other one, but just can't use it--just in case something happens. I'd not sleep well. :wink: We always need rags... so that's what they'll be.

I just saw the post above... and if this was a newer piece, I'd work very hard to get it out, but this is a very old fabric--could be from Wal-Mart or Joanne's 10+ years ago... so it's not hard to let it go. It's just it was the perfect shade! :? I'd use this as an excuse to shop tomorrow, but I'm trying to use up stash!

great idea, try washing it.

I'm glad to hear you can salvage at least part of it. It is pretty fabric.

are you sure it isn't faded? i've had both reds and blues fade on the fold lines in my dark basement where i have only two teeny weeny windows and they were packed in dark tubs.

It could definitely be faded. Weird, huh?

OOPS! :mrgreen:

that's cheese breath:wink:

In my closet, I have wood shelves without paint/etc. I should cover them with something to protect the fabric?? Good to know, glad I read this thread

How about if you use it in the middle of a layered raggedy quilt?

I have an old quilt that did that as well (it's actually hanging on my chair behind me right now). I did everything I could do to it to get the stains out, but while they lightened a bit, they definitely remained. As it is a white quilt, they're very noticeable.

As far as I can tell, they're just age/fold lines. As long as the rest of the fabric, when used in a quilt, is not sitting folded forever, should be fine. I really don't understand WHY these things happen, I only recognize the circumstances in which they happen - in this case sitting, folded, for a long period, will often result in yellowing/discoloration on the fold lines.

Did you have it sitting directly on a wood shelf. Over time it may have picked up the stain of the wood.

I didn't have it - my dad gave it to me hoping I could preserve it from gaining any other stains. So now it's getting used, and appreciated, because it's absolutely beautiful even though it's stained.

The same thing happened to a piece of my fabric that was pink. It turned yellow and I pre soaked it in Spray-n-wash and it did not come out. I will just cut around it. Mine was stored on wooden shelves and no other piece is like that. Not even my white fabric. I am thinking it is some sort of chemical reaction to fabric. Barnbum was your fabric washed before it was put on your shelf? Mine was not pre-washed. :-(

Yes--all mine is washed first. It's been in several places through the years, but the longest on that shelf. All wood is covered before fabric goes on. Even my wooden ladders have fabric draped over the rungs before fabric is hung. That pieces was in the middle of a stack--it never touched the wood. I guess some fabric does indeed have a shelf life. Bummer.