Latrinka--thanks for the commiseration and the suggestion....Decades ago I used Goo Gone to remove gum from kids' clothing and wax stains from tablecloths but never to remove melted poly fibers. It leaves an oily spot which I could sometimes remove successfully, sometimes not...I can and will test various products with samples left over from the quilt, but wanted to check with the experts on this site before testing to see what products or processes they might suggest. The quilt is an applique Dresden, so it won't hold up to a lot of scrubbing, and I am afraid to use hot water for fear it melts the poly even further into the quilt fibers. Thanks again.