salederer

I have a cousin who swears she can get anything out by making a paste with oxiclean and water and applying it directly to the problem area before washing. Couldn't hurt.

qbtexas

Did I not JUST SAY I didn't want to go from worse to ruined? The color grabbers and bleach pen helped a little (and the pen took out some extra color, but not too bad) and then I tried the Carbona anyway?! It started pulling dye from the fabrics like crazy. No, not just the stains. The nice deep red in some of the stripes on the back, etc. OMFG! I whisked it out of the sink and into the washer with more color grabbers. My poor friend is going to get a quilt that will need to stay folded. Or else he doesn't get one. I'd cry if I weren't so aggravated.

PurplePassion

I am so sorry you are having to deal with this. This is why I always prewash all my fabrics. And don't do exchanges anymore.Hopefully the color grabbers will pick up some more of the dyes. I am sure the quilt will still be warm and useful for your friend, just tell him it is tye-dyed.

qbtexas

The Carbona ruined it. And I think it got to too much area of the quilt to even just cut it off. I should have known better. Like the saying goes, "The opposite of good is better." I'm going to be polite and not type the words I am thinking. I have never had this happen in any quilt, ever. The crying will happen later, I think. Or wine. Now just dumbfounded shock.

MamaDonna

I remember my mom using Vinegar to set colors. Does this apply to quilting fabrics etc and would you apply vinegar to rinse cycle?

Prism99

Vinegar was used to set some organic dyes. It does not work on the type of dyes used commercially these days. It won't hurt fabric, but it really does not do anything for the fabric.

Mimiqwerty

Rit (like the fabric dye you can buy in the grocery store) makes a product to remove color that has bled onto other colors. You can find it next to the bottles of dye. I used it once years ago to remove red that had bled onto the white stripes of a cotton top. It worked well for that. I can't say how it might work on a quilt, but if all else fails, that might be an option to look into.

qbtexas

It's over. About a 2 x 3 block (maybe 30 x 45 inches) section of the quilt is ruined--imagine if you threw battery acid on it. Not sure if anyone would have a use for a 39 x 70" quilt....maybe as a lap quilt? That is the only option...cutting off the bad part to make a rectangle again, and re-binding. I am not in love with this project enough to go back and piece a bunch of squares, try to fit them back on, re-do quilting, etc. What kills me is the money I put into having it quilted is gone. (less worried about my time, and I bought all supplies in the late 90's).

Which leaves me with the dilemma of....who gets the good quilt of the pair? My friend or the Wounded Warriors? I'm so bummed. and mad at myself.

toolazy

Oh my word. What a ghastly thing to happen to your hard work.

Seems to me no reason to be mad at yourself? You tried your best to fix something that was not fixable, alas .

If your friend needs a quilt and the good one is suitable, I would gift it to your friend. If not suited to your friend, then WW. And whoever doesn't get the good quilt can wait until you have time and inclination to make another that is just right.

Perhaps the non-bleeding parts of the other could be rebound and gifted to a local animal shelter?

Cass62

I'm so sorry things turned out this way! I agree with toolazy, give the surviving quilt to your friend. Perhaps the damaged quilt could be re-fashioned into a table runner or other item. I can see why you are hesitant to participate in a block exchange again. What a disappointment.