Charity Quilt Tops Smell Too Bad to Quilt
#51
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Somewhere in Time
Posts: 2,697
#52
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Horse Country, FL
Posts: 7,341
Try setting them outside in the sun for an hour to kill any mold spores and then letting them sit outside in a more shaded place for the rest of the day. If you can get a fan blowing on them to help circulate the air around them, that would be really helpful. Hanging them on a closeline is ideal but laying them out across patio furniture should work.
#53
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 6,430
IMHO: Don't spin them or dry them or the tops will ravel into the seam lines. A friend gave me a top her grandmother pieced and it smelled so she ruined it by washing it. Entire pieces shredded. So, use Lysol or Febreeze and line dry before you attempt to do anything with them. Good luck and let us know if it works.
#54
Super Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Central Wisconsin
Posts: 4,391
Thanks for all the advice. I opted to wash and dry them. They actually came out really good. Only found two seams that opened up. And that is because the seam allowance was way too narrow. So it would have happened the first time the quilt was washed.
So I'll repair it and quilt them and return them. Next time I'll know better than to take quilts that need washing. I think the thing for me to do is find a place I can donate where I make the quilt from start to finish thus eliminating the need to work with other people's fabrics. This is supposed to be a fun hobby and this has been anything but. SVAL
So I'll repair it and quilt them and return them. Next time I'll know better than to take quilts that need washing. I think the thing for me to do is find a place I can donate where I make the quilt from start to finish thus eliminating the need to work with other people's fabrics. This is supposed to be a fun hobby and this has been anything but. SVAL
Another thing I was going to say, is to use a diluted solution of chlorine bleach as a last resort. That almost always gets rid of musty smells and doesn't fade fabric as much as you might think.
#55
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 130
why cant you put them in a sink with vinegar and swish them around. why would you want to try to cover up the smell and give them away. people don't deserve to get junk like that. if its that bad throw it away. people have other problems. why would I want to wrap myself around something that stinks.
Last edited by puma; 08-27-2016 at 06:49 AM. Reason: added to post
#56
Power Poster
Join Date: May 2008
Location: MN
Posts: 24,474
I am in the cranky pants group -
send it back with "regrets" and not make myself ill over the stuff.
If the people get their undies in a bunch - so sad, too bad.
I definitely would NOT want to receive a finished item that smelled icky. Why would I want to work on something that smells bad?
(Okay - I lived on a farm - there are some smells there that I probably would not want at a tea party, but they did not make me ill. The smells were "acceptable" outside - but not in the house!)
send it back with "regrets" and not make myself ill over the stuff.
If the people get their undies in a bunch - so sad, too bad.
I definitely would NOT want to receive a finished item that smelled icky. Why would I want to work on something that smells bad?
(Okay - I lived on a farm - there are some smells there that I probably would not want at a tea party, but they did not make me ill. The smells were "acceptable" outside - but not in the house!)
#57
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 9,568
I sometimes struggle with that also. But I have learned that some people seem to be offended no matter what you do so you just have to do your best and let it go if they aren't happy about it.
#58
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: England
Posts: 261
I'm so glad you have found a solution, although you shouldn't have been put in that predicament in the first place.
Having made a few QoV myself from the fabric I purchased and from donations, I only had one parcel that I had to refuse. Her heart was on the right place, but she had kept the fabric in what was obviously a smoking environment. Hubby and I don't smoke and don't allow anyone to smoke in our house because of the smell.
Luckily, the donation was in a bag and handed over to the local quilt shop to be given to me and I opened the bag there. It stunk to high heavens and the people in the shop agreed with me to send it back with a thank you and a polite explanation.
I hope the quilts turn out well.
Having made a few QoV myself from the fabric I purchased and from donations, I only had one parcel that I had to refuse. Her heart was on the right place, but she had kept the fabric in what was obviously a smoking environment. Hubby and I don't smoke and don't allow anyone to smoke in our house because of the smell.
Luckily, the donation was in a bag and handed over to the local quilt shop to be given to me and I opened the bag there. It stunk to high heavens and the people in the shop agreed with me to send it back with a thank you and a polite explanation.
I hope the quilts turn out well.
#59
I also am glad you were able to de-smell the quilts enough to finish them. Bless your heart, that is terrible! I know many people store their fabrics in the basement not realizing the consequences.
I do have to say something to the ladies who mentioned fabreaze, This stuff is toxic! I read where many people get deathly sick from it and it will not wash out, ever! I am sorry, but, I had to tell you. Just google it and some articles will come up.
I do have to say something to the ladies who mentioned fabreaze, This stuff is toxic! I read where many people get deathly sick from it and it will not wash out, ever! I am sorry, but, I had to tell you. Just google it and some articles will come up.
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