Laundry help!

[Mango]

Okay, laundry goddesses: In the last couple of hours I've found a stain not covered by Oprah or her minions. Before I google it, let's hear your wisdom.

I have what appears to be rust stains on embroidery floss on an appliqued quilt block. I haven't laid eyes on the quilt blocks in YEARS, therefore the stains are very old. My grandmother and I worked on these blocks when I was about 9 years old, and she died 4 years later. So I would rather keep the stains than ruin the block. I'm hoping to make pillow shams out of them.

Whatcha think? I tried a Tide pen so far, and it didn't do much. (A little, but not much.)

I'm not really a doctor, I just play one. (or married to the laundry god for that matter)

Are you sure it's rust? My MIL does quilting and some of the squares were old cut outs from clothes, and old fabrics she collected. She has one that has peach and orange colors in it that I noticed had something a little similar going on?
I would take it to the dry cleaners, it's too special to mess around with.

 

[NoHall]

I'm not really a doctor, I just play one. (or married to the laundry god for that matter)

You're a funny woman!:funn:

Are you sure it's rust? My MIL does quilting and some of the squares were old cut outs from clothes, and old fabrics she collected. She has one that has peach and orange colors in it that I noticed had something a little similar going on?
I would take it to the dry cleaners, it's too special to mess around with.

I got no idea what it is! It's rust-colored, and I know that quilt blocks will get rust spots from needles/pins. I'm just assuming, really.

 

[Mango]

You're a funny woman!:funn:



I got no idea what it is! It's rust-colored, and I know that quilt blocks will get rust spots from needles/pins. I'm just assuming, really.

Doh, I skipped over the blocks part.

I helped my MIL with a quilt (she is legally blind) and we didn't use blocks. We used paper patterns, so I know squat about it. I just sewed the fabric by hand onto the paper.
Can you take the pins out of blocks and dry clean the fabric?

Maybe you can check out some quilting sites and see what they say if you can't take the fabric off?
.

 

[NoHall]

Doh, I skipped over the blocks part.

I helped my MIL with a quilt (she is legally blind) and we didn't use blocks. We used paper patterns, so I know squat about it. I just sewed the fabric by hand onto the paper.
Can you take the pins out of blocks and dry clean the fabric?

Maybe you can check out some quilting sites and see what they say if you can't take the fabric off?
.

No --when I say "blocks" I mean they're a section of a quilt that haven't been put together yet. I attached a picture of a block (not my block, just one I pulled up on the internet.) You make 9 or 15 or however many of those, and sew them together to make a top.

My blocks don't have the pins in them anymore, but I suspect that pins and needles must leave some sort of metallic residue. Both my grandmothers left behind unfinished work, and only the unfinished pieces have the stains. I rarely find a problem once a quilt is finished and washed, but those rusty stains are impossible to remove.

I haven't tried a dry cleaner, but I'm going to check into it.