As a reminder, this is the before picture.
First, I tried some Dawn dish soap, the blue kind. I left it on for a long time, then rinsed it out. While it lightened a little bit, it was still very visible.
I asked around at the HMQS last weekend, and many seemed to think that the Dawn would not be strong enough for the black grease. They recommended stronger cleaning agents like "Sew Clean." I didn't really want to use anything stronger on my quilt, so I resorted to unpicking the pink rectangle which contained the grease. I did this one evening after the boys were in bed.
The next afternoon, I carefully cut away the pink rectangle, still leaving a seam allowance.
Then I used cardstock to help me iron a new piece with a seam allowance.
I pinned it in place. (This step was easier because all of the seams were originally pressed away from the light pink rectangle.)
Then I appliqued it into place. It really wasn't any more work than it would be to add a large label.
Then I took it to my Tiara and quilted it with the same design. 6,700 stitches later it was all fixed.
I am pleased with how it looks on the front and the back. (Cheetah thought it was a good thing that my backing wasn't a true solid, and I agree.)
I know that this may seem like a lot of work for one small grease spot, but it was worth it to me.
The quilt is now all finished, and I will be sharing it as part of the Blogger's Quilt Festival this weekend. So here is a sneak peek...
I totally love it!
I just wanted to add a big "Thank you!" to everyone who commiserated with me about the grease spot and offered suggestions for removing it.
XX,
Jasmine
P.S. I will be linking up with some of the fun parties on my sidebar. There is something fun for every day of the week.
Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and pick it apart :) It looks fabulous! Did you try other things to remove the spot after you had the block out of the quilt? Would be interesting to hear if you found anything that worked.
ReplyDeleteWow - a lot of work but a wonderful result! I'm sure you're much happier with it than if you had left the spot. Beautiful FMQ.
ReplyDeleteI admire you for taking the plunge and doing what was right for you to fix the problem - it looks great and I hope you have a lot of fun sharing it in the Blogger's Quilt Festival! :) And, my goodness, Cheetah is quite the quilt connoisseur! What an observant comment about a solid backing!
ReplyDeleteI can totally understand having to get that stain out. When you work so hard on something you don't want any blemishes on it. You did a great job fixing the quilt. Looks good as new.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to make yourself tackle a big fix sometimes. Jasmine, you did a great job making it all look like nothing bad had ever happened. You'll be so much happier with the quilt now too!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a beautiful quilt, I am glad you fixed the block. You quilting is stunning. I look forward to more pictures soon!
ReplyDeleteSo worth the work to fix it! From the sneak peek I can tell this quilt is stunning.
ReplyDeleteoh man that is a lot of work! But if you feel it was worth it, and it fixed the problem, then hurray!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you showed how to replace a block... a great tutorial for repair work. My Grandma's Double Wedding Ring needs lots of repairs. The fabrics are just not holding up to the previous washes (performed by my Aunt). Now that I see how to make the cardstock template, I have a place to start.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing this.
Hugs
Wow, you did an amazing job!
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed thwt you did all of that so nicely. you did a great job replacing the block and your quilt is stunning...I love the pattern and your quilting!!!!
ReplyDeleteGood luck in the festival...you have my vote.
Looks like it truly was worth the effort, Jasmine. Your quilt is stunningly beautiful! I know you will get lots of comments!
ReplyDeleteNice!! I am glad you were able to fix your quilt. Excellent job! :-)
ReplyDeleteWow! Sorry you had to unpick it, but you can't even tell it's not the original now that it's finished. You did a great job lining up the quilting with the piece that stayed behind!
ReplyDeletethis worked out great.
ReplyDeleteI think they should make grease pink.That would save us a lot of grief,,,,, and work.
Well done. You are ready to be a quilt surgeon
Oh, I commiserate with this one! Picking everything out and appliquing a new piece is a pain - I definitely know! But worth it to make us happy in the end. Looks great!
ReplyDeleteSmart. Love your solution. No one would ever guess. You did a fabulous job of the quilting on this beauty. Good luck in the festival! She's a winner in my books!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great fix, no one would ever be able to tell. I'm glad you found a solution that worked!
ReplyDelete