Help! DMC floss bled

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

My husband made a beautiful cardinal cross stitch (I taught him how to do it years ago, & he does it to relax after work).

He typically washes the finished projects in cold water with Woolite, and in 22 years of cross stitching, neither one of us has ever had DMC floss bleed.  Well it did on his finished piece this time.  The red bled into the white cross stitch fabric.

Does anyone have any recommendations on how to get rid of it?  It's not bright red, but you can see that the fabric isn't white anymore, sort of a lightish pink.

Thanks for all your help. 

[LadyShadow]

Have you tried a bleach pen to carefully clean it?  That is the only thing I can think of.  I've never had floss bleed before.

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

Have you tried a bleach pen to carefully clean it?  That is the only thing I can think of.  I've never had floss bleed before.

I mentioned that to Steve, but then we wondered if the bleach would do something to the canvas material.  I thought about buying a bleach pen, but that is what has stopped me up to now.  I'd hate to put a hole in the canvas.  I don't know if it's real material or some kind of plastic-y thing (no, it isn't the regular plastic canvas).


Thanks for your suggestion.  We might just go ahead and try it on a scrap piece before trying it on the finished picture.

[LadyShadow]

I would do exactly that, try it on a scrap piece first.  And I've used it on mystery craft things before, and if you just do it lightly it shouldn't be a problem.  But definitely test first.  Hope you can get it out.