lclang

Do NOT wash the quilt top until it is quilted again. Find out what kind of marking you have on the top and then deal with it. If you wash that top you will create a lot more problems with the top becoming wonky. If you can remove the marks carefully. If that doesn't work use a different method for marking again and leave the original marks until it is requilted and then wash it.

Phyllisbrooks

I recently had to remove 11" of a quilt. It was for someone else and there were lots of triangles and a new quilter. It looked very bad so I separated the top from the batting--using a single edge razor blade and putting a little tension was able to remove all of them in about an hour. She believed the batting to be Warm N Natural but I don't know what it was but it did lay flat and I knew that a poly would make it puff up instead of all those tucks. It did turn out well with very few tucks. Thank, God! I used masking tape to remove the loose stitches and tweezers for the difficult ones. I did not pre-wash because I didn't want to deal with all the fraying. I'm fairly new to this but would post a picture if I knew where except for the gallery.

mustangquilts

Use cold water. Warm may set the colors depending on the type of markers. I use Pam Clarks sew clean. I use either a q-tip dipped it the sew clean or a begone pen filled with the liquid and it takes all marks out. Takes a while but I know the marks are gone forever.

DOTTYMO

I king up thread a soft rubber is useful.

AnnieSue

Do you mean you want to wash it to remove the needle holes from the quilting? or remove the marking?

ManiacQuilter2

Yes, I agree that the bobbin side is always easier to remove. Washing the top without being quilted will make a bigger problem that won't be able to be resolved. You didn't explain what type of markings are on the quilt top. You have to be so careful not to do anything that would set those markings to be permanent!!

quiltstringz

If you are just wanting to get rid of the needle holes, try spritizing it lightly and rubbing a soft (think baby) toothbrush. This will normally close the holes up. OR just don't worry about them and when you have it requilted wash it.

Anne P

I feel your pain! I just finished "un-quilting" about half of a throw I'm making for my MIL because I was very unhappy with the quilting. It's the largest quilt I've done and also one on which the quilting really shows. The quilting thread blended much better on all the others I've done. Also, I did a bunch of spirals, which was a new-to-me FMQ stitch.
I didn't worry about previous marks or needle holes because I believe those will be taken care of when I give it a final washing.
In the end I am glad I did all that stitch ripping because now that I'm quilting it again it's looking a little better. I had given it to her at Christmas (more like shown it to her because it wasn't finished). It's made from my DFIL's shirts (he died three years ago last Thursday). Mom didn't care if the quilting wasn't perfect (she said everyone has to practice) because the quilt itself means a lot to her. Hope to have it all done for Mother's Day.
Good luck with your fixing. I'm sure it will be worth it once it's done.

joy

I said sewing marks...( needle holes)... there are no marks on the materials at all... just there will be lots of needle holes to close up... so will try a brush or something like that... thanks everyone, you have all given me some very good advice on this problem....