Expert: Henry Babcock - 7/21/2008

Question
I have a bleached out spot--about the size of a silver dollar--on an antique, hand-stitched seat cover.  Is there anything I can do to restore the color, or even re-dye the discolored area to the original deep-red color?  Kind regards.

Answer
Kevin,

If it was bleached out, the color is gone.  If you try to dye the area,  you will almost certainly not be able to match the color.

Your best bet is to remove the stitching in the bleached out area, and restitch with the closest matching color threads.

Since it's on a seat cover, you might have to remove the piece to make the repairs.  If you do this, I would recommend that the piece be cleaned.  The original colors will be clearer for a better match of the new threads.

I wish I could help more,

Henry Babcock
AllExperts Needlepoint Expert