I rarely ever come across a piece of fabric that is in perfect shape.
I gather almost all of my fabric from thrift stores, yard sales, recycling centers, and the occasional dumpster, and its condition generally ranges from very well-loved to near-pristine with the odd red wine or tomato sauce stain.
A lot of vintage fabrics can be restored, but some stains, or fading, or damage from long-term folding, can’t be restored to the same color or strength of the the original fabric.
And that’s an additional challenge to the fun of working with thrifted or vintage fabrics. Here’s how to work around the blemishes: