Depends on what the fabris is and what the thread is...
I would snip a piecs of thread from the back and see if it's color fast.
In the grand scheme of things 20 years ago was 1986 and not really that long ago. Likely the yarns were just like what would be used today.
Buy some embroidery floss and wash it! I know people who cross stitches sets of tablecloths and napkins and wash them often.
Linda C

The dang thing has marker out-lining that is not perm marker and it runs. Any ideas now? Steam clean? Or just leave it alone?

You might want to take it a dry cleaners; call around for one who can clean handcrafted items (not just dump in the cleaning fluid).

Antique and many newer cross-stitched items usually have to be removed from the frame, fastened (with thread or with stainless steel tacks) to a cleaning frame and then cleaned by hand. A very time-consuming process. The marker poses a problem in that it should have been permanent (and covered with pattern threads). However, if this is a pattern which someone marked on the fabric (not a commercial kit) then there is no telling what sort of marker was used!

You have a choice: to unframe it and risk handwashing with woolite or similar soap in tepid water, followed with several rinses of water (add 2T vinegar to each pint of rinse water), pat gently with clean, dry toweling until dampish; immediately re-stretch it onto the frame and tack down; lay flat to dry. I do not recommend washing with a soft brush while it remains on the frame, due to a high chance of the frame itself causing stains (or coming unfastened, or warping, or being broken as the wet item dries). Risks include marker smearing onto threads, the threads themselves coming undone, the backing may shrink and/or the threads may shrink, the re-stretching can be tricky to do: the whole thing might dry warped, or there might be insufficient backing to enable proper tacking. Unfortunately, there is a likelihood of the canvas [backing] shrinking unless it had been pre-shrunk before the stitching was done. The good part is that being only 20 years old, it is probable that the threads are colorfast.

The other choice is to have a picture framer re-frame it into a glass-fronted, sealed picture. That will block most or all of the smell, but loses the visual texture that makes handwork so pleasing. That also leaves the discoloration.

If I couldn't find an experienced dry cleaner, and didn't want to have it framed behind glass, and was willing to risk having the item totally ruined, then I would go with the handwashing.

We ruined a cross stitch that had non permanent marker underneath when we gave it to be framed. The framers used water when stretching it and the ink ran.

I would stay away from anything wet.

Marie - My sympathy, that must have been really frustrating for both you and the framer. That happened to my mum, which is why I'm sensitive on the subject! I've seen so many handcraft directions that forget to specify using waterproof, colorfast markers as they cheerfully encourage one to design-it-yourself, yet ALL needlework *has* to be wetted for proper finishing! Goes along with their lack of explanation on beginning and ending each thread properly. Auurrghhh.

Anyhow [and IMHO only once in a while], runny marker can be removed by dabbing with isopropyl alcohol and blotting up the dab. One can also use dry cleaning fluid (also dab and blot). In both cases, there is a real risk of removing the color from the threads. OTOH, if it's already ruined, there is nothing left to lose from trying to remove the marker ink.

This happened over 15 years ago and I still have the cross stitch. It was DH's original design and absolutely gorgeous. But it's been in the drawer ever since this mishap.

Is there anything we can do now to try to get the couple of parts where the ink bled back to normal? Or is it a lost cause at this point in time?

If I could surprise DH by having it cleaned up and getting it framed, he'd be very appreciative. And I owe him one. He surprised me with something this week that I didn't think existed but he found it. It was an old TV show that I watched as a young child.

So, any help would be greatly appreciated!

I say leave it alone!!...I would do a "dry cleaning" sort of thing...by dumping on corn meal and gently sort of rubbing it around and then shake and/or vacuum out. The cornmeal will absorb greasy dirt....and you may want to repeat.
It's not the best cleaning method....but it won't do any harm.
Linda C