washing step as mentioned above or alternatively after washing but prior to drying of the fabric after washing but prior to drying and preferably after mechanical removal the pile fabric is preferably neutralized with an acid neutralizing solution containing as a component a composition selected from the group consisting of a hydroxide carbonate or phosphate of group i and ii metals to halt the activity of the fiber degrading agent this step in the process has been found to be important in a preventing further degradation of the fiber of the pile fabric during the lifetime of the finished pile fabric and b minimizing the loss of color in areas immediately adjacent to the sculptured areas i e boundary areas due to the action of residual quantities of the fiber degrading agent the pile fabric may then be washed to remove the components of the fiber degrading composition from the pile fabric it is known that the fiber degrading agent is capable of causing dye degradation in the areas adjacent to the selectively treated areas to address this undesirable degradation an additional dye application is utilized that eliminates the effects of dye degradation caused by the fiber degrading agent this dye application can be thought of as a u201c tea stain u201d process in which a dilute dye that is a dye having a low concentration is applied uniformly over the entire substrate the fibers in those areas in which the fiber degrading composition has been applied show a greater affinity for this dilute dye than.