Thread: Batik Jelly Roll Quilt, concerned about colors bleeding

I am just about done piecing my quilt made from a jelly roll of batiks. Because it was a jelly roll, I did not prewash the fabric. The lady at my LQS knows I don't prewash fabrics, but recommends it for batiks "because they are dyed from the outside". So . . . my question is, should I try to soak the top in something before the quilt is sandwiched? Or wait until its done and do it? Or both? The fabric for the backing is also batik.

The quilt top has a gold (non batik) sashing. Appreciate all the expert advice.

I have only used batiks in 2 quilts, so I am no expert. What I used was yardage and I did prewash. I don't believe there was any excessive bleeding in the batiks that I used.

There was a time that I would prewash everything - would have been afraid not to. But this year I have completed 12 quilts that the fabric was not prewashed. (none of these were batik fabrics) I washed the final quilts with synthrapol and color catchers and everyone of them turned out great.

Do you have any scraps left that you run some tests with?

Don't do a thing but throw it in the wash with about 6-7 color catchers. I am a batiks girl and never prewash. The only batiks I am hesitant with are reds and navy's. But all's well so far.

Originally Posted by toverly

Don't do a thing but throw it in the wash with about 6-7 color catchers. I am a batiks girl and never prewash. The only batiks I am hesitant with are reds and navy's. But all's well so far.

I have never washed my batiks and so far have never had an issue.

Originally Posted by toverly

Don't do a thing but throw it in the wash with about 6-7 color catchers. I am a batiks girl and never prewash. The only batiks I am hesitant with are reds and navy's. But all's well so far.

I agree. I never prewash, but definitely do the color catchers when washing after completion.

I don't wash my jelly rolls either. I do use Color Catchers when I wash the quilt though. You may want to put 2 or 3 color catchers in with the quilt when you wash it. I wouldn't advise washing the quilt top before quilting. I did that once and it was a mess! The patches wrinkled, and I thought I would never get it pressed out.

I don't think I would try to wash the top before quilting or you could have lots of fraying and distortion. I recently made a scrappy batik quilt and did not pre-wash. It also had white Kona cotton accents, and I worried about bleeding too. So after I finished the quilt (binding and all), I washed in warm water with about 6 Color Catcher sheets. There was very little bleeding, and the white stayed white! But I would use lots of color catchers in your first wash just to be safe.

Originally Posted by Jeanne S

I don't think I would try to wash the top before quilting or you could have lots of fraying and distortion. I recently made a scrappy batik quilt and did not pre-wash. It also had white Kona cotton accents, and I worried about bleeding too. So after I finished the quilt (binding and all), I washed in warm water with about 6 Color Catcher sheets. There was very little bleeding, and the white stayed white! But I would use lots of color catchers in your first wash just to be safe.

Thank you all. I will keep working then and just use a lot of color catchers after I get it quilted.

I sew hundreds of yards of batiks.. and no matter who the manufacture ...you can not be certain they will not bleed. Use sythropol in the wash once you complete your quilt. Color catchers are effective, but I find synthropol to be the surest method.