Fabric bleeding
 

I'm just wondering if anyone has any tips for prepping dark (especially red) fabrics?

I always pre-wash my fabrics (warm wash, cold rinse, no fabric softener), and the last few quilts I've used red in I've soaked the red cottons in a vinegar/water bath, and the fabric still bled onto my adjacent white when I washed the assembled quilt the first time.

Any tips? Is there a product I don't know about for this?

TIA!!!:)

Prewash any fabrics that you think might run. Throw a " color catcher" in the wash and it will pick up any loose dye. Most times I will run a second rinse and add a half color catcher sheet. If that half sheet is still white then I know the color will not run anymore.
Color catchers are found in the laundry section of your supermarket. It is a "Shout" project. ( I don't think it is sold in Canada.)

I like to use Synthopol (sp?) detergent. It's the same thing I use after hand dyeing fabrics, and is meant to remove all the excess dye. The dyeing book I have recommends using water that is at least 140 degrees (Very Hot), and soaking for 15 minutes. So far this has been working great for me.

I have used Retayne which I got at my LQS. It works quite well. I would still use a Shout color catcher on the first wash of the quilt just because I'm paranoid but it's never let me down.

Oh my goodness, thank you SO much ladies!

Off to the grocery store I go!

THANK YOU!!!

Agree with the very hot water and Synthrapol, but I'd recommend soaking it for a LOT longer than 15 minutes - more like 12 hours.

http://vickiwelsh.typepad.com/field_...ness-post.html

fabric catchers work wonderful. i dont prewash my facrics and never have colors run.

Timely post...I am just completing a child's floor quilt that I used a good amount of red... (prewashed)...I think I will include a box of Color Catcher with the gift...

Judy in Phx, AZ

You won't find Retayne or Synthrapol in the grocery store, nor in many quilt shops for that matter. Retayne sets loose dyes, Synthrapol suspends them and floats them away. Do a search of the board for many, many discussions on these products as there are differences between them that you should know about before buying.

Vinegar, for future reference, has no effect on the dyes currently used on fabrics. It used to work when they used acid dyes, but they no longer do that.