I bought this at JoAnn's (11 years ago ) no sun no washing just hanging up in my sewing room .
The rest odf the fabrics are fine .

I just think they should not sell crap !!!

First picture is the faded block

Next picture is when it was new

Looks as if the light really chewed it up. Are there smokers in your house? That can cause fabric to fail, too. I've never left anything in one place that long, but I know curtains don't last ten years for me, even the synthetic blends. I have nothing, including my bod, that looks as good as it did ten tears ago.

You didn't say where you were from - here in Florida, everything gets faded.

Any kind of lighting can fade fabric; it doesn't have to be sunlight. It's the same with photos, I think.

I haven't used it, but there is some kind of protective spray that can be used on quilts that will retard fading.

I've had that happen with several JoAnns fabrics. I personally don't buy from them anymore, with the very occasional exception of their "best" quality fabrics.

I have to agree with Jim's/Gem. I just don't buy from JoAnn except for class projects (which I mostly consider throwaways from the beginning) or the better quality fabrics that they've started carrying. I am so sorry that this has happened to you. But, honestly, for projects that are important to me, the fabric just doesn't come from JoAnn--and NEVER from WalMart.

I buy my crap from joanns and wally....had good luck so far. I shop for bargins...everything comes from me no second paycheck.....I still love being retired and even if i was loaded I would not buy just from quilt stores......there is good fabric everywhere enen old clothes make good quilts :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink:

Florescent lightings will fade EVERYTHING! I refuse to use them - made DH remove all the florescent fixtures in our home for that reason. Don't know what kind of lighting you use but beware!

My son found some fabric I had bought from Hancock Fabric almost 15years ago. Most of it looked like brand new. It had been stored in a cardboard box away from light. I was surprised, and now have it in my stash.

Well...I've have fabric that I've bought from So-Fro fabrics (remember them?) 22 years ago, Ben Franklin, Walmart, and JoAnns, and they all are crisp and sharp as the day I bought them. Some I prewashed and some I did not. I've always stored them in those clear rubbermaid totes and put them in the closet or corner of my sewing room, away from any light.

Maybe it's not where you buy them but how you store them?

Just a thought...

What a shame that such a cute piece got ruined. Sorry Mary!

I do have floresent lighting and have heard it will fade fabric. but as you see there were many blocks in that quilt that didn't fade , so I don't think that the problem is the lighting .

seeing that was the seconed quilt I made I did not realize there were differences in fabrics. I'm just glad I never quilted it and could remove the piece . Now I feel I can finish it .

i've had good fabric folded on shelves in a dark basement room and still had fade marks on the folds when i opened it up. i think time and any amount of light eats away at cottons. the best you can do is rotate, to make each each one lasts longer, but 11 years is a long time.

I remember reading at least one article by a quilt fabric manufacturer in Quilter's Newsletter Magazine that mentioned different dyes have different abilities to withstand fading. They just aren't able to get all fabric dyes to resist fading equally.

Mary L,

I suffer from a rare disease that is aggrevated by sunlight and florescrent lighting. I am very aware of the power of sunlight.
I also have quilts that have faded so much in parts that they look like two different fabrics. As much as we want our work to last forever it will only do so if we hide it away from the light etc. Your quilt was charming aren't you glad you were able to share it with your family and friends? I have seasonal wallhangings I rotate on a rack on my kitchen wall. I would imagine they are faded if I were to compare them with fabric leftover from their construction. If I enjoyed making them the first time I might not mind repeating the task. It would give me a chance to not make the same mistakes I made the first time around.

I have some 20-25 year old fabrics I bought at an estate sale. This elderly lady had gotten them from Ben Franklin and the like. They are in great condition. A lot of the newer fabrics are pretty crummy.

Some of you know I run an online fabric store. Even my kids can tell the difference. When we unpack fabric from Springs (Walmart carries a lot of it - Spiderman, Cars, Strawberry Shortcake,) it smells. I think the dye process and treatment for the fabric is the cheapest possible and you can really tell. My little ones will show up from across the house going ewww that's the stinky fabric.

Julie

I'll smell fabric from now on LOL ! No one likes stinky fabric !!!!!!