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Silver Needle 04-19-2012 07:02 PM

Prewash batiks?
 
I know Sew Batik recommends pre washing theirs with synthrapol. I just purchased some for a Large throw on a shop hop from a different company. I was wondering if it's a good idea to pre wash all batiks to remove extra dye etc.

jaciqltznok 04-19-2012 07:06 PM

always! Even though I had never had one bleed, you just can't be too sure these days. The quality all around is less than what it was 10 years ago!

WilliP 04-19-2012 07:08 PM

As a rule for myself, I always prewash fabrics. Sizings, insecticides, dyes etc all may be present in newly purchased fabrics.So I prewash everything and starch if necessary.

valleyquiltermo 04-19-2012 07:08 PM

Always I have had them bleed.

QuiltnLady1 04-19-2012 07:09 PM

I just made a table runnner using pre-washed batiks (I washed them 3 times). Well, when I steamed the seams the dark still bled onto the light right on the seams (if I had used Harriet Hargrave's test to wet, put it between paper towels and put a weight on it I would have known to continue washing). I will be throwing the top in the wash with come color catchers and see if I can get the color out.
These were LQS batiks and I did not wash them enough -- I would advise washing your batiks.

sharon b 04-19-2012 07:14 PM


Originally Posted by QuiltnLady1 (Post 5155678)
I just made a table runnner using pre-washed batiks (I washed them 3 times). Well, when I steamed the seams the dark still bled onto the light right on the seams (if I had used Harriet Hargrave's test to wet, put it between paper towels and put a weight on it I would have known to continue washing). I will be throwing the top in the wash with come color catchers and see if I can get the color out.
These were LQS batiks and I did not wash them enough -- I would advise washing your batiks.

Thanks for the tip - I had never heard that , but will certainly try it :)

And yes I do suggest washing batiks- the ones I purchased a year ago , it was not the reds that ran but the blues so you just never know which ones will have too much dye

NikkiLu 04-19-2012 07:14 PM

Absolutely!!!!! I started buying batik fat quarters about a year ago for a pattern - then found another pattern, so decided to buy 1/2 yards - then decided that I really liked the batiks - so graduated to yards. I read so much on here about the batiks bleeding that I decided to see if they did - and boy, did they. I have a pure white dish pan in my kitchen sink and one day it was empty and clean - so I put a drop or two of liquid detergent in the pan with just a little bit of water and gently swished around the fabric - I would then rinse until the water was clear - sometimes it took many, many rinses to become clear. I laid them on big thick towels and rolled them up and then put the fabric over a clothes line that I had my DH to put up in my living room. It did not take them very long to air dry and they did not wrinkle very much either. I would say that a good 1/2 of them did bleed. I actually had to throw away two of them as they never did stop bleeding.

bigdogmom 04-19-2012 07:25 PM

I am really afraid now to try my new batik jelly rolls I got from sew batik at Cincinnati show. How do you pre wash them????

auntpiggylpn 04-19-2012 07:37 PM


Originally Posted by bigdogmom (Post 5155710)
I am really afraid now to try my new batik jelly rolls I got from sew batik at Cincinnati show. How do you pre wash them????

Another QB member posted some time back that to wash jelly roll strips and other pre cuts she would hand wash them in the sink, trying not to manhandle them to much but to get all the extra dye and chemicals out, rinsed them well until there wasn't any color to the rinse water then put them in a salad spinner and gave them a spin to get most of the water out. Then layed flat to dry and pressed. I haven't tried this personally but I thought it was a clever idea. I keep my eyes peeled at garage sales as I am looking for a salad spinner. I don't really need a brand new one to spin fabric!

PS - I had never heard of Sew Batik and just went to their website. They have gorgeous fabrics! I have never seen or heard of batik flannels! a bit pricey at $11.49 a half yard but pretty just the same!

mcdaniel023 04-20-2012 02:02 AM

I might be totally insane or very brave. I never prewash. I dislike ironing of wrinkled fabric so much that if I had to do it all the time, I would not enjoy the quilting process and would probably quit. I doubt that, but I really don't like washing and ironing new fabric and like the feel of the not washed fabric.
I bought a batik jelly roll from a board member. It was not prewashed. I made a beautiful braid lap quilt with it and some other batiks that I purchased (joanne's and lqs). When I was finished I washed it in cold water with three color catchers and LOTS of water. It turned out beautiful. This quilt was mine to keep.
Am I recommending my method...nope. I am just sharing my experience.

sewbeadit 04-20-2012 03:12 AM

I don't prewash fabrics either. Having heard all the reports about the dye running on batiks I plan on it for them. Also they say that it is easier to quilt through batiks that have been washed first. I haven't tried it yet, so we shall see.

Daylesewblessed 04-20-2012 03:44 AM

I am not a gambler. I pre-wash everything. The investment in time and money is too much to risk.
Dayle

hperttula123 04-20-2012 04:08 AM


Originally Posted by mcdaniel023 (Post 5155914)
I might be totally insane or very brave. I never prewash. I dislike ironing of wrinkled fabric so much that if I had to do it all the time, I would not enjoy the quilting process and would probably quit. I doubt that, but I really don't like washing and ironing new fabric and like the feel of the not washed fabric.
I bought a batik jelly roll from a board member. It was not prewashed. I made a beautiful braid lap quilt with it and some other batiks that I purchased (joanne's and lqs). When I was finished I washed it in cold water with three color catchers and LOTS of water. It turned out beautiful. This quilt was mine to keep.
Am I recommending my method...nope. I am just sharing my experience.

I am the same way. I don't prewash anything. I've never had an issue yet(notice I said YET...hahaha).

Lori S 04-20-2012 04:45 AM

Never trust a Batik not to run or bleed! If you are going to pre-wash, Retayne is a better choice, it will set the dyes. This is something to do BEFORE you cut into the fabric. Retayne and Synthropol both require 140 degree water for the best results. If you have used Retayne , the items you make from treated fabrics should be washed in cold water.
The most notorious bleeders are the "watercolor" batiks.... but some of the other styles of batiks use the watercolor batiks as the base or background fabric.
It always facinating that when I soak and pretreat the colors that can come out. Colors that do not appear to be in the fabric.

gollytwo 04-20-2012 04:54 AM

Like mcdaniel023 I rarely prewash any fabric. My reason has nothing to do with ironing, since I rarely do that either.
I'm a template person so if the fabric has been washed the template will flatten it and cutting is far easier with unwashed fabric.
The one exception - if I'm using a light or white fabric in the quilt (seldom).

Silver Needle 04-20-2012 05:10 AM


Originally Posted by auntpiggylpn (Post 5155730)
Another QB member posted some time back that to wash jelly roll strips and other pre cuts she would hand wash them in the sink, trying not to manhandle them to much but to get all the extra dye and chemicals out, rinsed them well until there wasn't any color to the rinse water then put them in a salad spinner and gave them a spin to get most of the water out. Then layed flat to dry and pressed. I haven't tried this personally but I thought it was a clever idea. I keep my eyes peeled at garage sales as I am looking for a salad spinner. I don't really need a brand new one to spin fabric!

PS - I had never heard of Sew Batik and just went to their website. They have gorgeous fabrics! I have never seen or heard of batik flannels! a bit pricey at $11.49 a half yard but pretty just the same!

I have jelly rolls to make a king size quilt someday. I want to do log cabin with lights in half of it. So glad for the info. Hurray, I even have a salad spinner. DH wanted to throw it out awhile back cuz we don't use it, BUT the smart one in this group (namely ME) said no.

ghostrider 04-20-2012 05:26 AM

Batiks do not ravel so washing pre-cuts of any type (jelly-rolls, charms, etc) is actually quite safe - safer than not washing them, imho. The key with prewashing batiks (and any fabric that runs) is to wash it until it stops running. In order to know when that point is reached, you have to retest for bleeding after what you believe is the last wash, i.e., the one where the Color Catchers remain white.

maryb119 04-20-2012 05:46 AM

I prewash everything. I would rather have a dye bleed before I put it in a quilt. Also, I have sensative skin and some dyes and sizings make my hands itch. Prewashing helps with that.

ruthrings 04-20-2012 06:09 AM

A friend went on a quilt tour to Bali and saw what the fabrics go through there. . stacked on the ground sometimes. She washes hers for THAT reason.

feline fanatic 04-20-2012 06:28 AM


Originally Posted by auntpiggylpn (Post 5155730)
PS - I had never heard of Sew Batik and just went to their website. They have gorgeous fabrics! I have never seen or heard of batik flannels! a bit pricey at $11.49 a half yard but pretty just the same!

I guess you didn't notice that their flannels are 106" wide which is over 2 1/2 times wider than your usual flannel (figuring at 42" although I have had some that measured even less)
So given that their exceptionally nice batik flannel is 2 1/2 times wider than your average LQS flannel the price works out to be around $9 per yard which is comprable to 42" wide LQS flannel.

I have gotten sewbatik flannels as well as their regular cotton batiks and I can personally vouch for the very fine quality of their products. They are competitively priced when comapred to many LQS when no huge sale is going on.

To the OP, I always prewash everything. Batiks and non batiks alike but as so many others posted batiks can be especially notorious for bleeding. With Batiks I treat with Retayne in my prewash to set the dyes as well.

auntpiggylpn 04-20-2012 07:05 AM


Originally Posted by feline fanatic (Post 5156484)
I guess you didn't notice that their flannels are 106" wide which is over 2 1/2 times wider than your usual flannel (figuring at 42" although I have had some that measured even less)
So given that their exceptionally nice batik flannel is 2 1/2 times wider than your average LQS flannel the price works out to be around $9 per yard which is comprable to 42" wide LQS flannel.

I have gotten sewbatik flannels as well as their regular cotton batiks and I can personally vouch for the very fine quality of their products. They are competitively priced when comapred to many LQS when no huge sale is going on.

To the OP, I always prewash everything. Batiks and non batiks alike but as so many others posted batiks can be especially notorious for bleeding. With Batiks I treat with Retayne in my prewash to set the dyes as well.

I didn't notice until after I had posted and then couldn't go back and edit!

omaluvs2quilt 04-20-2012 09:22 AM

I always use Retayne on batiks.

JJean 04-20-2012 10:02 AM

Synthrapol is pretty much just soap--removes excess dye. For Batiks I use Retayne in hot water maybe several times until the dye stops running. I buy the better stuff (Hoffman) and the dye still runs.

An Arm Long 04-20-2012 11:00 AM

I always prewash everything unless it is something that will be a wall hanging and probably never washed. I have had fabric bleed that is not even a batik - good quilting fabric from my LQS. I wash and then use Retayne if there is a problem. To use Retayne, you need to use very hot water (140 degrees or more). I read another thread talking about putting the fabric in a big pot on the stove with hot water and Retayne. It only takes a little Retayne in a pot of water.

Continued washing for several times may cause the fabric to look faded. The Retayne sets the dye.
Some of my friends think I am a bit fanatic about washing everything, but I can't see ruining my hard work because the fabric bled.

Helen S 04-20-2012 01:11 PM

The instructor in the quilting class I took in February said that there was no need to wash fabrics these days because they were woven much better than years ago and pretty much all were straight on the grain. Well, let me tell you, not only is this not so, but even the higher quality fabric I bought from her shop was way off on the grain, only to be noticed once washed. If I'd made my quilt using it straight off the bolt it would have been a twisted mess once washed, so I personally wouldn't want the recipient of any of my quilts to be disappointed after washing it the first time, not to mention all the work that goes into the finished quilt. I consider washing the fabric and ironing/starching it to be the first step in making a quilt. Just my opinion.

Treasureit 04-20-2012 01:31 PM

I have had batiks bleed a lot...I ALWAYS....ALWAYS...hand wash in hot water and then simmer them in sythrpaol.or Retayne (I forget which)..worth the time and effort...if I have small pieces I combine like colors to "cook". I have a front load washer so I can do them in my washing machine.

bigdogmom 04-20-2012 04:42 PM

this list is so informative! I am going to wash my jelly rolls, I do have a spinner,give them a spin. Thanks to everyone for sharing,that's what it is all about!

kittyannart 04-20-2012 04:59 PM

I too use Retayne on Batik quilts, I do not pre-wash the fabric, I've never had an issue with color transfer as long as I've used Retayne in the wash water.

ghostrider 04-20-2012 05:49 PM


Originally Posted by kittyannart (Post 5157832)
I too use Retayne on Batik quilts, I do not pre-wash the fabric, I've never had an issue with color transfer as long as I've used Retayne in the wash water.

You use Retayne on finished quilts? Really? Do you maybe mean Synthrapol?

Retayne sets loose dyes wherever they are floating. It's intended to be used before fabrics are made into anything, iow, during the prewash. My guess is that none of your batiks have ever been of the bleeding variety and that's why you've had no problems. Lucky you!

Daylesewblessed 04-22-2012 11:38 AM

It is interesting to me that I have heard many anecdotes (here on the forum and elsewhere) from people saying that quilt shop owners/employees have said there is no need to pre-wash or test for bleeding. It makes me doubt their experience or expertise. Do they say that in order to justify the high price of their fabric, maintaining that it is of the highest quality?

Dayle

mdall 04-22-2012 03:09 PM

I prewash everything including Batiks. Haven't had any bleed yet but I sure don't like the wierd smell they put off when ironing them. I use just a little of my favorite scented detergent to cover the scent.

Just checked out there site. They have absolutely beautiful fabrics but some of them are way pricey, as much as $9.99/half yard. Ouch!! And Yes, I said half yard.

ghostrider 04-22-2012 09:39 PM


Originally Posted by Daylesewblessed
It is interesting to me that I have heard many anecdotes (here on the forum and elsewhere) from people saying that quilt shop owners/employees have said there is no need to pre-wash or test for bleeding. It makes me doubt their experience or expertise. Do they say that in order to justify the high price of their fabric, maintaining that it is of the highest quality?

Interesting question, Dayle. And to take it further, I wonder why shop owners don't test it themselves. They could keep a yes/no data field right alongside their order history so they could tell customers, if asked, whether or not a specific fabric runs. It could easily be done without losing any fabric and only a small amount of time if combined with the prep of each bolt for the shelves. Just make a note on the invoice and do the data entry once a month or so.

Maggimae 04-23-2012 08:44 AM

I don't pre eash everything but Batiks really should be because of the dyes etc. Be safe not sorry! Have a quilting fun day!

romanojg 04-23-2012 11:54 AM

I may not always pre wash all fabrics but I do "always" prewash these and hand dyed fabrics. I haven't used any additive in them but I do wash them just to make sure.


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