Originally Posted by
manicmike
This is something that used to be done on nearly every fabric sold.
According to the lady at Spotlight (local chain in Australia) they don't sell any fabric that's colour fast!
So... changing the subject a bit, does anyone know if people fixed their own fabrics with salting (or urine) a hundred years ago?
I don't know how far back this goes but when I was a kid I learned about using salt or vinegar to set the dyes in cotton or other organic fabrics. But that only works if organic dyes were used. It doesn't work with todays chemical dyes. One would think chemical dyes are color fast. I've heard horror stories about quilting cottons bleeding badly but haven't experienced it and I don't pre wash my fabrics usually.
Cari