Potato

Hi, Just planning out a black and white quilt (mainly white) and I was wondering if the black fabric will run when I wash it? Should I wash the black fabric first and/or do I need to wash it in some special mix to prevent it from running?

I don't wan to go to all the trouble of making a big quilt only to ruin it in the washing machine...

Thanks

UFOs Galore

The black fabric will probably run. You should prewash the black and white fabrics separately in warm water. Include a Shout Color Catcher with the black fabric. If it doesn’t come out white, then soak the black fabric in Retayne according to manufacturer’s directions.

WMUTeach

I have used black fabric from Connecting Threads - Amish Black and it does not bleed at all.

tallchick

With the exception of white, I think there is always a small risk of certain intense colors bleeding. When in doubt wash or treat.....
Synthopol
Retayn
Color Catchers
These are all products Quilters should keep on hand IMHO.

http://mansewing.com/wp-content/uplo...synthrapol.pdf

Tartan

I have not had black fabric run exactly but I have had enough colour release to make the whites look dingy after washing.

juliasb

Always pre-wash any solid color of fabric and when washing the finished quilt use a color catcher to insure that your quilt is as safe as it can be. My experience is no quilt is safe from the possibility of bleeding when it comes to solids especially. Reds, deep grees, blacks and blues are the ones I find are most likely to run. It is always best to be careful on a major quilting project.

Peckish

Test it first. Take a white cotton kitchen towel, get a corner of it damp, and rub it on the suspected fabric. If the towel changes color, you have a bleeder.
If it does bleed, I have had the best results with the Vicki Welsh method of treating it. It works better than Retayne, Synthropol, color catchers, and multiple washings.
https://www.colorwaysbyvicki.com/upl...edingquilt.pdf

Iceblossom

I always prewash. Black is not one of my most feared colors to use, and I deliberately often use it with batiks so it will just catch any dyes they cast off.

I am most suspicious of dark blues and dark reds running... it was a maroon that completely ruined a quilt.

Color catchers are part of my regular laundry supplies, typically if I'm hesitant about a piece of fabric I run a cup of plain water through the kuerig so it is hot and dunk a corner of my fabric. You will know pretty quickly if enough dye comes off of it to worry about. Other than that though, I run my fabric through with like colors of my regular wash and check the color catcher if it darkens. BTW, I did a test and am perfectly happy with the brand I'm finding at one of my local Dollar Tree stores.

Last year I got a bag of hand dyed fabric from the thrift store that had not been properly set. Since I didn't know what dyes were used, I heat treated it by boiling it with salt/vinegar added and rinsing microwaving for a second heat treat, rinsing again, and finally washing. Was a huge amount of effort but it's stable now. Walmart has a surprisingly good selection of products, both in the basic Rit Dye box display and in their Craft kits section, huge section devoted to tie dye.

ckcowl

Always best to play it safe— prewash the fabric. If color catchers come out white you are safe, if they come out gray I would wash it again. If you really don’t want to prewash it you can use a white papertowel or piece of fabric get it wet and rub on the black fabric. If any color comes off prewash it. It’s always safest to prewash, especially dark, deeply saturated colors.

Jordan

More than likely your black fabric will bleed. I would suggest that you wash it for sure. My friend made a beautiful quilt for her son and put black fabric on the borders and washed the quilt before she gave it to him and it bled out onto the quilt.