Originally Posted by quiltincin
This thread has been a great discussion and very educational.
I used the Synthrapol to wash my completed quilt, using as much boiling water as I could and resetting the temp on the water heater to the highest level and was finally able to reach 140 degrees.
Unfortunately my quilt had some bleeding of the purple into the aqua, but only in a few areas and only one area "sticks out" and is very noticeable. I didn't see it until after I dried the quilt...
I think I read the directions wrong and rinsed it with cold water...did I set the running color by using cold instead of warm?
Suggestions? My Dh says I should let well enough alone and just give the quilt to our niece, but I'm worried when she washes it, it will bleed more...???
It is highly unlikely to impossible that you set the dye with a cold water rinse. I suppose the manufacturer may have used some sort of dye that I have never heard of... which would be unlikely (I've been hand dyeing for over 20 years and read everything I can find about dyes).
I suspect that the bleeding is actually staining, whereby hydrolized dye molecules (dye molecules that have bonded to water molecules) became lodged into the fibres of the adjoining area.
If my theory is correct, then the stained areas will lighten with each successive washing (in warm or even cold water) will dislodge some of them. Eventually they will all be gone.
I vote for your DH's suggestion. Maybe wash the quilt one more time on the ordinary warm or cold setting of your washing machine, then give it to your niece.
After all, you don't want to fuss with this quilt until it turns into a gift for her retirement party!