Originally Posted by
LadyElisabeth
Many of us have had similar problems in our quilting life. Certain colors seem to be more suseptible(sp) to bleeding so over the years I try not to use them or wash them multiple times before I use them in a quilt. GREAT IDEAS from our QB
From my experience - of soaking and washing HUNDREDS of different fabrics -
I've had some darks - reds, blues, blacks, greens, purples, whatever - not put out any noticeable color in the water.
I've also had some others - in just about every color - put out some color and eventually the water rinses clear.
I've also had some stinkers- and the colors varied - I remember an orange, a blue, a purple, a navy, a yellow, a teal -
I'm not able to tell just by looking how a fabric will behave. I'm getting better at making educated guesses, but I prefer to not take unnecessary chances.
I have not used Sythropol and/or Retayne. I feel I should not need to do any additional treating of a commercially dyed fabric to make it usable.
I also think using vinegar and/or salt on a commercially dyed fabric to set the dye is about as useful as clapping my hands to keep the hippos away. (I've clapped my hands - and I haven't seen any stray hippos here in Minnesota - must work!)
There are those that feel the soaking and washing of fabrics before cutting them is a waste of time, effort, water, detergent, and electricity. I've had enough "surprises" to convince me that it's worth the effort.