Originally Posted by
leighway
I've been quilting for over 25 years and until about 2 years ago always pre-washed my fabrics. Then I just stopped doing it...maybe too much trouble. And I saw a blog where Alex Anderson said she didn't pre-wash hers.
So, I've gone and invested the equivalent of a second mortgage in many yards of Kaffee Fassett fabric to make up some of his quilts. Here's the question-
Have any of you who have used Kaffee's fabrics ever had them bleed? The colors are so intense and saturated that I wonder but still finding that inside me I actually loathed all that pre-washing, drying and folding.
And you are free to call me a dimwit for even asking, but I really want to know. And, not only about Kaffee's fabrics bleeding but who out there isn't pre-washing? Thanks for the input!
To Leighway -
I did see a "Simply Quilts" show in which Alex Anderson said that she had a fabric bleed and ruin a quilt that she
had done - she had to use Synthrapol over and over to get the red out...
I soak all my fabrics in hot water and a tsp of Retayne per yard. I have never had a problem with bleeding, but
I do find the washing, drying and folding to be tedious...
But Kafee's fabrics are so intense that I would be reluctant to put in a lot of work and then have them bleed.
The trick mentioned by another responder works, but I have always heard it as putting a small amount of Retayne
on a white scrap and then ironing it with the fabric in question. If the white scrap is no longer white, you again have
your answer.