Originally Posted by
bearisgray
Cotton fabric deterioration is not limited to batiks.
I bought three bolts of fabric - maybe 15 years or so ago - all the same brand and at the same time and stored right next to each other in a dark closet.
The two blues are as good as ever. The black is totally weird - when put in water, it turned the water inky black and left sooty residue. It also left sooty residue in the dryer. When washed in the washing machine - after several rinses - I was hoping it would stop turning the water black, it shredded - and left sooty residue.
Oh I'm sure it's not limited to batiks. And I don't think all batiks do this, either.
Your story worries me. I have a whole bunch of fabric that will celebrate it's 20th anniversary next year, LOL. I guess if it survives a washing after this long, it’s good to go in quilts. And if it disintentegrates in the washer, I'm glad I never sewed it into a quilt! And I guess yours is a cautionary tale about not letting our stashes get too large....I wonder if washing the fabric helps it's longevity, to get out the dyes that could go on to degrade the fabric.