YaYaBean

So I did some checking with the fabric manufacturer (hasn't seen this before & said it wouldn't hurt to wash with vinegar to help set the color), with a dry cleaner (who didn't think dry cleaning would help), with the company who makes Retayne & Synthropol (said they won't work unless used with very hot water, which I can't use because of my wool batting, but also said that the bleeding issue and rubbing off issue could be separate issues) and did some fabric scrap testing to test the color stability.

Using one red and one white piece of fabric in each bowl, I filled one with cold water, one with cold water & vinegar, one with cold water & Woolight, and one with hot water & Woolight (then I let it sit for 30 min). I also wet a white piece of fabric, placed it on the red and ironed it with a hot iron, then wet it again laying them on top of eachother to dry. Results?! I can't get any of them to bleed!! I was SO SURE it would bleed after it had rubbed off so bad during quilting. I've never seen anything like it.

I'm going to finish quilting, wash it in a super large washing machine at the laundromat and add some vinegar to the water, since I think it can only help with the rubbing issue, and see what happens! I'll let you know how it turns out!

Prism99

Vinegar works only on the old-fashioned organic dyes (made from organic materials such as onion skins, etc.). Almost all commercial dyes these days are chemical in origin, so vinegar is unlikely to help.

I would still wash the quilt with Synthrapol in a large washer, even if you don't use hot water with it. Do *not* wash a finished quilt in Retayne as it will permanently set any bleeds.

Sounds like this fabric has a crocking issue (dye transfers during mechanical rubbing even when dry) but not a bleeding problem. Another thing you might want to consider doing is pinning an old white sheet to each side of the quilt before putting it into the washing machine. That way if there is any crocking of dye in the wash, it will be onto the sheets rather than the rest of the quilt.

ckcowl

where are you in the completion of this quilt? are you too far to stop and work with the red?
if so... finish the quilt and get it bound. then...
get RETAYNE and COLOR CATCHERS (they are sheets like bounce sheets in the laundry dept.) the retayne you get from
Dharma Trading Comp. or some lqs do carry it. if using the retayne follow the instructions for the amount to add to the water.fill the washer with cold water, just put the quilt in the water and squish it around abit, watch the color...the color catchers will (grab-it) and keep it from getting on other fabrics. change water as needed and refill and keep rinsing until no more red. Unfortunately with organic fabrics sometimes a dye (especially reds) will never stop running until it is faded to nothingness. since they are organic fabrics the vinegar may work in cold water, do it the same way...just using vinegar instead of the retayne. i think it's 1 cup- to each gallon of water.