Bataiks Help!
 

I just made a quilt using Batiks and was told Batiks fade! sure enough I washed a small red block and the water turned red. will the color catcher help when I wash the quilt?

Batiks can be notorious bleeders. Order a product called Synthropol and follow the instructions. It may take several washings before all the excess dye is gone and it no longer bleeds. Some people swear by color catchers but I had a friend who was a product tester for Consumer Reports and their findings were they didn't work 100% of the time.

In the future you should test all fabrics for the possibility of bleeding, it isn't just batiks. If any fabric bleeds treat them with a product called Retayne or a dye fixative. But fixatives can ONLY be used prior to using the fabric in a completed quilt.

Both products can be found here: http://www.dharmatrading.com/topnav/chemicals/

Agree with the above .. you will need very HOT water for the Synthrapol to work. Do use a few color catchers - mostly as an indicator as to whether the fabric is still bleeding. When the machine finishes it's cycle - look at the color catchers and if they have color - repeat washing in HOT water with synthrapol and color catchers.

If you have a delicate cycle on your machine - use it.

Color catchers can help .. but as recommended about Sythropol is your best choice.

Bleeding dye is only a problem if something else picks it up and stays dyed. In 40 years of washing all types of fabric I've only ever had 1 thing pick up a dye and it not wash out. And I managed to do that in a load *with* bleach. As a rule if it's excess unset dye even if something else picks it up, it's still unset dye.

I agree with the Synthrapol and very hot water, however, instead of washing multiple times, I recommend you simply let the quilt soak overnight. Less wasteful and achieves the same result.

As long as they don't dry it and heat set the dye because I have seen that happen to people on here

reds---batiks or not---are notorious for bleeding---as are many deeply saturated colors- it is always a good idea to at least color test if you are not planning to pre-wash- that way if you have a bleeder you can prewash- and take care of it before using it in a project. i've had good luck with synthropol & color catchers. it's always easiest & best to deal with it before it goes into your project- sometimes we have to deal with it later though--good luck

Synthrapol is used for hand dyed fabrics to remove sizing in fabrics and to remove excess dyes for even dye results, but it does not set the dyes. You need to use Retayne and wash in very hot water. The Retayne suspends the dyes and they are removed with the water when spun out, then the rinse and drying process sets the dye remaining. When using Syntrapol on future washings you can only use warm water, not hot. Retayne, on the other hand, makes it so you can use hot to cold water to wash. When you don't know how the quilt will be cared for it is best to use Retayne, then the receiver can wash however they want.
These two products get confused and if you are not a fabric dyer it is hard to keep them straight. There is a website you can read more information by just searching for either product name.
OzarksGma

Synthrapol, but be sure to use it in a machine with ***lots*** of hot water. Domestic front loaders don't use enough water to allow Synthrapol to work its magic. If you use a laundromat front loader, depending on the size of the quilt, go up at least one size over what you normally would use. One thing about front loaders is that they are a lot easier on the quilt (and clothing) than top-loading agitators.

Also, be sure to take the quilt out right away to dry. You do not want damp fabric sitting next to damp fabric; dye can transfer that way too. Keep the quilt moving while it is wet.

If heat was all it took to set dye then the iron should set because an iron is waaaaaaaaaaay hotter than any dryer and the heat is in direct contact with the fabric.

Most dyes are chemically set nowadays. I have taken out bleeds from clothing that was dried; heat did not permanently set the bleeds.

Thanks it is like shutting the barn door after the cows are out, but lesson learned. I love this forum. it is like having quilting instructors full time. :)