I always pretreat batiks with Retayne. Retayne will set the dye as batiks always bleed. Use 1 tsp of Retayne for every yard of fabric. Soak in hot water for 20 minutes. Rinse and dry. The instructions are on the bottle.

I love working with batiks.

Judy

http://www.prochemical.com/directions/Retayne.htm

I don't know. The instructions say to wash in warm water and rinse in cold. I think I would contact the company and ask if it is safe for children.

Batiks are notorious for bleeding. Although I have never tried it, you could try setting the dye with white vinegar. Before Retayne I used salt water but found I had to do it over and over and over again.

Judy

I'll contact them. I'm hoping it is safe for children...right now, I only have one back-up fabric in case my batik idea falls through (and I wouldn't even have that if someone hadn't suggested it---I believe it was Sue who posted it).

Wow! Ya learn something new everyday!
I did not know batiks would bleed.
I have some pretty ones just sitting on the shelf awaiting their fate.
They are the kind that are "too pretty" to cut.

I've never had any of my batik bleed, I've washed it the same as my other fabrics and never had a problem. Although i do wash in cold water, the dryer preshrinks it. I don't treat it any differently than cotton that I buy for quilting.

Batiks often bleed a lot - especially reds and greens - but I have never seen a visible color change in the fabric afterward.

I don't think I've had a batik that didn't bleed. Fill the sink with hot water and put your fabric in it. If it doesn't bleed you don't need to treat it. Or, I have read that you can tell if a fabric will bleed by putting a small sample of it in water and then in the microwave. I haven't tried the microwave test myself.

Judy

The company that makes Retayne got back to me. This is what they told me.

Hi, Sam!
Thank you for your interest in the products offered by PRO Chemical & Dye. Retayne is great used as a pre-treatment for commercially dyed fabrics that tend to bleed easily. This is done before the fabric is cut and pieced into a quilt, etc. As far as its safety around children, there is no data that indicates what might happen if they were to start handling and possibly chewing on the fabric like little babies might do. Fabric treated with Retayne needs to be cared for by washing in cool water, so any type of warm moisture may cause it to come off.

Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance.

Sincerely,
Vicki Jensen
Lab Manager
PRO Chemical & Dye

Wow, I guess I will not be using any where my quilts will be going to be around children or pets. ( my daughters dogs sometimes lick fabrics) Thanks for posting this!

Just wash the fabrics! Warm water, usual amount of detergent. Dry in the dryer.

I checked with my quilt shop which carries thousands of batiks, I couldn't find a true red. My suggestion would be to use a Moda Marble I think you could get the same effect without the worry of bleeding and it would be little less in cost. The batiks run around $9 and over, Sorry I tried. Donna

Hi there. I was like one of you, had them in my stash, too pretty to use. But I love the feel and the way they work up, like putting a needle in butter. I have washed and have had no bleeding. But then I have not tried the red. Thanks for all your help, will let you know when I use it how it works for me.

Rita

I do not prewash any of my fabrics. I throw in a Shout Color Catcher with each quilt I wash when it is finished. If it's a big quilt I will throw in 2.

I use batiks often and prewash all of them. Some bleed more than others and require changing the water a couple or three times to remove all of the excess dye.
To avoid adding chemical to the fabric, I think if you soak them (one at a time, or like colors together) in very warm water, swish them around, squeeze out the water, and repeat this process until the water stays clear, you'll have no problem.
Once the quilt is made and you wash it, you might (for extra insurance) use a color catcher, especially if you are wasing it with some detergent.

Someone on another thread awhile back said that the tried and true method of soaking in a vinegar solution does not work for batiks because the dyes that are used in batiks differ from the dye used in other fabric.

I love batiks and I always prewash them with Retayne before i use them in a quilt. Reds, dark blues and purples are the worst one to run. After they are treated, they are great. I never had much luck with vinager or salt. I think Retayne is the best.

Same here. I have never had a problem.

Sybil