Can you get retayne? I think that is supposed to set the dye...but then, I could be wrong.

I have been hand washing my batiks the past week and hanging them up to dry and some - not all of them - but some bleed just like yours. I actually threw one away - it was ugly anyway. I told my DH that it looked like an octopus squirting out his dye everytime that I squeezed it - I was using a white dishpan and boy, could you really see the dye. I rinsed and rinsed, until it ran clear - sometimes it took 10 rinses. Some reds bled, some did not. Some purples bled, some did not, etc. etc. Did not seem to matter where I bought them either. I have been collecting them (fat quarters) for about a year for a very special quilt.

I thing I read somewhere if you add salt to the final rinse and then dry it helps set the dye. And didn't someone on the board mention a vinegar rinse????

I have found the dye catchers near the softner sheets at WM. But Joanne's has a similar thing, only reuseable for about 30 washes. Do you have a JA's near you? Hope you can get this solved, it must be really frustrating!

I tried salt, epsom salt and vinegar and nothing stopped the bleeding. I rolled mine in old bath towels and then hung them on the line - so did not use the dryer so was not able to use the dye catchers.

The color catchers go in the washing machine :D:D:D

What a pest! If you can't get Retayne or whatever the dye setting product is called, maybe between test washings dry it a bit and go over thoroughly with a hot steam iron. Maybe a burst of heat might seal it in or something. Hope you find something that works....

I am always amazed at the amount of dye that can come out of Batiks... it is amazing that it just keeps coming out .. and sometimes its colors that you really did not think were in the fabric.
The only way to really stop the bleed is Retayne. Vinegar and salt is not effective on batiks or any other cotton fabric. You can mail order Retayne friom several sources I think even Amazon.
Color catchers only absorb what is released. If you want to stop it ... Retayne. Ironically I just finished treating a bunch myself .. to bad you were not closer I run over with some.

http://www.amazon.com/Retayne-Color-.../dp/B000YZ5HL8

You can snip a little bit off of the Modas and color test them :D:D:D

Worst bleeder I've ever had was a Jinny Beyer pink. I have found and have taught my BFF to line dry and iron then wash again. It's amazing what a difference this makes. Don't know if it's the sun or the iron but something sets the color. You can try the salt or the vinegar but I find the drying and ironing works best.

you have to buy retayne, order it online.

if you keep rinsing it in hopes of stopping the bleeding all you are going to do is fade the color.

I have heard that the excess dye that sometimes comes from batiks is just excess dye left over from the dying process - it is not dye actually bleeding out of the fabric so you won't wash it white! :lol: IN other words, repeated soaking and washing until the water runs clear will get all this excess out.

I prewash my batiks in the washing machine with a piece of white calico to test if they run, if the calico comes out stained, I wash again with a new piece of white calico and keep doing this until it stays white. I've never had to do this more than twice. I put a small amount of detergent in but no softener.

I've also read that salt and vinegar doesn't work these days as the components in the modern dyes are chemical rather than vegetable. There are ppl who still swear they do but it is probably the soaking in water that is doing the trick - the salt and/or vinegar is redundant. :-D Retayne works because it is also chemical. But personally, I'd rather wash that excess dye out than try to fix it in there.

I'm having a similar issue with some upholstry samples that I was given. They're only about 8 x 10 inches but talk about some yukky water! And in addition some of them shrank in size. Am I ever glad I had to soak off the paper or I might have had a real mess if I'd used them for a project without washing first.

I've been washing and rinsing and drying and washing and rinsing etc many times some of my new purchased fabrics for the last few days. All 100% cotton, some dark green, some are red and it sounds like yours. All were purchased in a QS and expensive too. Vinegar, salt, hot water, cold water, nothing works. I wish I'd live by a river. I would put it in there and let the water runs 24hours a day loll... Isn't it frustrating!
I'll try to iron it. It is the only thing I have not tried. As far as finding Retayne around here I have not. I guess I'll have to order it online.
My SIL has been a quilter for over 20 years and she never had that issue.

Why is this happening to me *snif, snif* loll

I would order some Retane through the internet and wait on your project until it arrives. The stuff really works!

Sorry, I was unclear, the dye catchers go in the washer with your fabric. If I have fabric that I feel is going to bleed a lot, I sometimes throw 3 or 4 in. But usually 1 does the trick.

EDA: Sorry, I see that someone already clarified. I was in a hurry so didn't read all the previous posts.

The bleeder will need to be treated with Retayne before use. If you can't wait to get it, I would suggest leaving that fabric out of your project. I know you are soooo disappointed but aren't you glad you found the bleeder before putting it in a quilt?

Just an FYI - I have found the watercolor "batiks" to be some of the absolute worst bleeders of all time.... and it does not matter if they are Hoffman or Kaufman ( both companies have similar line). I don't even bother to test anymore .. just treat as I purchase them. I found out the hard way some may not bleed until the second wash .. depending on how much wax resist was left in the fabric. So now All of them get a hot water bath and Retayne. Some people have told me their batiks they purchased do not run ... well maybe not yet!
While we are on the subject .. not sure if you have ever purchased a Cherrywood fabric( 100 percent cotton dyed to look like suede.. really beautiful ) ... OMG !!! They need a whole new word for running and bleeding it just beyond anything I had ever seen.

Directions on bottle. If you have a lot of fabric, may want to get a couple bottles. You use so many tablespoons of retayne per so many yards of fabric, wash/rinse in the hottest water your fabric can take. Now, I haven't done it for a while, so may not have it exactly right, but you get the idea.

want me to send you a couple or a box of color catchers? i think even our CVS sells them. i can mail them out to you tomorrow if i had your address.
i just prewashed some batik FQ's and the greens bleed the worse.

after i hand washed them a few times, i tossed them in the washing machine..full load of water and 2 color catchers..and the color catcher with totally green when they came out.