Batiks....colors running
 

I have a stash of Batiks but have not quilted with them yet. Should I wash them first and if so how. I'd hate to make a quilt and have it ruined...any advice will be appreciated.

If you are worried about then running soak them in Retayne so they colors are set before you wash in cold water.

I am completely self taught so don't know if this is correct but it is the way I do my fabrics. I wash them the way I would wash the quilt. I lump all the same type of colors together and put a color catcher in to catch the excess dyes. Then I dry the same way, with the regular setting on my dryer. Been doing this for 35 plus years. Hope this helps.

I rhink pinkberrykay gave you good advice. You can also use the "Color Catcher" sheets, found in the grocery store.

follow the instructions on a bottle of retayne---and throw in a couple 'color-catchers' from Shout- in the grocery store laundry isle. if the color catchers come out with color- rewash the fabrics- or sort out-figure out which one is the culprit & re-wash that one- rewash until there is no more bleeding before using in a quilt that will be laundered.
i pre-wash all of my batiks---in a normal wash- with warm water & my regular detergent- some people (baby them) alot more than i would ever consider- i figure if they won't hold up to a regular wash- they are not going to hold up in a quilt....but that's me. when there is no bleeding apparent i toss them into the dryer- again on a regular cycle- i do not use fabric softener on them- if i might decide to use a fusable with them fabric softener can affect how well it works.

Thanks, I think I had better try to set the colors before I start cutting or piecing....

follow the instructions on a bottle of retayne---and throw in a couple 'color-catchers' from Shout- in the grocery store laundry isle. if the color catchers come out with color- rewash the fabrics- or sort out-figure out which one is the culprit & re-wash that one- rewash until there is no more bleeding before using in a quilt that will be laundered.
i pre-wash all of my batiks---in a normal wash- with warm water & my regular detergent- some people (baby them) alot more than i would ever consider- i figure if they won't hold up to a regular wash- they are not going to hold up in a quilt....but that's me. when there is no bleeding apparent i toss them into the dryer- again on a regular cycle- i do not use fabric softener on them- if i might decide to use a fusable with them fabric softener can affect how well it works.

I've made the quilt and then washed it with about 4-5 color catchers.

I would strongley recommend you pretreat them with Retayne. As the cost of fabrics , specifically batiks... the cost of pretreating is minimal... The cost of finding out the hard way.... too high!

This is what I do -- I don't like adding more chemicals to the cloth but like to get the excess dye out -- particularly the deep blue, red and black.

Prewashing with Retayne is a great idea, but it's more complicated than just soaking a bunch of fabric. It takes very hot water and 20 minutes of agitation, either by hand or machine, for it to work properly. Here's the instructions.
http://www.prochemical.com/directions/Retayne.htm

How to make sure fabrics are colorfast:

I just came across a very good article written by a woman who dyes a lot of her own fabrics. She did some research and found the best way to prevent the dyes in ANY fabric from running is to let them sit in a lot of water for at least 12 hours. You can read her article here:

http://vickiwelsh.typepad.com/field_...d-fabrics.html

It depends a lot on the batiks. I don't normally prewash batiks, but I do test suspicious colors. First I rub a small piece against some white cloth to see if any color "crocks". Then I let a piece sit in a glass of water will to see if dye particles bleed into the water. Finally, I rub the damp batik against white fabric to see if any color transfers.

Most batiks I do not bother to test, and most of those I test do not bleed. A bleeder gets a Retayne treatment. (A few batiks require two Retayne treatments. If the dye isn't stable after 2 Retayne treatments, it doesn't go into a quilt.)

Another precaution I take is with the first washing of a quilt. I use Synthrapol and a *lot* of hot water for the first wash, along with several color catchers, so if there is any slight bleeding the excess dye goes out with the rinse water. I also am careful not to let damp fabrics sit next to each other; right after the washing machine, the quilt goes into the dryer.

Maybe it's the brands of batiks I buy, but I have not found them to bleed any more than other fabrics. I know that home-dyed batiks can bleed a lot, though.