Black fabric
 

I am finishing an Amish type twister with black fabric and bright colors. How do you keep the black from fading when you wash it? I love the way the colors pop in the really dark black. Thanks!

I just wash in cold water with a good detergent and dry in the shade or in the dryer. I don't have any problems.

i use good quality Kona Black- i've never had my black fade from washing---if left hanging where the sun shines on it everyday there was some fading- but never from laundering.
if you are worried about your black- prewash to make sure it is color fast- then wash in cold water when necessary...i've honestly never had a solid fade/run from laundering.

Good information. I was planning to use good quality of Kona black as an accent on my next design. Thank You!

I have Kona black and haven't had a problem with it. I wash it in cold water and dry it in the dryer. Hasn't faded. Collects lint, though.

Have used Kona Black for literally decades and have never had it fade from washing. I call it "patent leather black" because it is so densely, beautifully, nearly shine-ly black!

Jan in VA

I don't buy Kona or any other big name fabrics. The blcks I have bought do not fade. I prewash all fabrics in warm water and dry on normal. When a finished quilt quilt gets washed I wash in warm and dry on low in the dryer. Most people I know would not line dry anything.

I'm a dye hard pre-washer ... no fabric leaves my washing machine until the color catcher say's it's OK!

I recently purchased several yards of Kona Cotton black and washed it as usual - hot water, small amount of detergent, and a color catcher to check the bleed. To my surprise there was NO bleed. I've had other manufacturers black before and it bled bad ... but not the Kona.

I would STILL wash it though :)

Is the Kona they sell in JoAnn what you use. It seemed flimsy to me but someone told me its a cheaper version of Kona.

If you're worried about the black fading over time from washing, not an initial 'run', follow the standard precautions for keeping black clothes from fading...wash in cool water, wash only with other darks, wash with a detergent specifically for dark fabrics (they have chlorine inhibitors that neutralize any chlorine found in your water), wash only when necessary, use the gentlest washer cycle needed for the amount of dirt.

I use the "amish black" from Keepsake Quilting. Very dense black and has a lovely feel to it, comes out of the dryer looking as good as when it went in!!

Most ALL of my quilts are done on black. A black background makes the other colors "pop". I have always used Kona Black, or the blackest they make. My only complaint about this fabric is it ravels badly. ~~Ann~~

Joanne's often has a lower thread count on some "brand" names.

Buy good quality black fabric (M. Miller jet black), the cheaper fabrics will be the ones to bleed and fade.

When I first wash a quilt, I wash it with detergent and vinegar. The vinegar helps set the colors.

I love twisters! Do you have any pictures?

I use cold water and woolite .

I use Kona black and haven't had any fading or bleeding problems.

I've bought it from Joann's and from Fabric.com and I can't tell any difference in the quality between the two. I don't think Kona comes in different qualities, it is the same fabric as far as I know. Just make sure you're getting Kona and not one of the other brands of solid fabric Joann's carries - they DO carry other solid fabrics that aren't Kona and sometimes they're mixed together on the shelves.

My mother taught me to presoak it in water with a generous amount of white vinegar and salt. I use tepid or cold water and mix in the salt first to be sure it dissolves first, then add the vinegar. It seems to work. Them if and when you wash it, use cold water.

Woolite makes a dark fabric laundry detergent.

And it works great. I use it for all of my black pants.

My nephews crazy quilt had black fabric that keeps fading. Since then I only use Kona black..
try vinegar in the first washing that you do before giving a quilt away...

thanks for the info - i have been considering trying the MMlrs. the k. blacks (pre-washed) & the follow up washings in utility quilts have worked out well. they have held up & also great to know about the net order availability.

In order to set any color that I think might fade or run, I prewash with Retayne. A little bit goes a long way. You can get it at any LQS.

Stores such as JAF buy what are called seconds. Before the local Hancock store closed, I would occasionally find a P&B print for sale with an unfamiliar name at the end of the bolt. I knew that Mr. Baer (former owner of P&B, he was the B in the name) did NOT sell to any major fabric stores, ONLY to LQS. So always carefully check the fabric at JAF. The last Kona I bought was a rich brown. When I used it for a border, where the vertical and horizontal borders met, the color was so off, it appeared to be from a totally different dye lot. Nothing I could do. Disappointed but that is part of life.

The reason they looked different is because the grain was running perpendicular to itself where the horizontal and vertical borders met. It's because of the way light reflects off the weave and has nothing to do with the dye. All fabrics do this, it's just more obvious with dark solid broadcloths like Kona Solids.

To prevent it from happening again, make sure the grain runs the same way in the finished quilt...which means cutting the side borders on one grain (lengthwise) and the top and bottom ones on the other (crosswise).

As I grew up we washed red in vinegar and salt to stop bleeding. I would think you could do the same with the black. Once the dye sets, then wash and wear as usual with anything else.

Just to clarify, washing with vinegar and/or salt will do nothing to 'set' the dyes that are now used in the production of cotton quilting fabrics (fiber-reactive dyes). They used to work, long ago, on acid dyes, but acid dyes are no longer used on cotton fabrics. Retayne will set fiber-reactive dyes (for use on uncut fabrics) and Synthrapol will suspend loose dyes (for use on cut and sewn fabrics), salt and vinegar will do neither.

Your in Indiana. Are there any amish quilt shops near you. Ask them what they like to use.

I use Kona Black and have never had a problem.
peace

This is perfect advice as is your info about vinegar and salt. Also Ghostrider, I actually used to dream I could fly when I was a kid but I could only fly around the block 'cause I wasn't allowed to cross the street. HA!
peace