My niece wants me to make her a tote bag and use a batik for the lining. The rest of the bag will be poke a dot fabrics. I didn't wash my fabric, but rinsed it in water and found that the batik bleeds. What should I do for this?

ok i got ahead of myself. after i wrote this i did a search and found threads on bleeding fabrics. would it be ok to just soak this fabric in the vinager and salt or should i also wash it with detergent too?

i rinse my batiks by hand until the water runs clear then i put it in the dryer.

when its dry i spray starch and iron.

Wash it with a color catcher and regular laundry soap a couple times. Make sure there is plenty of water circulating around and through the bag, and DO NOT put into the dryer until the color is stable - any runs will get set in.

It never fails to amaze me that people don't pre-wash.

I agree with the Shout color catcher sheets. They are amazing!!

Ditto. Batiks bleed a LOT. I had a Hoffman one that bled and bled and bled, and the actual color of the fabric never seemed to fade at all!

Thanks everyone. Yes I use the color catchers all the time they are wonderful.