What's your best way to test if a fabric bleeds? I had one burgandy fabric that I washed in cold water and it didn't bleed. Then when it was in some placemats already, I put the dye grabber cloth in when I washed them in cold water and the dye grabber came out totally red.

There may be easier ways but I always fill up my sink with hot water and dunk the fabric for awhile.

For reds, you can put them in a dish pan of cold water with some vinegar, it should "set" the color. I do this when I dye my fabric with beet juice. It has always worked for me.

I heat up water in the microwave in a clear cup and then put a small piece of my fabric in. If the water stays clear then I figure there won't ever be a problem.

I don't mess with anything that fades.

I put a small piece in some water in either a white (inside) mug or bowl, and if I really want to be certain, I put a small piece of paper towel in too. I let them soak together for at least 24 hours. If the paper towel is no longer white, or I see dye in the water, there's a problem.

After soaking to see if color bleeds into the water (I think adding a paper towel if a wonderful idea!), it's also a good idea to rub the damp fabric against a white fabric to see if it "crocks". Some fabrics that don't seem to bleed will crock badly.

i guess i'm bad...i toss them in the wash...hot water and synthropol; wash it, dry it, then i run water through it at the sink to see if there is any color, if it is red (which is the biggest culprit)i take a white piece of muslin or paper towel and rub it on the fabric to see if any color comes off on the cloth; if it does i wash it again. if it still comes off i do not use it unless it is a dark quilt that it will not be noticable or for wall hangings.

When I buy a piece of fabric, especially one with bright or strong color, I like to pretreat it with Retayne. This product is great for setting the colors and keeping it from "bleeding". WLee