I did a quilt several years with fabric I dyed myself, and I always thought I'd have trouble washing it. Well, even though it was on a wall, someone spilled something on it, and I washed it yesterday. I used Retayne and four color catchers, but it still has color runs all over it. Should I wash it again? I did this before with another quilt several years ago, and I used a bleach pen, which took out the color, but also seeped through and took out color I didn't want taken out. I knew I shouldn't have washed it. Any suggestions? Should I just take some more dye and make more splotches and try to make it like I meant to do it that way? One of my daughters is always asking why I like to quilt because I'm always having some sort of quilting crisis that I have to figure out. Maybe these things keep my old brain working.

Carbona makes a color run remover, selling at my local Hancock fabric store. Worth a try. The Retayne may have already set the runs, though. Just how bad is it, and what colors are involved? Fabric paints, markers or cray-pas may be a solution. Can you post a photo?

Also, what kind of dye did you use? Some natural dyes are never going to be colorfast if not properly set at the time you dyed them. When dyeing anything, it is important you rinse the fabric until the water runs clear.

How did someone manage to spill something on an item hanging on the wall?

That sounds kind of intriguing - - -

Yeah, tell me about it. The stain just appeared, and no one confessed. My house is a zoo, and this isn't the first time it's happened. To top everything off, the stain didn't come out. I think it's coffee, which would point to my husband.

I think it was Procion dye. It's been probably ten years ago. It's mostly purple and pink that have transferred--splotches on the white part. It would be pretty if it was supposed to be there. I haven't heard of Carbona, but I'll go look for it. I was thinking of dyeing fabric again for a quilt I have in mind, but I don't know now. I remember having trouble making the water run clear.

If you want to try bleaching again, try using a resist to keep the bleach out of places you don't want it..I'd try a sample first to make sure it will work. A really cheap resist is gel school glue...the blue glue in a bottle...and it's washable. put the glue onto the fabric you want to protect....should only need a solid line of it along the edge...let it dry, then use the bleach pen on the part you want to clean up. Of course, after you're done you need to wash it again to get the gel glue out.

Depending on the design of the wall hanging, you might also want to try doing what our local quilt shop owner did on one where her fabric ran..she added more color and added quilting around the edges and make it all part of the design. Hers looks great!

http://www.carbona.com/search.aspx?f...or+run+remover
they have it online, or you can click to find a store near you. I've used their rust stain removers with great results.

Use Retayne to treat fabric before the quilt is constructed. Use Synthropol in the wash cycle to keep any excess dye from transfering. These are two very different products. Retayne will pull out excess and should not be used once a quilt is completed.
The longer it reamains in the quilt the harder it will be to remove. Hopefully you can get it out.
If you put the quilt in the dryer ..... it will be very difficult the heat will set some of the dyes.

Well, that's aggravating. I asked the lady in the LQS the other day, and she said to use Retayne. I had bought a big bottle of the Synthrapol because I had thought that was what I needed to use and had to buy the Retayne after I talked to her. I didn't put it in the dryer. I really appreciate all the good ideas. I'm going to have to sleep on it. It's a stained glass quilt, and I spent a lot of money on all the bias that went into it.

I wonder what this stuff will do to my hand dyed fabric. It looks good, though. It's just not my week. I got to Hancock's tonight to look for it, and I got in the door and they ran me out because they were closing.