Dodie, dye transfer is possible between dry fabrics. In that case, it is called "crocking". If the area is small, you could probably get away with trying a spot treatment using Synthrapol and warm water. That is, you could use a large pot and just submerge and hand-agitate that small area in the Synthrapol/water solution. It might be enough. If it isn't, then you could try doing it in the top loader with Synthrapol and warm water first. Although Synthrapol works best in hot water, it still works to a certain extent in warm water. A crocked area of dye transfer is likely to be superficial, which is why I think just a spot treatment might be enough to get rid of it. In future, you might want to place a clean white flat sheet between quilts when storing them on the bed -- or at least on top of a special quilt like that one!

Google "dye crocking" for more information.

I don't have that type of machine, but I would probably try placing a couple of heavy bookends in the bottom of the washing machine to see if that weight would allow it to fill with water. Stop the machine before it is completely full so it doesn't start to agitate, remove the objects, add Synthrapol and swish around to dilute, then add quilt.

I suppose your machine will not fill with water if the lid is open? Worst case, I would place the quilt in the tub and let it fill with water until almost full, then add Synthrapol diluted with a couple of cups of water to the tub and swish around. Even if some dye bleeds while the tub is filling, the agitation with Synthrapol over a period of 30 minutes or so will help lift the dye bleed out of the fabric. The dye bleed consists of loose dye particles -- dye particles that were not bonded to the fabric by the manufacturing process -- and even after they bleed into another fabric, they are still not set. Modern dyes require specific chemicals and heat settings much higher than typical dryers provide in order to become permanently set. As long as the loose dye particles remain loose, they can be lifted out of the fabric.

The thing is, it's just easier to lift loose dye particles out of the original fabric and keep them suspended in water to be rinsed away. It's a little harder to lift loose dye particles that have already settled into a different fabric. In both cases, it can take more than one treatment with Synthrapol to get rid of all the loose particles. It's just that, in white fabric, it is easy to see a small number of remaining loose dye particles. The same number of loose dye particles remaining in the original fabric will be undetectable. In both cases, the small number of particles does not pose a risk to other fabrics because they will be diluted so much in water; however, in the white fabric you can still see them.

I'm working with reds too. I'm making a red and white quilt. At first, I tested the reds by putting a small piece in a pyrex pitcher with water, in the microwave and cooked for 2 minutes, then ironed it on a piece of muslin to see if the red bled. It did, but only a tiny bit. I decided to wash the red fabric with synthropol.....WOW that stuff really bled. I had to wash it twice (using hot water) and rinsed it twice (each time with a color catcher) It wasn't until the second rinse that the color catcher came out clean. I have been doing this all day, and although it is taking a while, I keep thinking, had I waited until the quilt was made, I would have just been crushed. Now I am wondering.....do I need to do this with all color-intense fabrics (like navy blue, dark brown, black, etc.)? I starch my fabrics when piecing the quilt top, so I could never get away with "this quilt will be a dry clean only quilt". Also, all of my reds were good quality quilting fabrics like Moda and Kaufman, etc.

it is the product that requires hot water. not the quilt. I used Oxy clean but don't remember using terribly hot water and it worked on very old pencil marks.

I just had this happen a week ago, with a 1930's nile green bleeding onto the white on a vintage previously unused Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt! I followed the instructions on "Save my Bleeding Quilt" to "T". And it worked. Do exactly as she says: do it in the tub with very hot water, the more water the better, ten minutes of hand agitation with rubber gloves, alot of soap (I used an entire capful of Arm and Hammer free and clear liquid laundry soap, and a 12 hour soak, with the quilt weighted down with plastic bins of water sitting on their lids. I made sure every bit of my quilt was upside down and underwater. Good luck to you.

This would scare me because I am easily distracted and forgetful. A few of these extremely high speed machines have exploded in apparently normal use, and bookends would surely void any claim or warranty. Don't most of these machines have a setting for bulky loads that would fill it? Or maybe you could trick it by putting a couple of towels in there and then removing them when you're ready to do the quilt.

Have you tried washing with color-catchers from the laundry section of the supermarket? It helps if you use plenty of water, perhaps go use the large front loading ones at the laundramat.

Thank you all for your help and I am going to go to work on it next week, the crocking makes sense as it was under other quilts to keep the light off of it and they were ok and it is in a small section as far as I can tell now I will get it off the bed, check it all and go to work on it next week and I do have a top load washes than still works manually that has many settings and even fill completely with the lid open so I can allow the soaking for 20 min. thank you so much and I will let you know how it turns out wish I could post pictures here but have been unable to do so Have a great weekend