I am watching this thread with great interest. I am planning a red and white Irish chain. I do not usually prewash, but may with this to avoid a problem.

I also have been trying to find color catchers, you mention Walmart, what brand do they carry and what area did you find them in. I use to buy them at Joann's but have not been able to find them anymore. The brand I use to use was Cardona and it was a cloth that you used up to 30 times with a little wheel to mark off each time it got used. I used them many more than the 30 times and loved them but have not found them anywhere.

In order to save time, I would put the fels naptha soap chunk, along with about 4 cups of the water, into the blender and blend well. It doesn't really suds up, so that should work. Haven't tried it, just an idea. Maybe it would be better to cut up the soap into large chunks instead of putting in the one big chunk.

Well...California IS a pretty big state and I live out in the boonies. I could drive 3 hours to the city, but why?

~ C

I had been using the reusable color and dirt grabber by Carbona. As another person said it is made from terry cloth. I have been searching everywhere for them. Yesterday I found them at the grand opening of a new Hancock's Fabric here in Georgia.

I have been using a 100% cotton white terry cloth hand towel. This works great. The "old catchers" that I use to buy was a white terry towel. You do not need the soda ash.

If it a new quilt with a dark color,I use BLUE DAWN soap and a dye fixative,yes it works. I put the soap on the terry towel,use cold water only and wash on reg cycle. I have a front loader machine. The excess dye floats in the water and when the quilt is in a top loader for some reason the dye attaches to the quilt. The front loader the dye does not float.

For the first wash I would take it laundry mat and use their front loader machines. when you take the quilt out of the machine and you see any dye run off..wash it again with the soap and cold water. DO NOT DRY the quilt til all dye has been removed. It might take 2-3 washes.This will work

[QUOTE=tropit;7063011]Well...California IS a pretty big state and I live out in the boonies. I could drive 3 hours to the city, but why?

~ C[/QUOT

..but you must have some sort of grocery, supplies stores nearby....I live in a rural area...most stores 25 miles in any direction, but there is a walgreens and privately owned grocery store( well stocked) in town.....and I must admit, next town over...about 8 miles, does have a Walmart.....just curious.....

Off topic, but check out the cute curtains hanging behind her little clothesline of color catchers, if you scroll down, she gives link how to make em, sew cute! Would be darling for a sewing room!

You can get color catchers at the Dollar Tree, and General Dollar in my area. I have used the soda ash before when dyeing fabric, it helps set the color. We found it in the store where you buy the dye.

I buy them on Amazon; or sometimes at Joann's if I can't find anything else to burn up a 50% off coupon on.

Target carries them too, but as someone else said they seem to migrate around. Sometimes it's with laundry detergents, sometimes I find them an aisle over with the starches.