I have a red and white quilt that I have washed probably 30 or 40 times, and one of the reds still bleeds. I use a color catcher every time I wash it and the color catcher always comes out pink. This fabric was all prewashed. I is just a part of this quilt.

When I started quilting (about 4 years ago) I had no idea that it could be a problem and had no one advising me and took no classes. My first quilt was red and cream. At the flimsy stage I thought if I washed it I could square it up better. As a beginner my seams were a little inconsistent. What a shock I had. I had a number of bleeders, the worst offender was one of the first I purchased and one of the most expensive, all fabrics were bought at quilt stores. Some pieces - log cabin 1 1/2" strips - were so bad that I took out the whole block and in others I replaced the strip . I tried washing one or two more times. It is only this winter that I have actually gotten it finished. P-BurgKay I hope that I don't have the same story to tell in my future.

I guess some have better luck than me. That is why I always check and wash before I do anything else as I have had all those problems.

I think the more expensive fabrics have more dye. I don't buy from LQS and not as many problems.

I had a deep red Moda fabric bleed and bleed and bleed...no matter what I did. Finally, I took it back the my LQS. They said the dye was never "set" in the fabric and it would continue to bleed. They sent it back to Moda. I received replacement fabric plus more.... I was taking a block of the month from my LQS. They cut all the pieces. I was starching my block and all of the purple fabric bled into the white squares. They did not prewash. When I told the store owner she said, don't mention it to anyone else. What?....she did not replace the purple fabric. It was a BOM, where we had to show our finished block to get the next package....when I showed her the bleed....she said..sometimes that happens. Done with that store.

Did these incidents happen with/at the same store? or two different ones?

Since I work mainly from scraps, I don't prewash. Most of our quilts were sold over the years and our name is on each one. And it's a very unusual name, too - any one with that name is a relative. So if someone had a problem, they could find us to complain, but no one ever did. I often wonder where all those quilts are and how they are doing. I was at a rummage sale in the next town on Thursday and recognized a couple of potholders I had made!!.

The one big problem I have nightmares about but never happened, is finding out after quilting that the backing is wrong side out.

I want the fabric to shrink up after quilting, it's the crinkly look I am after.

I've been lucky with bleeding, maybe - but if a piece concerns me, I'll do the water in a white bowl, wipe with a white cloth test. I've had one burgundy Moda that was a runner.

Have never found a slub after purchase; I have had a clerk remark while cutting that she didn't think it was right and pushed that aside and started over. My guess is that those end up cut to fat quarters.

I was surprised to find out how many flaws per yard are permissible in fabric that is sold as first quality (not seconds). If I was in charge, it would be zero!! Always pays to look over the fabric, both sides, carefully, before you pay for it.

I rarely pre-wash--I rub a white paper hard on any fabric that is a deep color (darks, batiks, etc) and if any color shows then it does get pre-washed, otherwise it's not prewashed. I like the fabric to have some sizing when I cut and sew it. I do attach wash/dry instructions to all quilts that I gift--and part of that includes throwing in a couple of color catchers--which I do every time I wash a quilt. The one exception is with a child's quilt, which I do wash out.

I know others will saw that's gross that it's not washed before gifting--but when we buy a bed spread, does it get washed first?