Kinda sick....is it totally ruined?????
 

I have been working for months and spent hundreds on a quilt top for my nephew's wedding using batiks. Unfortunately, there was a pet accident and the top needed to be washed. I prewash all fabrics. So I decided to wash in cold water on gentle cycle and used Synthrapol. I am new to quilting and assumed that would take care of it, so I dried it, only to discover the yellow batik is no longer as yellow. I tried to attach pictures, but couldn't get it to work. I did a search and saw a response to someone who hadn't dried their quilt in the dryer and one of the posts said to wash in Synthrapol, color catchers and hot water. Would that work after I dried it? Any other suggestions?

Can you post a photo?

I'm not quite understanding the result. Are you concerned because the yellow batik is not as yellow as it used to be? Or was the yellowing the result of the pet accident, and you want to get rid of all of it?

How did the seams come out? Did you get any fraying?

Synthrapol is supposed to be used in hot water to be effective, but I have found it still works to a lesser extent in non-hot water. Depending on the problem, it can take several washes with Synthrapol to get a stain out completely.

Drying usually does not permanently set dyes or stains, so I wouldn't be overly concerned about the fact you ran the top through the dryer. I am more concerned about how much agitation the quilt top can take before you start getting frayed seams.

If your concern is because the yellow batik is no longer as yellow as it is supposed to be, that means dye has been released from the fabric. The only way to restore color to the fabric would be to use fabric paints or some other type of color restoration on it.

If your concern is that the yellow stain did not come out completely, then I would consider finishing the quilt as is, then treating it with Retro Clean (http://www.retroclean.com ). Actually, if you think the quilt top can handle it, you could try soaking it in Retro Clean now.

Kinda Sick... Is it ruined??
 

Prism99, some of the other fabrics bled onto the yellow. I tried to attach a pic but had all kinds of trouble. I resized the pics and they still wouldn't load. And they were jpeg files.

If I rewash the quilt top, should I also use Synthrapol? Should I wash in cold, warm or hot water with the color catchers?

I would just go with it. Batiks often can be different colors. Unless it is totally obvious, you are the only one who knew what the yellow looked like before.

Heat (at least the temps generated by a domestic dryer) does not permanently set most modern dyes, so I would not consider that a problem.

Most likely the dye transfer occurred because you used cold water with Synthrapol. The purpose of Synthrapol is to suspend unset dye particles (like the ones that settled in your yellow fabric) in the water so they are rinsed away instead of settling into fabric. Using cold water made the Synthrapol unable to do its job.

Honestly, at this point I wouldn't worry about it. I would finish the top, *then* wash with Synthrapol and lots of hot water in a large washing machine. The dye particles that settled into the yellow are not permanently set, so they should lift out and be rinsed away. You might have to wash two or three times this way to get all of the dye bleeds out, but they will come out.

For Synthrapol to be effective, you need both hot water and lots of water. By any chance, did you wash the top in a front loading washing machine? Most domestic front-loaders do not use enough water for Synthrapol to be effective. In addition to hot water, you want *lots* of water so any dye bleeds are thoroughly diluted.

Keep in mind the same thing would have happened if you had washed the finished quilt in cold water instead of just the top.

I agree with this. You may be stressing over something that no one else will ever notice. Rather than continue to wash the unquilted top, I would finish the top, quilt and bind it, and then wash in lots of hot water with Synthrapol. Check the rinse water to see if it's still bleeding, and if so repeat the washing cycle until it stops bleeding.

It's a little late to point this out, but sometimes batiks will bleed through more than one wash, so you need to check the rinse water to be sure they have stopped bleeding.

Can you replace the offending fabric??? Is it just one piece or many pieces. I feel your pain too. Will post my problem tomorrow when they sun is rising in the East.

I would not wash the top again until it is completed. You are incredibly lucky not having the top come apart in the washer! Synthrapol needs hot water. It keeps excess dye shed by the fabric in suspension so it will not be redeposited on your quilt top. Another thing is you need LOTS of water. An old fashioned top loader at the highest water setting, not a front loader or a HE top loader. Your best bet is to take it to a Laundromat and use one of their big washers.
I also wouldn't stress too much, it is probably less noticeable than you think.

Kinda sick.....is it totally ruined?
 

Thank all of you for your suggestions. The top didn't ravel and it was finished. I use a smaller stitch setting (1.8) which may have saved me. I also used the gentle cycle which doesn't agitate much. I do have a top load machine- oldie but goodie and it does have an extra large setting. The top does look wrinkled and I don't like that look.. I will have someone do it on a longarm machine. Will that set in the wrinkles if it's not ironed first? I had hoped to be able to iron it before I sent it.. I apologize for my stupid questions. I only had one top quilted before, so I don't know much. I think I have a pic attached of the top before it was washed.

It is beautiful. If there is a glitch, I don't see it.

That's a gorgeous quilt. No one but you will ever know there was a "problem". Which makes it not a problem!

Unfortunately -- in my opinion, anyway -- you need to iron the quilt top before sending it to the longarmer. A longarmer needs both backing and top to be as smooth as possible when loading onto the frame. While it's fairly easy for a longarmer to ease some wrinkles out of a backing fabric which is in all one large piece (or two, or three) -- for example, by using spray starch while rolling -- it's really not possible to do that on a quilt top consisting of many pieces.

You will need to iron your top before sending it to the long arm person. It is gorgeous and once it is ironed and quilted it should look perfect.

Pun
 

What a beautiful quilt. All of the suggestions above have lots of merit and one or more of them should work. Please iron your top BEFORE you have it quilted. It needs to be as smooth and as square as possible. I press every step of the way. Even after the quilting. I start on the back, turn to the front and then smooth out the binding with the iron. I change my quilts seasonally and when I pull them out again, I give them another light press so they'll hang straight. Good luck with all of the tries of suggestions. Please let us know how it all comes out?


Well, I didn't intend the pun, but it happens.

I should have added that I would iron it with spray starch handy. Just be sure to give the starch time to penetrate the fibers before ironing so you don't run the risk of scorching the starch (not a problem; it will wash out!) and gooping up your iron.

I had a similar problem with a quilt for my Grandsons wedding. He is in the Air Force so I wanted to make a patriotic quilt for them. The red and blue bled onto the white on the back. I rewashed it with color catchers and the bleeding came out. I then washed it with salt and vinegar as I was told it would set the colors. The quilt turned out well. Good luck.

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The red and blue in the flag material bled all over the white on the back. This picture was taken after I got the bleeding out of the white.

If the yellow fabric is all the same shade I wouldn't worry about it, just finish it and let it go. The recipients don't know what shade of yellow it was so it shouldn't be a problem. I would not keep washing it as that is a recipe for disaster. Unsupported quilt tops do not do well with washing as a rule and I think you were lucky that only the yellow changed color and no seams raveled or came out.

Call your longarmer and ask her about ironing. I always iron before I send anything to my longarmer, but she does re-iron all tops. She has a nice large set up for it, and she says it allows her to make sure the quilt top has no unexpected problems.

OMG, I feel for you. All of the suggestions you have received should help you resolve your problem, Prism99 and Tartan seem to have the answers you need. If there is any possible way you can get a picture posted then I would gladly look through my stash to see if I have a yellow batik that would help you out. Will check back tomorrow or later today to see what you found out. Try to keep a positive outlook, that's easy for me to say, but it will help you solve your problem.

Hopefully the pet smell came out all the way. Just the slightest hint will attract another pet to mark it's territory. Not trying to be mean just stating a fact.

If all that happened is that the yellow doesn't look as yellow as you think it did before it was washed, you may be stressed over nothing important at all. Some batiks contain some really unique color combinations and your laundry mishap may have created one of them. But, if it is really bothering you, try some of the suggestions people on the board have provided. Just be sure that you don't keep trying for perfection until you ruin the whole top. froggyintexas

Your top is beautiful but either you iron it or your long arm person will before it goes on the frame. One of those things you need to know when sending out quilts also if you supply the backing make sure you have it sewn together as required and that it is over size as well. Check with your quilter to see how much bigger they require. That applies to your batting as well, unless you are having them supply it which most people do. Can't wait to see it quilted.

What a beautiful quilt I'm glad the experts were here to help you resolve the problem.

Beautiful quilt, so happy to hear you were able to wash again I see no problems in your photo..Great job :)

Judy in Phx, AZ

It's one thing for a longarmer to iron an already-ironed customer top; it's another for someone to iron a pieced top that has been through the washer and dryer. The latter will be a *lot* more work! I wouldn't expect a longarmer to do that for me.

That's beautiful! I would iron it. Going thru the washer is very different from just having sewing wrinkles. That way you can determine if there are any stretched places that might give your longarmer trouble.

I thought Batiks and hand dyed fabrics were so "processed" that they were bleed free. I am now afraid to make the quilt using Batik charms with the white back ground. Someone please calm my fears!?

That is absolutely one gorgeous quilt and I think that if you starch and iron it and send it off to the quilter, all will be well, even if some of the dye that ran is still showing, which is not discernible in the pic, nobody but you will know that as batiks have such color variations in them that it will not even be noticed as a boo-boo but as simply a lovely piece of batik.

Twinkie, did you use hot water when you rewashed it?

Like others who have commented, I see no sign of a problem. This quilt top is beautiful.

Batiks and hand dyed fabrics are actually more likely to bleed because often the manufacturer (or maker) doesn't have the patience (or water) to completely rinse out all of the excess dye.

Since you have charms, I would not wash them. After the quilt is finished, though, I would plan on washing the quilt with Synthrapol in *lots* of hot water. I take my quilts to the local laundromat, use the largest front-loader they have, and am careful to select hot water. You need lots of water to dilute any bleeds, and you need hot water so the Synthrapol is activated. Synthrapol works to keep loose dye particles suspended in water so they don't settle back into fabrics.

I had prewashed all my batiks for a warrior quilt but a red still bled when I steamed near it. Washed it in HOT water with synthrapol and all the dye magnets I had on hand (3), checked when it came out of the washer, repeated the Hot water synthrapol washing. Red totally gone from the white block and a hugh sign of relief from me because I needed to turn the quilt in the following week.

A quilting friend said she actually soaked a quilt in synthrapol overnight but that it did remove the errant color.

Worth a try and for me, nothing to loose, as I could not turn in the quilt with red bleeding onto a white block.

That quilt is GORGEOUS!!, I think it looks fine in the picture, and if there is any bleeding I bet the quilting will help distract from it. What color thread are you using for quilting? What pattern? I sure hope you show the finished picture. Love your quilt.

There are no stupid questions...only unasked questions. You don't learn if you don't ask. Beautiful quilt top!
I love bright colors. :D
Sharon

Fortyniner, I don't see any problem with the yellow in the quilt. It's beautiful, gorgeous and all kinds of other beauty words, and I mean every one of them!

The recipient won't know that it was 'christened' before it was finished. :D

Oh my gosh, your quilt is gorgeous!!! You certainly spent lots of hours on it!!