New to sewing Batiks
 

I'm getting ready to make a quilt with a lot of Batiks in it. I've never used Batiks before. Mostly I do reproduction fabrics, but this is one to be given to DSIL and my daughter picked the fabrics.
Is there anything special I need to know?
Do I need to pre-wash them first?
Do they ravel more than regular cottons?
If the picture attached these are the fabrics and the pattern is Summer Porch from Eleanor Burns.
Any hints you can give will be appreciated.
Thanks,
kathyd

I find they ravel less than other cottons. I would definitely pre-wash them until the water is clear. They sometimes have a wax residue on them and they do tend to have more dye than other cottons. And as always, better safe than sorry! Have fun with them!

Batiks bleed a lot so definately prewash them. I wash in hot water and if the batiks are dark colored I wash them twice. I use a size 11 or 12 sharp microtex needle because the batik fabrics are woven very tight, much tighter than regular cotton. My opinion is that ravel less than regular cotton fabric. I usually serge the edges before I wash and dry the fabric.

I definately agree with Lynda about prewashing. Deep coloured batiks can tend to run. They are usually a tighter weave cotton and ravel less.

Do prewash with a color catcher. They ravel far less than regular quilting fabrics which makes them so much nicer to work with IMHO. On the other hand, there is less give then with regular fabrics. So where you might be able to ease in a little excess fabric with regular fabrics, not so much with batiks so piecing discrepancies are more obvious.

Gorgeous fabrics. Do follow the instructions given and you will love your new quilt.

Thanks for the info everyone. I guess I will be doing some pre-washing this weekend before I start cutting. I think I even have some color catchers in the laundry room!

because of the tight weave, hand quilting is a bit more difficult. i would reccommend machine quilting.

Prewash with Retayne but I've Never had a batik bleed. I consider myself very lucky. The do not ravel much at all because they are so closely woven But have had the wax on some left from manufacturing.

Wash and rinse till the water runs clear, because there is a good chance you have at least one or more bleeders . I use a finer machine needle, a 70/10.

Simply put, this is the difference.

Orvus is a soap. It is actually made for washing horses (works great at that, too) but the quilt shop variety is relabeled Orvus Quilt Soap and the price is higher. Get it at Farm & Fleet and save some $$. It's just a chemical free, gentle soap similar to Woolite.

Retayne is used to prewash fabric before using it in anything. It sets loose dyes. Do not, repeat not, use it for washing fabrics that have been made into something or you risk setting loose dyes onto other fabrics.

Synthrapol keeps loose dyes suspended in the wash water so they do not settle on your quilt. It's pretty much the same as Color Catchers.
Use Retayne for washing fabrics before cutting and wash fabrics by themselves to prevent bleeding onto other fabrics. After the quilt is completed, wash with Synthrapol. This will keep any excess dyes floating in the wash water and prevent them from setting into the other fabrics in the quilt. Synthrapol acts very much like the color catcher sheets.