Thank you for the Fabulous infomation

http://www.prochemicalanddye.com/store/home.php?cat=323

Read about Retayne and Synthapol. It is somewhat confusing.

Retayne
Use Retayne before you cut and piece your quilt or garment.
Color fixative for commercially dyed cotton, linen, and rayon fabric that bleeds.
Use it in your washing machine or by hand washing with hot water.
Test fabric before washing it for the first time.
Only one application is necessary.

When to use Retayne
Test your fabric before treating it with Retayne.
Dampen a small square of 100% cotton white muslin.
Place it on top of the colored fabric to be tested.
Iron the fabrics with a hot iron until dry.
Inspect the muslin and if there is any transfer of color, then treat your fabric with Retayne.

Synthrapol
Will remove excess dye from hand dyed fabrics.
Will remove sizing from fabric before dyeing.
Use in the dye bath for even color.
A concentrated wetting agent, known as a surfactant.

When to use Synthrapol
To wash hand dyed fabrics before using them in a garment or quilt.
When fabric is already quilted and bleeds into adjacent fabric.
To soak fabric before dyeing.

I have done a lot of sewing with Batiks. I have rarely had bleeding problems. Of course the exception was a red and white quilt which in now pink and white. :( I always prewash my fabric. I have tried the vinegar etc tricks trying to do it the homemade and cheaper way. No more for me. It is Retayne all the way. I have used it on those dark jeans that make you hands turn blue and indigos. It sure does the trick.
What I really want to say is don't avoid using batiks because some bleed. It just too beautiful!! I hope that you get your problem solved!

seriously, not only do I use Retayne while dyeing fabrics, I had my HAZMAT hubby read over this..you do realize there is NOTHING in this that is not in your dishwashing soap...or your hand soap, or your cosmetics....of course it will cause skin irritation..it is SOAP....this stuff is even safe for septics...so where do you get the idea Retayne is dangerous???

It clearly states there are NO carcinogens..do you know that the fabric you buy has 37 known carcinogens sprayed on it just to get it into this country???

USE retayne with the same precautions you use with any soap/detergent!

I have had more non-batik fabrics bleed than batik fabrics, and I have a lot of batiks. The only one that bled was a deep red, and I was aware that it was going to do that before I purchased it. I have had other red batiks that did not bleed.

Many fabrics that will bleed will also crock (to give off coloring matter: said of dyed fabric). Rub the fabric with a small scrap of white fabric or paper. If any color "crocks" onto the scrap, then the fabric will bleed. This is how I knew before hand that my red batik would bleed. I liked that fabric so much that I purchased it anyway.

Thanks for that very useful bit of info. I've saved it for later reference :-).

Lori-I love your avatar, I have one at my house, also I always wash in cold unless it is the whites.

I am a fabric dyer. I never use the dye catchers. I use a tsp of Synthropol liquid soap. I wash dyed fabrics and batiks in hot. When the water comes through the hose and out of the washing machine, I have a small basin to catch some of the water to see how dark it is. When I am on what I consider the last wash/rinse, I throw in an old white sock to see what it looks like at the end. Naturally, reds will tend to bleed more. Most high end quilt shops sell Synthropol and you can get it online.

About Retayne:
http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/FAQ/fixative.shtml

Honestly people, just because a fabric bleeds does NOT mean it's a big problem!!! Throw a color catcher in any load of dark clothes and it'll very likely come out dark. The problem is when another fabric picks that loose dye up out of the wash. And even then if it's not set in the original fabric it will not be set in whatever picks it up unless you do something chemically to set it.