Question about red fabric
 

Hi, everyone!

As a general rule, I am not a fan of the color red. But I'm getting ready to start a Christmas quilt-along, so I do want to use some red fabric. I do not prewash my fabrics. Is there a way to keep red fabric from bleeding into the other colors when I wash the quilt after finishing it? Thanks for any suggestions.

Red is my favorite color and I have made many quilts with red fabric. I have never had one bleed. I do use quilt shop, name brand fabric.

I do not pre-wash either, but I soak red fabric in cool water to see what happens. Then I let it dry on a hanger and iron. I had a bad experience with red bleeding after it was quilted. Hope this helps.

I always use color catchers when I wash my finished quilt. I have had reds bleed.

Test it for bleeding first - get a paper towel or a white rag, dampen it, then rub it on the red fabric. If the towel turns red, you're going to want to treat it before putting it in the quilt.

Here is the best, easiest way I've found to treat bleeding fabrics. It was written by a quilter who makes a lot of her own hand-dyed fabric, and this is how she removes excess dye. As far as I'm concerned, this is her ticket into heaven. :D

Save My Bleeding Quilt by Vicki Welsh

I have had more than one Moda red bleed.

I've also had RJR fabrics bleed. (Years ago)

I've also had a red that I purchased at a LQS this winter have excess dye.

I am in the group that feels - strongly - that it is just easier to soak, wash, and dry everything washable before cutting it for peace of mind, if nothing else.

I "assume" that whoever will be the final owner of the item will probably just toss the item in the wash and not be aware of the "proper protocol" for washing quilted items and I want to make this as foolproof as possible.

I do, however, fear bleach, burns, and tears.

I have had more than one Moda red bleed.

I've also had RJR fabrics bleed. (Years ago)

I've also had a red that I purchased at a LQS this winter have excess dye.

I am in the group that feels - strongly - that it is just easier to soak, wash, and dry everything washable before cutting it for peace of mind, if nothing else.

I "assume" that whoever will be the final owner of the item will probably just toss the item in the wash and not be aware of the "proper protocol" for washing quilted items and I want to make this as foolproof as possible.

I do, however, fear bleach, burns, and tears.

I used to "just wash" my fabrics - until I tried using a starch/sizing on a blue and a red RJR (again, this was several years ago) and the red and blue fabrics bled on to the gray. I was surprised and not happy.

My experience is that at least 90% of the red fabrics I have used bleed at least on their first experience in water. Whether or not the fabrics next to them in a quilt will pick up the red dye in the water is not a gamble that I want to take. Therefore, I test ALL. If needed, Retayne treatment is next.

It matters not at all whether the red fabric is an LQS fabric - almost all bleed for me. And red is not the only color with that problem.

I don't wash my fabrics before cutting but I do starch them so they're dipped into my dishpan full of starch, then run thru my wringer and hung to dry. Then I spritz them with water and press them. Normally if they're going to bleed, it will happen during my starching. Once my quilt is finished I usually put it thru the washer with a color catcher so whomever I give the quilt to won't be startled the 1st time they wash it.

Once after I washed a quilt I didn't see the red bleed onto the white so I thru it into the dryer. Thought for sure it was ruined but someone here said to put it thru the washer again with another color catcher and sure enough the red bleed came out so all was good with the world again.