quilt backing
 

Good Morning Everyone,

I've been wondering how does anyone tell if a material that they buy is going to lose it's color very fast or not. Is there a brand that holds up better? Or is there something that you can wash it in to hold color better? I would appreciate any advice.

Have a Great Day,

Diana Vance

Buying the better lines of fabric is your best bet. Tide has a detergent they claim keeps fabrics color fast.

Keeping your quilt out of direct sunlight is also a good idea. On a related topic, i used fabric 'confetti' to mulch my perennials last year. THe bed is in direct sunlight. Most of the scraps from recycled men's shirts retained their color, as for the actual quilting fabric scraps, it really varied. Cost didn't seem to matter, some inexpensive ones are as bright as when I put them out there, and some of the costlier ones faded. Different colors from the same fabric line faded at different rates so it might be the dye use. Actually, i would say that the reds fared worst.

While in the store rub the fabric briskly between your fingers and thumb. If the color rubs off on your fingers it will not hold it's color well. This doesn't replace a little testing after you buy a piece, but will help keep some of the worst fading and bleeding ones out of your stash.

Prewashing your fabrics in white vinigar water is said to set the color. I pre-wash all my dark colors that way. Have never had a problem with colors bleeding or losing their color.

I usually get my backing fabric at the 50% off rack at the LQS and I have not had trouble with fading. Sure, the colors aren't as rich as they once were but they are still pretty. My favorite quilt has been washed almost to death. It is silky-soft and the binding is showing wear but there it is - under the cat, looking good.