Yesterday I had the same problem. It was a green tie dye fabric. I used Retayne four times and it is still bleeding. It is the perfect fabric for the borders in my quilt that I am donating. I have spent too much on fabric all ready with this quilt and I still have to quilt it. Bummer

Thank you so much for the post! Black and darks can definately be "stinkers".

That is just amazing how much has run from the fabeiv

I really like Moda fabric but oddly enough I have only had running fabric like that once and it was also Moda. Sadly enough it was one of the times I did not prewash and it colored the whole toddler quilt.

I always wash flannels because they shrink so much more than regular cottons and they will often bleed, especially the blues for some reason (red gets the bad rap, but I find that blues are worse). And with Batiks, you absolutely never know if the dyes are set well. I do not wash my other fabrics, I used to but never had a problem with bleeding so I stopped. I might regret it but I don't plan to wash my fabrics in the future, only the ones that are flannel, Batiks, hand dyed or of a lesser quality. I have heard of some embroidery flosses bleeding, though. Figure that one out!! :)

I use them all the time. They are great. I have washed red with other things and the color catchers catch everything. I even tried red with white items and it didn't turn pink. Convinced my 90 year old Aunt that she could pre wash her materials with one of those and it worked rather than wash each color separately. I highly recommend them. I throw them in a load if there is even a hint of something possibly fading.

i always wash my fabric and sometimes twice !!

I use the color catchers whenever I wash a quilt. Really great results.

Me, too.


I would be willing to bet fairly serious money that a Mom that has just had a baby blanket/quilt peed, puked or pooped on is NOT apt to run out for a color catcher or Retayne before throwing it in the washer. Hopefully, the item will be washed on cool or tepid water - less apt to set any stains. I don't know how to get Kool-aid stains out, though, once they are set.

The things that do strike terror in my heart as far as the quilts I've made are: bleach, burns, and tears.

I wonder if salt would stop the bleeding in some of these excessive bleeders? That is adding the salt to the water. See, I really believe now that the mfgrs are using cheaper dyes. Also on a website for fabric I noticed width was not 44,42, but 40" another cutback.......

Actually, I have some fabrics from over ten years ago that are only 40-42 inches wide. (Robert Kaufman for one - I had "assumed" that the fabric was 45 inches wide - and then had to piece the backing to make it wide enough - )

It is a myth that "most" quilting/calico fabrics are/were 44-45 inches wide. Some are - many are not.

It may be that you are only noticing the narrower widths now -

In fact, some of the so-called "better" brands are usually narrower than the VIP fabrics were.

When buying fabric, it is a good thing to check the fabric width - a couple of inches can matter a lot.

Thanks for the photo. Amazing!

I don't prewash except for swaps and certain dark fabrics and I will continue to do so. My choice - I tell beginners to wash. :)

<how do you keep the fabric from fraying and tangling in the washer and, after washing>
Wash on delicate cycle. There is no need to go through an entire wash and beat up your fabric. A lot less strings. Also, Rubesgirl, I love the quilt in your avatar. Is that all it is? H's? What a happy quilt!

Thanks for the demo. I'm from Missouri and you showed me! lol

Thanks, IamCatGirl! They are all H's, my GS's name is Harrison & I made the quilt for him fir Christmas 2011. He makes me Happy! :-)

You know what this makes me think of? How many quilts have I given away without washing them? 30? Anyway, I never thought to ask any of the people if the fabric on the quilts bled. Now I'm worried that I gave people quilts that looked awful after they washed them. OMG!!! No one has said anything, but they probably wouldn't want to hurt my feelings. I never wash my fabric. I think I will wash the bold and dark fabrics for now on. Thanks for the picture. That said enough to me to want to start washing my dark fabrics.

haha
1 i thought it might be a snake. I too had to handwash (72) 21/2 inch wide batiks to make a kit I ordered from Keepsake quilting. This took forever but if I hadn't I don't know how many would have bled. I always, always, wash my fabric and if dark colors, hand wash them to see if they quit fading. Worth the time to me!

Do you think that the water could be the culprit in causing fabrics to bleed? I have had an occasional problem when I had well water or in Florida during a dry spell, but not continuously.

Yikes! I always try to prewash my fabrics before I use them but what do you do when using precuts? Just hope for the best?

Hey Jan, I thought it was a snake. Kitsy

If I was ever tempted to skip the pre-wash step, you have cured me. Thanks!

I just had the same experience! I'm doing a red/white/black quilt and on prewashing the fabrics, the black bled a lot, just like your's did. :( The LQS owner told me black is bad for that due to all the dye they have to use to achieve true black. She recommended adding white vinegar to the water and it sets the color. I tried this on some extra same black fabric I had to buy and it worked! But what if I hadn't pre-rinsed it first and had made the quilt, then washed! Scary. I have used the color catchers but I understand it would have to be used each time it's washed and what if the quilt recipient doesn't do it? I know red bleeds but it wasn't nearly as much as the black. Thanks for your post!

Scared me, I thought it was a snake.

Retayne and synthrapol
 

I first got into quilting via by wanting to sew gain father a 25+ year break. Was punning on making clothes so was used to per-washing my fabrics before making anything. Was surprised by # of people ho did not prewash. I have "soaked" a lot of my fabrics in retune and very hot water -- until they rinsed clear in running water. Then I would wash in machine on hot or warm with synthrapol which is a surfactant that removes dye from the water, similar tothe color catchers now. Have gotten lazy with current purchases since so many good quilters I know do not prewash but if it is red, black, brown or dark blue (especially a batik) I would prewash first. Someone who was buying some Hoffman batiks at the LQS was discussing this with my friend and myself. She gives recipient of the quilt a few Shout color catchers with quilt and washing instructions.

I think I will piece my recent batik jelly rolls first then either soak in retayne (probably in not so Hoyt water) and dry thenpress or quilt first then wash dry and possibly press to get any possible dye out of the quilt before giving away if a gift.

Soaking and per washing the Hoffmann strips would be a real pain -- they are not pinked and Bali pop pkgs even state they may not be even as they are hand cut!

Onaemtnest - thanks for the tip for buying Retayne in bulk!
Dayle

Thanks for the tip. I love the look of a quilt made from unwashed fabrics as it shrinks in between the quilting and looks aged.

I have been adding to my batik stash recently. You have convinced me. I am lazy and did not want to prewash, but knew I had to, now I KNOW.

What I have trouble understanding is why so many quilters prefer to use Synthrapol or Color Catchers wash after wash after wash instead of prewashing their bleeding fabrics once, maybe twice, in Retayne. (around here, if it bleeds after two treatments, it goes in a non-washable wall quilt)

Testing for colorfastness is quick, easy, and does not involve wetting the entire piece of fabric. If it bleeds, treat it with Retayne. If it doesn't, why waste your money on Color Catchers? And why put a laundry restriction on a quilt that you gift?

As far as getting the "shrunk" antique look for quilts- many of them were made from old, washed many times garments or linens - so they probably would not have shrunk at all when they were washed.

I prewash fabric that has dark or intense color, and any that feel stiff. All the fabric in a quilt is either prewashed or not, I keep my stash sorted like that.

color fastness
 

I recently bought a small handbook on using salt, lemons, vinegar, and baking soda. They have a recipe for color-fasting your laundry (quilt fabrics or quilts). They use 1 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup salt, and your color-safe detergent (or quilt fabric soap). Filling the washing machine with cold water, add the three ingredients and wait a few minutes to let the salt dissolve. Wash your brights with similarly colored items in small loads and the colors will be set for future washings. It says to double the amount of vinegar and salt if colors are particularly vibrant.
I haven't personally used this recipe yet so if anyone beats me to the results please share.

when I took my first quilting class 20 years ago the instructor recommended to always pre-wash and dry the fabrics. You can eliminate the bleeding of dyes and fabrics can shrink at different amounts, if one shrinks quite a bit more than a fabric next to it in the quilt, that will put added stress to the fabric's threads and may pull so much on the fabric that it may tear. If you are going to put work into a quilt why not eliminate any problem you can before it is a problem, and back then most were still hand quilting so it was a good investment of time. And btw calicos back then were equally 42 or 44 ", and some may have been 40" wide.

I use Shout color catchers when I wash a load of new fabrics. I bought them when they first came out because my son would not sort anything when he washed his clothes. It was much easier to buy the color catchers then do his laundry for him. :) I had heard of using a cup of white vinegar in rinse water to help set dyes in fabric, I'm going to try the vinegar and salt treatment next time I have a tough one. I did get a link from Craftybear for buying the Retayne on line but I think it was from someplace east of me here in Ohio-so there may be several places one can order it. Closer may be less expensive in shipping, but maybe not, many online companies seem to charge shipping based on total order amount.

And speaking of Crafybear if you ever want a link for anything you saw on the QB she is AMAZING at getting the links, she is the Queen of the links!

And for the small pieces in kits or such you can wash in a basin, and "shrink" by drying with an iron. No fraying of the cut piece and if it shrinks it will probably be workable for the block. If it is going to shrink don't you want to know before you have the whole thing together?

genhaven, what is "color safe detergent"? Is that different from regular liquid detergent such a Tide or Arm&hammer?

retayne is sold on amazon; joann's; ebay and probably some other sites just do a search for it.

also i have used white vinegar successfully to help set colors and this is from my garment sewing days. it does work.