UGH!!! Bleeding Red
 

I'm in the process of ironing and sorting my scraps (a never ending task since the containers never seem to empty). One of the scraps that I ironed was a really pretty red and black abstract print. The fabric had been washed. I starched and ironed it and it stained my ironing board cover!! I have several large scraps of this fabric ( 3 pieces that are 5" wide by 3 yards long) -- now I have to figure out if I want to fuss with it to see if I can stop the bleeding so I can use it.

What do you suggest?

Rewash the fabric with Synthrapol and then dry with several color catchers. Do it as many times as necessary until the color catchers come out of the dryer white.

I suggest a Retayne treatment to set the dye.

Depends on how much you like the fabric -

If it was mine and I loved it - I would soak it a couple more times to see if the fabric stopped releasing dye.

If it did not - I would toss it.

I had a bad bleeder and used about 4 color catchers per wash with the quilt. Few washes later everything was fine.

If you aren't attached to the fabric I would bin it. You don't want all your time and effort on making a quilt ruined when it is washed. Is it really worth hours trying to stop it running, just let it run out of the door.

I use about a cup and a half of salt in the water. This "sets" the dye very well.

Or you can wash with a "color catcher" which is on the grocery shelf with laundry products. The color catchers will pick up dyes which have been deposited on other fabrics following washing. I am careful w/reds. They seem to be a necessary evil.

Hmmm. Just scraps? Consider the cost of syntrapol or color catchers plus the time and water and energy used on them. I'd toss and not look back. Your time is much better used quilting and creating.