Can anyone tell me about washing a quilt with white and dark blue patches. I am afraid it will bleed. I should have addressed this before I made it.
Thanks

Be sure to use a color catcher. They really work.

Wash it in cold water with a cup of salt once it is washed DON"T let it sit in the machine take it out as soon as it is done and pop in the dryer. It should be fine.

I always use Synthrapol until I am sure the fabrics will not bleed. Synthrapol suspends unset dye particles in the water so they rinse away rather than settle in other fabrics. You still do need to watch the wash cycle and take the quilt out as soon as it is done, so wet fabric isn't sitting against wet fabric for very long.

Synthrapol is widely available in quilt shops and online, and not very expensive. I have used color catchers in regular wash loads that I suspected might bleed (especially blacks and reds) and fine that one doesn't always catch all of the loose color. I think Synthrapol does a better job.

Also, if you still have some of the dark blue fabric around, take a few small pieces and run some experiments. Let one piece sit in a glass of water and see if color bleeds into the water (bleeding). Let another wet piece sit on a piece of white fabric for awhile, rub the fabrics together, and see if any color transfers (crocking). This could set your mind more at rest before washing the quilt, as even dark fabrics often do not bleed anymore. This is because the chemicals used to dye fabric have changed over the years.

I use the Carbona cloth-type color catchers that are good for 30 loads. They really work great. I ALWAYS pre-wash fabric, though!

Thank you all for the help. I always learn so much here.

Let us know how it turns out.

It is VERY VERY VERY important to not let wet fabric set. Get that baby hung up or in the dryer the minute the wash cycle is done.

Don't ask me how I know this.

How did it turn out? What method did you use? I need to wash a quilt with a deep purple, and am not sure the maker prewashed fabrics.

Haven't washed it yet but I will let you know.

Do you have any scraps left?

You could put them in a glass of warm water and see what happens - -

Some blues have very good manners - and some don't.