I agree with all the other posters about not washing prior. the top is absolutely gorgeous. Please do tell your longarmer about the red being a possible bleeder. She will need to know in case marking is involved. Your LAQ will not want to use a water soluble marker.

What a beautiful quilt! Feathered stars are on my bucket list, as is the Ohio star. Who are the patterns by? Are they the star of Chamblie (spelling?) stars in the center? As others have said, I would wait and wash after quilted with the Synthopol. That being said, I once washed a quilt top because our dog had fleas and I was fanatical about cleaning everything. It did unravel a little but was salvageable. I had prewashed, though, with Retayne in hot water, although I don't think that would have affected the unraveling unless the Hot water tightened the weave.

That is a very pretty quilt!! don't have any answers, but have been reading others' answers...just wanted to say how pretty your quilt is...

Thank you so much for your advice. I will heed all of them, including not using washable markers and soaking red colors longer next time. I will stop washing my quilt top before sending it in for quilting. I do spend days cleaning up the frayed edges and resewing holes after washing my quilt tops; my poor back can attest to this. I will see if my quilt shop carries the Synthopol and Color Catchers. The pattern is from the Fall 2016 Issue of Quiltmaker; I can't remember the name, but it was designed by the magazine's editor. Thank you again!

no advice, just wanted to tell you how wonderfully beautiful your quilt is. such great work!

BTW, Sewdust, you can buy the Color Catchers at your local Walmart in the laundry section. Ours are near the fabric softener sheets. I'm sure you can find them where you buy your laundry products.

Spectacular quilt!

After it's quilted, when you do wash it using Synthrapol, be aware that you *must* use lots of water with the Synthrapol so any dye bleeds become very diluted. Also be aware that the quilt should be continually agitated; you do not want wet red fabric in contact with white fabric for any period of time. What I like to do is use the largest front loader at the laundromat for washing with Synthrapol. It uses enough water. The quilt needs to be removed immediately from the washer when done and either put into the dryer right away, or laid out flat to dry.

Although Synthrapol requires hot water to be completely effective, it is still pretty effective in warm water and even cold water. Since you already washed the red fabric several times, it should be fine to use warm or cold water with the Synthrapol.

Would love to see a photo of your quilt after the quilting is done!

I second Prism's advice to not let it lay wet with the colors touching. Listen for the washer to stop and get in the dryer right away. I have never used Synthapol, but have used 2 or 3 Color Catchers at once with success. A lovely quilt top.

I have had reds and blues that I threw out because it would not quit running. I think I would use the previously mentioned products, at my house would have to put it in the bathtub, the washer does fill up the way they used too! I figure the tub has lots more room. I have had to wash a top before quilting because I was careless. I did it in tub and tried not to agitate it too much. Worked out fine, not too many shredded threads.

After quilting I would take it to a laundromat and wash it with color catchers in one of the extra large machines made for comfortors so as to have more water to dilute any bleeding.