Would you use this fabric?
 

I bought a lovely piece of crimson solid fabric to use as the constant in piecing Bonnie Hunter's Pineapple Crazy quilt pattern. It would go in all the centers of the blocks and piecing in the borders of the quilt. So I threw it in the washing machine by itself with two Carbona color catchers. Wow! When the wash was through, the color catchers were a deep magenta! That really scared me, so I decided to wash it again and used 2 more new color catchers, the result was still a deep pink. By now, I am in the "experimental mode" and really am thinking this 2-yd. piece is going to be trashed, so I tossed it back in the washer with 2 new color catchers and I threw in a small white towel. Amazingly enough, the towel itself came out white, but the color catchers this time were a light pink. What would you do? This will be my first paper piecing project and if I succeed, ha ha, I don't want it ruined by a piece of questionable fabric. Thanks! :)

I would use Retayne on it if you really like the fabric. After Retayning it, then test. If it is still bleeding, a second Retayne treatment might work, but that would be the limit for me if this was my fabric.

I think I would cut a couple of strips of the red and put some of the other fabrics you plan to use with it on top of the red (or under it - just so they are touching!)

I would dampen the whole works and let it set for a few hours and see what happens. If the other colors do not pick up any red, you are good to go.

However - if they do pick up some of the red dye - some people would treat the red with Retayne - I would toss it - or ONLY use it for something that would not matter if red dye spilled on it.

Retayne has never failed me but read and follow the directions.
peace

I don't think the decision just depends on the other fabrics in the quilt. If a fabric is going to shed its color, it will do it on everything it touches. That includes sheets, hands, pajamas, etc. I agree with trying Retayne, and if that doesn't work I would not use the fabric in a quilt.

Sounds like you have washed away most of the dye if the towel came out clean. I would probably use it if the red is still red. Sometimes it's just excess dye. But if it has faded, toss it.

i had some pink that rubbed off on my white sewing machine. grrrrr

Oh, Wow, I would have been so upset!

Luckily the fabric is still a lovely crimson. so maybe it is excess dye, toverly, as you suggest. I have ordered some Retayne from JoAnn fabrics on-line; they don't stock it in the store, so my plan is now to treat it with Retayne, then wash it again with color catchers to see what happens. Since the Pineapple Crazy pattern uses a neutral background, it's important to be sure this fabric doesn't bleed, but is such a pretty red that I really want to use it if at all possible.

Thanks to all you wonderful quilters on this Board for your advice on this topic. I'll be sure to post what happens after the Retayne treatment and then washing it once again with color catchers. Maybe if it still is "iffy" or faded, I'll consider cutting it up into pieces and using it for stuffing in a dark color fleece "blankie" for my two little Lhasa Apso companions, Chrissy and Darby! :)

Don't use it. It is not worth it. Get a better quality fabric.

Just curious, was it a name-brand fabric bought from a quilt store?

No on both queries; unfortunately, if I purchased all my fabric from quilt stores, I couldn't afford the hobby. I buy fabric that appeals to me when I find it, and hope that I have made wise choices; but I always wash all fabric before using to test it's color fastness, etc. This is only the second questionable one I've come across; the first one was a piece in a box of fabrics given to me by a friend before I joined this Board in 2010, and that was a disaster, bled all over some other fabric I had washed it with so I threw those pieces away; luckily that batch was only a small part of the box of fabric given to me; that was back in the day when I didn't know about color catchers, ha!

try retayne. But the color catchers are like a magnet to dye, you would have to use them all the time until the dye catchers come out clean, that's why the towel stayed color free.

I feel for you. I finished a double wedding ring quilt recently and had a deep burgundy fabric in it. I tested just that fabric before I washed the quilt and it faded bad. In doing research I found a woman who used dawn platinum dish detergent and soaked her quilt for 12 hours. I put mine in the washing machine used probably 1/4 cup of detergent and cold water. Let the quilt sit overnight. It did fade some from front to the white muslin back around some machine stitching places. I think what happens is that the color fades into the water overnight and so there isn't much to fade into the surrounding material. It salvaged my quilt, but from now on I will test all dark colors ( as I had a piece ruined by a turquoise piece) and get rid of the fabric if it fades. Sorry.

Thanks, gmcsewer, for this information. Thank goodness you salvaged your quilt!

I would for sure prewash all the other fabrics for this quilt, just so you don't end up with the additional problem of any shrinkage.