cjr

How much vinegar? how much salt?

Scissor Queen

Vinegar or salt will not set modern chemical dyes. They are mordants for organic dyes.

Lots and lots of people will claim a fabric stopped "bleeding" after they washed it with vinegar or salt. It would have stopped "bleeding" anyway since it was just excess dye that washed out.

moonwolf23

So what do you use, to set batiks? Do they use modern dyes?

Scissor Queen

Yes, they use modern dyes for batiks. Batiks tend to have a lot of unset dye left in them because they're boiled to get the wax out and they don't always get them rinsed really well.

The only way you can set a modern dye is with a chemical mordant. Retayne is a chemical mordant.

One of the things to keep in mind, is even if a fabric "bleeds" and it's picked up by another fabric that dye isn't set and will generally wash out in one or two washes.

Also keep in mind that the vinegar you buy in the grocery store is only 5% vinegar to start with at the most. When you put a cup of vinegar in a washer that holds several gallons of water you're dilluting it to less than a 1% solution.

moonwolf23

So how many washes would you do for Batiks then? The last time I did rinsed my batiks, they were still bleeding a little in hot but not cool.

Scissor Queen

I don't pre-wash batiks. I don't want to spend my time washing fabric. I want to sew.

I just use a color catcher in the wash with a finished quilt and if I give it away I send some color catchers with it.

Fancy Nancy

yea that is what i do - add a color catcher and send some along with it with quilt washing instructions.

RedGarnet222

I am one of the yes I do pre wash now. It is heart breaking to finish a quilt with lots of hand work and find it is not color safe when you wash it.

I just spent a whole month washing and pressing fabric. I am very close to being finished now. But, I love the whole different smell of my room. I wish I had done this as I went along.

SewSewGal

I also use color catchers but I wash my fabrics with the family laundry. If I don't have a full load I add a couple of pieces of fabric. thanks for metioning not ironing until ready to use that will save me some time. Also how do you wash large pieces with out having a tackled mess

GailG

That has been my dilemma. I like to keep the fabric in one piece so that I can cut the length for borders and bindings.

BHW, I like the idea of adding fabric to the laundry.