janjanq

I have a jelly roll of batik fabrics. I want to make a quilt using the batiks with white background (background, not backing) yardage fabric that I already have. The white is not batik. Is it ok to use batik strips with background fabric that is not batik? And if ok should I prewash the white yardage fabric (quilt shop quality)? Any tips?

ckcowl

Sure it’s ok. I use Batiks along with regular cotton quilting fabrics in pretty much every quilt I make.
I love Batiks as blenders and incorporate them into most of my quilts. They are wonderful to work with.
this quilt is all scraps of Batiks and regular prints and solids and a white on white background

Iceblossom

I've had issues with bleeding and batiks and so prewash my yardage. Once washed I haven't had any real problems, but then I really like pairing batiks with black.

Edit/Clarifying, I prewash all my fabrics for a number of reasons. The batiks I would wash with a color catcher to see how much is cast off. It's usually dark blues, purples and greens that give me the discharge but I've had reds cast too. But yes, I'd wash the white too.

With jellyrolls I wouldn't prewash and hope for the best!

In my scrap quilts (which is most of them) I put in the prewashed batiks all the time, they love playing with the calicos!

tallchick

I have mixed the 2 with no issues and I don’t pre wash anything at all, I’ve never had a problem. I do use color catchers when I launder my quilts. Batiks are amazing to work with and my preferred fabric of choice.

quiltingshorttimer

you bet! I have a batik and white on the design wall right now, waiting for me to put the blocks together.

toverly

I do it all the time. Most batiks are really just tone on tone fabrics and look great with solids.

ILoveToQuilt

I do all the time. Prewash your batiks as some of the colors can run. If they are jelly roll strips, carefully hand wash. I usually use a large bowl or pot with hot water and Dawn. Rinse until water runs clear.