Fortyniner

I have been working for months and spent hundreds on a quilt top for my nephew's wedding using batiks. Unfortunately, there was a pet accident and the top needed to be washed. I prewash all fabrics. So I decided to wash in cold water on gentle cycle and used Synthrapol. I am new to quilting and assumed that would take care of it, so I dried it, only to discover the yellow batik is no longer as yellow. I tried to attach pictures, but couldn't get it to work. I did a search and saw a response to someone who hadn't dried their quilt in the dryer and one of the posts said to wash in Synthrapol, color catchers and hot water. Would that work after I dried it? Any other suggestions?

Prism99

Can you post a photo?

I'm not quite understanding the result. Are you concerned because the yellow batik is not as yellow as it used to be? Or was the yellowing the result of the pet accident, and you want to get rid of all of it?

How did the seams come out? Did you get any fraying?

Synthrapol is supposed to be used in hot water to be effective, but I have found it still works to a lesser extent in non-hot water. Depending on the problem, it can take several washes with Synthrapol to get a stain out completely.

Drying usually does not permanently set dyes or stains, so I wouldn't be overly concerned about the fact you ran the top through the dryer. I am more concerned about how much agitation the quilt top can take before you start getting frayed seams.

If your concern is because the yellow batik is no longer as yellow as it is supposed to be, that means dye has been released from the fabric. The only way to restore color to the fabric would be to use fabric paints or some other type of color restoration on it.

If your concern is that the yellow stain did not come out completely, then I would consider finishing the quilt as is, then treating it with Retro Clean (http://www.retroclean.com ). Actually, if you think the quilt top can handle it, you could try soaking it in Retro Clean now.

Fortyniner

Prism99, some of the other fabrics bled onto the yellow. I tried to attach a pic but had all kinds of trouble. I resized the pics and they still wouldn't load. And they were jpeg files.

Tartan

Try re-washing with colour catchers.

Fortyniner

If I rewash the quilt top, should I also use Synthrapol? Should I wash in cold, warm or hot water with the color catchers?

toverly

I would just go with it. Batiks often can be different colors. Unless it is totally obvious, you are the only one who knew what the yellow looked like before.

Tartan

I believe you are supposed to have fairly warm water to use the Synthrapol? Since synthrapol is supposed to release excess dye out into the water, it might free up the dye from the yellow for the colour catchers to collect? l don't know if it will be effective with the quilt already dried. I know it probably won't make you feel much better but we all feel your pain.(( hugs))

Prism99

Heat (at least the temps generated by a domestic dryer) does not permanently set most modern dyes, so I would not consider that a problem.

Most likely the dye transfer occurred because you used cold water with Synthrapol. The purpose of Synthrapol is to suspend unset dye particles (like the ones that settled in your yellow fabric) in the water so they are rinsed away instead of settling into fabric. Using cold water made the Synthrapol unable to do its job.

Honestly, at this point I wouldn't worry about it. I would finish the top, *then* wash with Synthrapol and lots of hot water in a large washing machine. The dye particles that settled into the yellow are not permanently set, so they should lift out and be rinsed away. You might have to wash two or three times this way to get all of the dye bleeds out, but they will come out.

For Synthrapol to be effective, you need both hot water and lots of water. By any chance, did you wash the top in a front loading washing machine? Most domestic front-loaders do not use enough water for Synthrapol to be effective. In addition to hot water, you want *lots* of water so any dye bleeds are thoroughly diluted.

Keep in mind the same thing would have happened if you had washed the finished quilt in cold water instead of just the top.

dunster

I agree with this. You may be stressing over something that no one else will ever notice. Rather than continue to wash the unquilted top, I would finish the top, quilt and bind it, and then wash in lots of hot water with Synthrapol. Check the rinse water to see if it's still bleeding, and if so repeat the washing cycle until it stops bleeding.

It's a little late to point this out, but sometimes batiks will bleed through more than one wash, so you need to check the rinse water to be sure they have stopped bleeding.

ManiacQuilter2

Can you replace the offending fabric??? Is it just one piece or many pieces. I feel your pain too. Will post my problem tomorrow when they sun is rising in the East.