ourgallucy wrote:
I agree that it's an unusual situation with the exchange, not knowing whether or not the fabric has been prewashed! I can more easily wash the strips before using them, but the HST's from the other exchanges would be a bugger to wash and press and still have something to work with. I'll probably take my chances using vinegar and color catchers on the final quilt, rather than Retayne, and we'll compare results Or........maybe I'll just never wash the exchange quilt.

Aren't we fortunate to have choices!

How about our different opinions?! I've a big grin on as I was writing as 'Fiberwoman' was posting. In the past I've washed because of allergies and then wash when the project is complete. Don't love the chemical baths, just a choice for this project.

Just visited the Dharma Trading web site (curious to see if they would sell direct -yes) and noted the warning below:

How to use Retayne
Please note: The new front loader energy efficient washing machines do not supply enough water to properly treat your fabrics with Retayne. You will need to use the Hand wash method below or a top loader in your local laundromat.


I've gotten away with a warm water wash using vinegar and detergent up to this point. Tempting fate further is likely unwise, so, I'll be treating the exchange bits and strips to a more hi tech bath. This has all been too much fun to spoil the final product. Another lesson finally sinks in!

I prefer to use the vinegar method as well. It has worked for me. When I was doing fabric dyeing and using the Retayne and Synthropol products, I read on the label of one (or both - don't have them any longer to double check) to avoid breathing fumes. They are not friendly to our body, not to mention the environment. Give vinegar a chance to do the job for you. I also can't imagine giving a quilt to someone to snuggle up to that has the residue of those chemicals in it. I wonder how many washings it takes to completely eliminate it.
Let's come up with some safer alternatives = challenge for us all *)*

I like that - 'continual body monitoring process'. I also subscribe to the vinegar to prevent bleeding process. I don't rmember where I heard it and I'm not even sure it does anything. Vinegar is one of those basic products that has a lot of uses.

I recently purchased a pair of black jeans (96% cotton, 4% spandex) and a pair of dark jeans (80% cotton, 19% polyester, 1% spandex). Rubbing a white piece of paper on both of these items, showed dark dye residue on the white paper. One sales person suggested pre-washing and another suggested soaking in vinegar in addition to pre-washing. Both are intended to set the dye and prevent further fading of the fabric.

A light bulb went off in my mind. For years I have made pysanky (ukranian easter eggs) and always added vinegar to the dyes. I am not familiar with RETAYNE or SYNTHROPOL, thanks Margo, for the links to learn about these products. I am curious to know if vinegar is part of their formula, but doubt that this information is available to the public. Is there any information of the packaging indicating the contents? Does the type of dye dictate how to "permanently" set the color? Are there any chemists out there that can explain more about the use of vinegar as a setting agent?

Yes, in case you were wondering, I did soak both pair of jeans in vinegar (lots) & water before pre-washing but have no history of future fading from additional washings. They both shrank more than anticipated and we all know how that goes! Good, but expensive, motivation to deal with the continual body monitoring process, if you know what I mean.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Batiks are not the only fabrics that bleed! Check this out from one of my 2009 tutorials:
http://entertainment.webshots.com/album/570305305PZwEyD

As I was ironing the starched fabrics dry I realized that I had two fabrics that were bleeding. Because I haven’t pre-washed a lot of my stash, I’m always watching for bleeders. Which of these fabrics do you think would be a problem?



I’ll bet you may have guessed the one with red, but would you have guessed the lightest green? Those two middle fabrics were BAD! I soaked them for a couple of hours in warm water with a couple of drops of SYNTHRAPOL (available at your LQS or on-line from the Dharma Trading Company). The white bowls allow me to see if a fabric is bleeding, and these definitely are! After a thorough rinse, I re-starched them, and they were both fine. I will use them now and not worry. If they were still bleeding, I would have washed them in RETAYNE, and checked again for bleeding.

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I will wash them separately in color groups. I'll have bowls of fabric all around my kitchen for a few days. I will put like colors together and I just KNOW that I'll find some bleeders, especially the reds and now I fear the yellows after seeing that bowl from a previous post..

I have very little experience using batiks, but I do usually prewash my fabrics and have luckily never experienced a problem with a quilt bleeding. (Knock on wood.) So, here's a question for those of you who plan to prewash their batik strips before piecing their quilt tops. Will you separate your strips by color and wash each color group separately? If not, then what's the difference between washing them before or after piecing, unless you plan to add some light colored non-batiks to your quilts?

yes, Thanks Margo. Great info! I wish I'd had it a month ago!

Thanks for the info Margo. I'll be going to my LQS first thing in the morning. Mona 80

Read about Retayne here: http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/1981-AA.shtml
Read about Synthrapol here: http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/2127-AA.shtml

Read about when to use which one here: http://www.prochemicalanddye.com/store/home.php?cat=323

If your local quilt shop doesn't have these detergents you might suggest that they carry them or at least order some for you.
We need to support our local quilt shops or they will go out of business!

What is Retayne and where would I purchase it ??? I'm getting a bit nervous about washing all the stips plus the other 2 exchanges??!!
Thanks and good luck, Mona 80