Once, I "washed" a particular piece of gold batik seven times in retayne before it quit bleeding. Yes, it was a slightly different color than when I started; but it hasn't bleed since. If it is a hand dye, batik, red or dark fabric, it always get a careful check about the color bleeding before I use it in a quilt and most of the time, all the other fabrics get prewashed too just so that they won't give me any surprises when I get to the blocking stage!

Hey Robin, is your water like Chicago's? Their water us loaded with chlorine. Maybe, that is what is making more dye to come out of the fabric. Don't know--just a thought.

Good point, Margo - perhaps I was critical of some hand-dyes where I shouldn't have been. But here's the big question - if local water conditions, etc. can have an effect, how do I know when I buy a piece of hand-dyed fabric whether it will run or not, how many washings with Synthrapol it will take, whether I will ever feel comfortable using it in a quilt? For all that I love hand-dyed fabrics, maybe I would be better off sticking with high-quality commercial cottons made by companies I know and trust.

Remember the advice that Ricky gives. People who market hand dyed fabrics probably do wash their fabrics before selling them, but different chemicals in different water supplies may make the dyes behave differently for you. Better to be safe than to be sorry!

This experience has taught me several things -
(1) I am now in the always-wash-fabrics-before-using camp, even though most of my quilts are not bed quilts, they are contemporary wall quilts. However, if I plan to block them, they're going to get wet and I need to take precautions. I own both Retayne and Synthrapol and use them for the appropriate fabrics.
(2) I am going to be much more selective with the hand-dyed fabric that I purchase. Even though reputable hand-dyers claim that they wash their fabrics several times after dying, this experience has taught me that this may not be so. I know that colors in the red family are notorious bleeders, but when I purchase fabric, then set the dye myself and then still have horrible bleeding, I'm thinking maybe someone took an ill-advised shortcut. For the record, I have never had a problem with Ricky's hand-dyes nor with Cherrywood Fabrics.
(3) Rather than stress about a quilting issue, I am going straight to this forum, where I always get prompt and good advice based on other members' experiences.

I am working on a red and white photo quilt, and am dreading the first washing. I pre-washed the reds with retayne, but have a front loading washer. I also did test the reds after the wash, but still am scared it didn't take on all the red. I will probably use a whole box of color catchers and vinegar in the first wash and pray with fingers and toes crossed. YIkes, can you tell I am very nervous about this?

Robin, glad it looks better. So disheartening to have that happen. Cheers, BJ

Update on the quilt - I have washed it a second time and it looks better. This time, I used regular laundry detergent on a regular cycle with a couple of color catchers and figured that whatever happened was meant to be. I might try washing it one more time after I see it dry and can examine it more closely.

I'm sorry to hear about your problem, because the same thing happened to me.

I didn't use a color catcher the first time I washed my last quilt, and two fabrics (red and purple!) bled on the lights. I washed it again, this time with the color catchers, and it didn't really do anything. I thought I found an answer when I used marking pencil removal solution on some pencil marks, but that made the thread bleed... so rather than do anything else to make the problem worse, I left it as is.

So far, no one has noticed anything amiss, except for some pink spots on the back. I hope it is the same in your case - it looks like a problem to you, but everyone else thinks that it looks great.

Good luck!

Janet

OMG! I didn't even think about Sew Clean and I bought some at a show a couple of months back just to have it on hand. I will let you know in a couple of hours if it worked. Thanks for the great suggestion!

This is a quilt (and I will post a picture and blog about it when it's "done") that was very improvisational. I basically made a bunch of curved strips out of some of my favorite Cherrywood hand-dyes (and some others and it was the others that bled), threw them up on my design wall, moved them around till I liked the arrangment, then sewed them together with wonky seams. I added some circles and some dense but not fancy quilting. I will be doing a little bit of embroidery around the circles if it comes clean. Otherwise, I won't bother and just chalk this up to an unfortunate learning experience.

My husband didn't like it all at first - I think he didn't see where it was going - but has now come around. I will probably use this technique again to make some smaller quilts with the wonky, curved seams. It was fun to do.

What a heartbreak! Robin, I haven't tried it, but I've heard that SEW CLEAN will help:

http://www.lovetoquilt.com/longarm_quilting_supplies/quilting_supplies_sew_clean_spot_remover.htm

Please keep us posted and let us know what works for you.

I went to wet and block my latest quilt yesterday (all hand-dyes from various sources, all had been prewashed by me with Synthrapol and, I hope, by the original dyer) and the magenta fabrics bled into the light greens and whites. I had several Shout Color Catchers in the water as well - they turned a lovely shade of pink. Can this quilt be saved?!!? Can I wash it and, if so, what water temperature and should I use laundry soap or not? Please help. I was hoping to enter this quilt into my guild's biennial show in May.