DirtyPaw

I like your way of doing the wash.

Sierra

After purchasing fabric I wash all fabric in hot water and put in the dryer until almost dry and lay it out to finish drying (got to hit that window when they are close to dry but haven't wrinkled yet so I don't have to iron). I also use a white and/or a clear pan or bin to wash new fabrics in that I suspect might run and to let them shrink if they are going to. Then I throw them into (get ready for bragging) my new front loader set on "spin" and then throw them into the dryer until they are almost dry. Over the years I've found that dryers shrink as well as washers so I always use both. BUT, the important reason I concentrate on bright/dark fabrics is so I can take any seriously bleeding fabric and treat it with salt in cold water to help set the color. Busy mamas or clueless nephews won't think about being careful when they wash the quilt so I do what I can to eliminate any bleeding or shrinking problems. Also, I try to remember to put a note on the quilt telling the new owner to use the gentle cycle if they have an agitator machine! After "only" seven years two of my quilts started having serious problems, and the mama only washed them every two weeks in her agitating washer along with all the other clothes (ie. on "regular" cycle). Glad they're being used. And they do have a lot of allergies so clean is important.

bmorawitz

I would wash all batiks - Some have a dye washed over them - I watched a batiks dye company do that.... I had a dark blue batiks when just washed - would bleed and bleed dark purple - used retayne it stopped it bleeding a dark purple and actually stopped it from bleeding - but when washing the quilt (which had a lot of white) I used Synphal (spelling is not correct) - Used both for dying fabic and they really work - I also put a color catcher in the wash as well.... I watch all batiks -

#1piecemaker

Would love to see the jacket when you finish it. I bet it will be awesome!

raptureready

Blues, Reds, Purples and some greens have a tendency to bleed. Batik usually doesn't shrink that much because of the process of removing the dye inhibitors (wax) but some of them will bleed. I don't usually wash them unless they're dark of those colors.

mosquitosewgirl

The other reason for pre-washing is that even if you never plan to wash it, but rather dry clean it, I have had batiks bleed on to other clothing and my skin when they haven't been pre-washed. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Lori S

Definately prewash- or pretreat. I made a jacket for my sister out of batiks.. well she got caught in the rain... and it ran/blead onto the shirt she was wearing under the jacket.

ywoodruff5

I would definitely wash it, not only for shrinkage because different batiks shrink at a different rate, but because some batiks bleed, so I would use a dye catcher with it.