Silver Needle

Thank goodnesss you had not used it without prewashing. Have you tried washing with Retayne and hot water to set the color?

katesnanna

Quiltlady, Try drying & ironing between washes. I find this helps set the color. My BFF rang me with the same problem. I told her what I do and it worked for her too. Hope this helps you.
P.S. The worst bleeder I ever had was a pink from Jinny Beyer.

sandy l

It must depend on the store manager, as I bought some red flannel once that wouldn't quit bleeding. Took it back and got my money back.

ghostrider

For the uncut turquoise, wash it with Retayne, not Synthrapol, to set the dyes. You may have to do it twice and be sure the water is at the required temp of 140ºF. Then wash again (or test as below) to see if it's still running.

If you have a front loading HE washer, you can use Dharma's Dye Fixative as a substitute for Retayne, soak the fabric in it in a bucket and then wash in the machine as suggested by Paula Burch, master dyer, or hand wash with Retayne (you still need the 140ºF water temp though and it must be stirred for 20 minutes).
http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/dyeblog...652/index.html

For the quilt top, you don't have to wash it to find out if it's going to run. Use a damp Q-tip or a white paper towel to test each fabric for possible loose dyes. Rub or blot the fabric surface and see if the Q-tip picks up any color. If it does, at least you'll know and can act accordingly. Do not use Retayne on the top, use Synthrapol for that as has been suggested. Be sure to follow product directions carefully for all of these products.

Daylesewblessed

We have had so many posts with sad stories about fabrics bleeding. We work too hard and spend too much money to have the heartache of a quilt ruined that way.

The lesson is clear - to pre-wash or at least test before using.

bearisgray

And sometimes even then, there are issues.

Raggiemom

I don't ever prewash any of my fabrics prior to using them. So far, I've never had a problem. However, if I think any of the colors might run, I toss in a couple Color Catchers.

bearisgray

And if this item that seems to be okay with itself - is washed with items that do pick up the dye?

Never mind - wash the item separately - and if it has bad manners, it won't 'bother' anything else.

Neesie

. . . and if that doesn't work, demand a refund, when the store if full of customers!

majormom

This is what I do also. Although I have been known to toss in more than 2 Color Catchers! I also tell people to whom the quilt is going to wash their quilt (if it is bed size) in a commercial front load washer in cold water with 2 or 3 color catchers included. The commercial front loader is huge, so the quilt has plenty of space to tumble and the stitching will not be stressed as it would be in a smaller machine or in a top loader that pulls the quilt back and forth in a small space. We all work too hard to make beautiful quilt stitching on our quilts, so who wants to see all those beautiful stitches broken etc! Which is another issue, I realize!! I've always been confused with the Synthrapol, Retayne issues and when and how to use them. One person says one thing, another says another. I'm just happy with the Color Catchers!
Does anyone think this problem is the fault of the fabric manufacturers - they should all make fabrics color-fast. It is possible, for sure. Of course when trying to make the biggest profit possible, it's a great temptation to skip steps. Sigh.