sandeer

My daughter and friend made a beautiful memory quilt for a friends wedding. When it was washed, 6 of the 81 squares bled terribly. The same pen (Sakura Pigma Micron pen)was used and it was the same cut of fabric (white Kona). I have used these pens many times with no problem. I heat set the top and washed with cold water and color catcher sheets (which came out white).
I think the only remedy now is to replace the squares that bled (which I do not look forward to, since the quilt is completed). I will have to get the bride to have those guests re do new squares.

I have already completed another guest quilt top for another friend and am worried the same thing will happen.
Will Retayne prevent that?

Tartan

Welcome from Ontario, Canada. Seems funny that only some blocks bled. Perhaps someone used a different pen? Retayne is used with hot water and if all your fabric isn’t prewashed you might have a fabric bleed. Maybe some one else will have a definitive answer.

dunster

Retayne is used to set dyes. You don't use it on a completed quilt, or on more than one color at the same time. I agree with Tartan that someone may have unknowingly slipped another pen into the signing, and that could be the one that bled. Or maybe there was a faulty Pigma pen. For the future, I wonder if there is a way to test the signed blocks before you put them in a quilt, perhaps by immersing them in water after you heat set them? Maybe you could experiment with that idea.

sandeer

I really appreciate your thoughts. I offered to replace the squares that bled, but the bride wants it just the way it is. She is truely thankful for all of the effort that her friends put into this labor of love. (neither one is a quilter) Other than the bleeding it is really beautiful.

So now I worry about the other top I have completed. I have plenty of scraps from each of the fabrics used so I can do a practice wash first. I had the same pens available for the guests to use (although from different packages) and also Kona fabric.

Any advice on how to proceed with washing? I definitely will wash the top before sandwiching this time.
Do you think Retayne would work?

Maureen NJ

Have you tried removing the bleed with rubbing alcohol. It does remove regular ink. Worth a try in case someone did slip another pen in there.

sandeer

I worry that it would also remove the message.

dunster

I would never wash a quilt top before quilting. However I would wash the individual signed squares by immersing in water, not in the machine.

loisf

I agree with Dunster. I would never wash a quilt top before sandwiching and quilting. Your seam allowances will ravel, and your blocks might pull apart. I don't know the solution for your problem, but I think you will regret washing an unquilted top.

quiltingshorttimer

did anyone try some (cheap) hair spray on the bleed part? We used it all the time when I was teaching to get ink out of clothing and worked on mimeograph ink (ok, that really dates me!). Maybe spray some on a Q-tip and run on the bleed?

sandeer

I have never washed a completed top before and that had me nervous as well. A friend suggested running scraps from the quilt with some sample signed squares through the wash with Retayne.
I worry if I treat the ink on the squares that ran it would remove the message as well. The bleed runs completely through the words written.
I have made 9 very large memory quilts in this same manner with they same brand pen and have never had one bleed before. Hopefully, there was a bad pen in the batch. I had 10 pens out at each wedding. (so if there was a bad pen it was not at the second wedding)