quiltlady1941

I bought 4, 3yard pieces of batik that was a very dark blue and green, at Joann's today and came home and put it in the washer with 3 shout color catchers, the first time I took the fabric out the catchers were really a dark blue, so I washed it again the second time the catchers were lighter,

Question, do I keep washing the fabric until the catcher come out white or like when I put them in the wash.. another question, after the fabric is washed with a catch will drying it in a hot dryer set the color?

Thanks

dunster

The dryer won't set the color, but wouldn't it be nice if it did? The color catchers are used to catch the color so that it doesn't get onto other fabrics, but if you're just washing the batiks I would think it's a waste of money to use them, except that they let you know whether there's still excess dye there. I would let the fabric sit for a long time in very hot water, rinse, repeat, until the water runs clear.

quiltlady1941

Thank you Dunster, I will try that and yes I agree I hate to keep using the color catchers and wasting them, 3 at a wash.. I'm off to soak the fabric, I think I will leave it in the washer with hot water over night as it is late now, Thanks again...

I have the pattern I bought from you but haven't tried making it yet, it really looks hard.. LOL but will get to it one day I just love your quilt..

Bree123

Batiks often will need 3 times through the washer to get the extra dye out. That's especially true with batiks from big box stores, in my experience. If you are washing the same color fabrics in the washer, there's really no need for the color catchers. Their only purpose is to keep the fabrics from bleeding onto each other. I usually will wash my batiks at least once on their own before trying a Color Catcher. If it is a dark or highly saturated color, I tend to wash batik fabric twice before putting in a Color Catcher on round 3. Since I wash only in cold water & set the size of the load on my machine, it doesn't use too much electricity, and at least I save on the Color Catchers.

btw -- it's up to you, but I don't ever wash fabrics in hot water. I wash everything in cold water & tell recipients/clients to do the same. It prolongs the life of the quilt & helps reduce likelihood of colors running. Of course, some people are just gluttons for punishment & insist on treating homemade quilts like they are a K-mart blue light special. I can't imagine ever giving someone like that a quilt, but I guess that would be justification for warm/hot wash. Mostly, though, I think the instructions about washing fabrics in warm/hot water are from the "olden days" before laundry detergents existed that could effectively clean clothes and remove stains in cold water. I know plenty of people in their 20's with young children who wash all the clothes on cold with Tide Coldwater & never realize we used to do differently.

sewbeadit

I know that some of the batiks from some of the company's won't run or bleed. I believe Hoffman has always said that. It is because of the process they use for the dying, then they are washed. A lot of the "big box stores' buy theirs from places that don't wash them until they quit bleeding. You would find the feel of most of those fabrics a bit different from the feel of Hoffman and some others. I have both and it is nice not to have to wash and wash the Hoffman's before use.

I don't buy precuts, but I wonder if most of the precut batiks are free of dye bleeding. Most places don't recommend pre washing precuts.

Bree123

Sewbeadit,
I can't speak to all the pre-cuts at LQS-es, but I did buy some pre-cut batiks at JAF & those ones seemed identical to the bolts. One of the many reasons I've become a quilt-shop snob & only shop at JAF for batting & notions. I even had a spool of red thread from a big box (don't remember which) that ran and faded when washed. What a mess!

I never remember the brand of batiks they carry at my favorite LQS, but those ones don't run regardless of whether they are pre-cuts or off the bolt. I always worry a bit anyways & wash them separately from the rest of my fabrics first, but then the second time I usually toss them in with everything else along with a color catcher and I'm good (unless, of course, it is a red or a deep purple & then I'm not brave enough yet).

ManiacQuilter2

Usually I test a dark color to see if it bleeds. Never had a problem with batiks from Hoffman, TT or RK.

toverly

I wash batiks till the Color catcher comes out light pastel. As long as they are combined with other batiks, it hasn't been a problem. But if I was working a dark batik with an almost white batik, I would wash again.

bearisgray

Unless it is a stain one wanted to remove . . .

tessagin

I bought some more fabric this weekend and decided to try something different. I took one of my plastic containers and put it into the bathtub. Filled with warm water and laundry detergent (I use All free) Anyway I placed the fabric in the container, hand agitated it with gloves on. Squeezed the water out, dumped the container rinsed until clear. This actually took less time and water than if I had run it through a whole cycle. I bought a couple cheap white terrycloth towels at dollar discount store. through the fabric in with the towels into the dryer. The towels were still white. When I took them out. Pressed them off a little and they look like I just purchased them. Best part no smell and no bleed.