johans

I'm pressing the final row on a queen sized scrappy quilt. To get a good press before quilting, I'm spraying lightly with water and using a hot iron. This quilt has thousands of fabric pieces of all colors, shapes and sizes. As I'm pressing, I see where a red/black print has bled into a lighter color fabric. The same fabric has been used about a dozen times throughout the quilt, but so far only the one piece shows any bleeding. If it were just one piece, I'd take it out and replace it (a time intensive task, I'm sure) but there are many scattered pieces of the same.
I prewash all my fabrics, and this is a remnant of fabric used on previous quilts. I also wash my quilts before gifting and have never noticed this problem with this fabric.
My question is: Is there a product or procedure to keep this from happening? (I know - stop spraying it with water, right?) Should I just leave it alone for now and use Color Cathchers in the wash? Can I treat it with Retaine? I really don't want to get the whole quilt wet at this point. All the seams are pressed open, and there are MANY!
I'm sure this has been addressed before, but a search has not yielded an answer for my situation.
Please advise if you've got a solution - no pun intended.

quilting cat

Can you just treat the bleeding patch with Retaine? Maybe try to rinse the lighter patch where it bled. Then the Retaine, and Color Catchers in the wash. And yes, it could be just that one spot on the print that got too much dye.
Good luck.

Prism99

Do not treat the quilt top with Retayne. It will set any bleeds. Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it (but I would stop using water spray when ironing to prevent more bleeds). Just use Synthrapol in the first wash along with a LOT of water. Synthrapol suspends unset dye particles in the water so they do not settle in other fabrics. Synthrapol will lift out the existing bleeds too.

Jeanette Frantz

I would add, at this stage, when you wash the quilt, Discretion is the better part of valor -- use COLOR CATCHERS. I really hope this solves your problem.

QuiltE

Some related discussion is in the following thread ...
http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...g-t285651.html

Prism99

Here is a link to an older thread that shows how Synthrapol worked on a batik quilt that was bleeding:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...x-t144836.html

(She posts before and after photos about midway through that thread.)

glasqlts

I wash all my fabrics, watching for bleeders. even though I do this sometimes while pressing heavier seams they will bleed a little. I don't understand why, except that the harder pressing of those seams makes this difference.

caspharm

I have recommended this thread before: Recipe to keep Colors from Running. It is on this board. However, it is for washing a quilt after it is made. I think Prism99's link might work better for something that occurs before washing the whole quilt.

soccertxi

check out the article on Vicki Welch's blog 'save my bleeding quilt'. There is a button on the top of the site on the left. She did alot of research. Good luck!

http://www.colorwaysbyvicki.com/