patdesign

I Always wash and iron ALL fabric, no matter the color, it saved me a lot of work recently when the unstable dyes on a piece all but disappeared. Now at least I can use it with other fabrics which will make it look more appropriate than its original intended usel

wolph33

I used to pre-wash.Then my fabric addiction grew immensely.I do not pre wash anything anymore.If I had to prewash it all -I would not have a life anymore.I have tested some dark colors and batiks in the sink in hot water-all has been fine.I have made and used many quilts-with grandkids,dogs ,etc-never ever had a problem yet.I just think I have to many quilts to make and less laundry is great.

SandyQuilter

Bleeding is not the only problem when washing cottons. They shrink at different amounts. Once I washed ALL the colors of the Kona cottons, measuring before and after ( worked for a quilt store and we were testing). They not only shrunk in length in different amounts, but I was stunned to discover they shrunk different amounts in the widths. You simply cannot predetermine how much shrink is in any fabric. If made into a quilt with fabric that is not washed, you can expect that the different patches will pull up different amounts. My question is: After putting so much work into a project, why would you risk that?
SandyQuilter

ms sewer

I always wash my fabric and always use a Color Catcher and after the quilt is done I wash it again

Dodie

I always prewash not only for bleeding but shrinkage and chemicals with the chemicals being the big issue as there is a lot of formaldyde in the fabric along with lots of other stuff and I don't want to be breathing that or have it on my skin I have also found that unwashed fabric really dulls the sewing machine needles faster I got some fat quarters at my favorite quilt shop washed by hand and was amazed at the dirt in them so maybe just me but I am a pre washer

SewExtremeSeams

My finger tips actually get little bubbles on them if I am sewing with unwashed fabric. And, I am not a super sensitive person. So for me, it is worth the time and effort to prewash.

Jeanette Frantz

My first large quilt (a queen size) was satin stitch embroidery on a white whole cloth background. My borders, on the other hand, were a very bright red. My cousin who is a commercial quilter in Oklahoma had cautioned me to check the fabric before attaching it to the remainder of the top. So, I cut a small scrap from the extra, and put it into a glass of very hot water! Did anyone say bleed? Boy, howdy, did it ever. I tried every "home remedy" I had suggested to me, from epsom salts, to white vinegar, to hot water, and it was still bleeding. I began to do a little bit of research and discovered (in addition to color catchers) Rit Dye Company has a product (and I don't have any interest at all in Rit Dye) called a "Dye Fixative". Well, I went online and ordered (because it's not stocked in any store on my area--I looked). The shipping for the single bottle cost more than the product, but after getting the results, I didn't care! It stopped the dye bleeding immediately and I became a real believer in the product. With the other "remedies" I tried, I tested the fabric after every one of them. Taking a scrap of the fabric that had been through all of the tests, I would place it in a glass of very hot water -- a white undyed paper towel will pick up the color if there's any bleeding at all. It's very easy to tell. I don't have a great deal of knowledge about most things -- this is just what worked for me. I'm getting ready to start on another quilt that is going to have red and white blocks, and I'm going to do the same thing, probably on the stove top so, using the fixative in order of the color intensity in the fabric, so I can maximize the benefit of the fixative.

That being said, I am a rank amateur myself, but I assure you that if I made a quilt, failed ot prewash, or use a dye fixative, and the red bled over onto the white making it pink, I would never make another quilt. That's heartbreaking and far too expensive for my budget. I know it's a lot of extra work, but I think it's worth the precautions.

Jeanette Frantz

AuntSuSuSews

Hi everyone. I really got something started with my question, huh?! Thanks for all of the responses. FYI, I ran to the store and bought a box of Shout Color Catchers. I put my red and white quilt in the washing machine and added FIVE color catchers! Then I watched with baited breath as it washed. The water was somewhat pink and when it was finished and had 5 very pink color catchers and a beautiful quilt!! I washed it once more with two catchers just to be sure and they didn't have much on them at the end. WHEW!

Mariposa

I always wash all fabrics as they come in the door. Don't want any surprises, and the chemicals on the fabrics bother me.

Sewnoma

I prewash everything except for precuts as soon as the fabric comes home. I do it to remove chemicals, to pre-shrink, and of course to try to stem bleeding. I wash in warm, dry on hot, then fold it right out of the dryer. I don't iron or starch until I'm getting ready to do cutting since there are folds to iron out no matter what. Sometimes I use Retayne if it's a fabric I think is going to bleed a lot.

All that work is a pain but I think I get better results that way. Plus the idea of having to wash and fold all the fabric in my cart as soon as I get home has helped me decide NOT to buy quite as much fabric sometimes and I count that as a good thing!

It's interesting though - it seems like some fabrics RECEIVE bleeds more than others. I've washed reds and whites together in the past and had no bleeding anywhere except ONE of the white fabrics came out pale pink. No blotches, no bleeds on any other fabric...just the one with a surprisingly uniform pale pink. Very strange! I know it wasn't pink going in there!!