Monday, January 12, 2009

Question

...for all you quilters out there!

I am not a pre-washer of fabric, I know, the horror of it. But I do want to wash Alyssa's pink quilt before I give it to her because

A. She is a little girl, it will get dirty and
B. No one else will think about it bleeding and will probably just through it in the wash.

So how do you keep the fabric from bleeding when you don't pre-wash?
Any and all suggestions are welcome, especially if they are tried and true to work!


Thanks!

8 comments:

countrychicken said...

I think Crazy Mom did a little thing on bleeding red in a quilt. She bought some fancy stuff but the quilt still bleed. I think she she used something like table salt - not sure but that is what comes to my mind. It was a Chrismas quilt so you might find it in December posts.

QuiltedSimple said...

Put 1 cup of table salt in the wash - and some vinegar in the rinse cycle (in a downy ball). It shouldn't bleed too much (since it's pink) but....better to be safe than sorry. Looks good!
Kris

jacquie said...

i don't prewash a thing and i've never had a bleeding problem. i use shout colorcatcher sheets. you pop them in the wash with the quilt and they absorb any dye that releases. i use cold water too. you can get them in most big grocery stores. i don't use batiks though...i hear those can be problematic.

LuAnn said...

There is something you can buy called Retayne that is supposed to hold the color or the color catchers are supposed to work, too. My Mom always said to put table salt in the water, too. I don't think you will have a problem with pinks unless they are dark pink. I'm not a prewasher either, but if I am using reds or other dark colors that I'm not sure about I will prewash them.

Kristie said...

I have always used table salt! The first time that I wash every quilt, I use 1 cup of table salt and I have NEVER had any bleeding.
Kristie

Stephanie said...

I agree about the salt and vinegar.
I never prewash because I like the new starchy-ness when sewing and the puffy-ness after from wash shrinkage.

Holly said...

All of the above -- Retayne, color catchers, salt, and vinegar. They all work. I'm a prewasher now using those.

Woohoo for you getting carded! I'd take that as a compliment.

andsewon said...

Coldwater and whatever of the above suggestions you have on hand.
You can take a small pc of white fab dampen it with lil water on corner and rub a spot on the fab in question ..if it comes off on the white then it will bleed.
If I wash a fab before I sew I will starch and iron it then sew.
By the way LOVERLY QUILT!!!!
Lola