do you have to prewash batiks?

[Beth A.]

something tells me you might not have to????

[Geneva C.]

I rarely pre wash any of my fabrics including batiks. Having said that, if I am using a fabric/batik in a quilt that will get a lot of washing and the fabrics are heavily saturated with color, then I wash them before I use them in a quilt. But just throwing them in the washer and dryer is not enough. The best way to make sure a fabric will not run is to hand wash in a warm tub of water until the water runs clear.

Hope this helps!

geneva

[Geneva C.]

I always wash everything, but I bought a batik jelly roll and was told not to wash it cus it will get tangles of thread. I think you got it right that intense colors should be washed til they stop running. Thanks so much , Jan

[Geneva C.]

Jan, I definitely wouldn't wash any pre cuts. I can only imagine the mess when they came out! If you are worried about a particular piece, rinse it in your sink and see if it runs.

Have fun with your jelly roll! And post a picture for us.

geneva

[Geneva C.]

I washed a red and orange hand dye from Joann's and it leached out dye. My husband said to put it into cold water with ice cubes to set it. (He was a textile engineer)
I have some kind of stuff in the laundry area that I think is supposed to set dyes. Procyin? or something. Next time I go down there I'll check what it is.

[Dawn S.]

There are two kinds of quilters. Those who wash everything, and those who wash very little. I don't wash the fabrics I buy, unless it is going to be a quilt that gets washed. Most of what I make is for competion, and will just hang on a wall. But, for my Hoffman Challenge, I washed everything. It will be traveling for over a year, and who knows what it will look like (or what will happen to it along the way) when I get it back.

That being said, I almost always wash reds. Too dangerous not to. But, you are right in not washing your precuts. All you need to do is wash the finished project in sythropol, following the directions on the bottle. As I understand it, the sythropol will keep the left over dyes from reattaching in other areas. And, there are washing aids that will also set the dyes. Having never done this, I am not familiar with them, so will not expound on that.

Also, I always take a small amount of each of the fabrics that I am going to use, and soak them in hot water. If it bleeds, I rinse it and soak it again. If it continues to bleed after 3 or 4 soaks, I do not use it! It's just safer for me not to.

Dawn

[Dawn S.]

Very interesting Dawn, your competition quilts will have brighter colors probably. Will have to check out your pics if you posted them. I am getting interested in landscapes. I've collected lots people have posted on pinterest. Lots of inspiration. Thanks !!!