White to dingy!

[judiwambles]

Hi I am a new quilter and every time I use white it doesn't stay white. The other fabrics are not bleeding but the white always picks up all kinds of lint from the other colors. Am I doing something wrong? I buy good fabrics. Moda, Kona

[Kathryn S.]

You mentioned lint, do you mean threads and fluff? Since we're playing with fabrics, that's part of the game. Fabrics shed fibers, and little thread ends travel around and stick. It's going to show up on your pristine white fabric, but I also have it all over my clothes too. A lint roller can help with that.

If you're talking about bleeding when washed, that's another huge topic . Many quilters over the years have wrestled with colors bleeding onto white after being wet. I prewash all my fabrics (by hand, not in the washer, they shred too much), use a color catcher sheet in the washer, and cross my fingers. If that is what's happening, there are going to be a lot of opinions about how to handle that problem. I'm sure that others on this forum have dealt with it too. It's awful to have your beautiful quilt ruined by colors traveling around on it.

Let us know how things go. Kathy

[Nancy R.]

What batting are you using? Is it possible that what you are seeing is shadowing from the batting color? For example, if you are using cotton batting, you need to make sure to use the white bleached cotton battings with white fabrics or the yellow color of the natural batting will shadow through and make your whites look dull.

[Marion D.]

or are you talking about seeing the threads under the white fabric after the quilt is finished?