Bleeding onto quilt

[Rita C.]

Rosemary, if it was me I would do it after quilting. If you do it at this stage maybe you will get lots of tangled threads on the back seams which will take ages to snip before quilting (ask me how I know this :roll: ). I used synthrapol on my pineapple quilt after it was finished and bound and it worked really well. I threw in a couple of colour catchers as well just in case. Make sure you check with Dharma Trading for the amount of synthrapol to use in an automatic machine - I can't remember the exact amount but it is less than you would use in an American machine.

[Rita C.]

quote="Reetzbobeetz"]Rosemary, if it was me I would do it after quilting. If you do it at this stage maybe you will get lots of tangled threads on the back seams which will take ages to snip before quilting (ask me how I know this :roll: ).[/quote]

the tangle of threads is one of the reasons I was considering doing it in the bath - far less agitation to create the tangling.
However if I were to wash it now I would also lose the advantage of the heavily starched borders, which are helping to keep it 'under control'. I just hope my machine is up to washing a full bed sized quilt, I cannot remember if I have put blankets through this machine or not :?

[Rita C.]

Yes you can do it. I put my very big king-sized quilt into the washing machine ( a regular size automatic) and then into the tumble dryer (it's a large American style dryer) and it came out perfectly. The quilt is all appliqued pieces on a plain calico background with a deep cranberry red very wide border. The batting is 100% cotton and I did very little quilting on it but it still came out perfect.

[Rita C.]

I am using a couple of metres of red salt dye style fabric for part of my hst backing. Decided to play it safe and prewash it to remove loose dye.

My question is 'What is the maximum number of times anyone has washed a length of cloth?' I am getting really, really,(really,really,really) bored washing this length. So far

1x hot wash in machine with synthrapol
5x soak in synthrapol & boiling water (4 left overnight) machine rinse & spin between each soak
1 x 95degrees C machine wash with synthrapol.
1x soak in boiling water & salt - fairly short about 4 hours
1x 60 degrees C machine wash with synthrapol (currently going on :roll: )

To test I am taking the fabric, placing it in a bowl with a piece of colour catcher & pouring boiling water over them, prodding them about a bit, then leaving for about 1/2 - 1 hour, if it is stained it goes back in the soak/machine & synthrapol.

It has taken me a week to get this far, and if it carries on much longer a) I might lose the will to live and b) I won't get my quilt finished for the deadline.

[Margo C.]

GOOD GRIEF! :shock: I think I would have given up long ago and gone shopping for new fabric!!

[Margo C.]

Rosemary--get some different fabric!

[Lois B.]

I am glad I don't pay Rosemary's water bill, not to mention utilities for heating the water. Is there any color left in that fabric? Lois

[E.M. T.]

Oh, sister ! Send that fabric down the road ! Piece that back out of your stash if you have no big yardage !
End the fight !

[E.M. T.]

I agree... toss that fabric in the rubbish and get/make a new backing!!

That said, If you want to try one more thing, it is this: Soak the fabric in RETAYNE and hot water. It may still bleed but hopefully the Retayne will set what's left in it. The rinse should be COOL water. And all subsequent washings should be with cool water only, if you use the fabric.

One more thought on the Synthrapol: My bottle says to rinse in warm water and subsequent washings if you use the fabric, should not be in hot, only warm or cool. Could it be that the subsequent hot water is causing excess bleeding by washing the chemical out? Just a theory, I have no idea if this is how it works.

[Norma H.]

Some fabrics should just never go out in the shops. Some years ago I bought a lovely pink fabric only to find out that the color was running. I ended up tossing it away. It was before I had ever heard of Synthrapol and that sort of things. Life is too short to struggle with those things.

Piece the background from your stash or buy a new piece.