Julie over at Feeling Simply Quilted posted recently about pre-washing fabrics. Here’s my story.
I made this quilt maybe in 2005. The whole quilt was a fiasco but I’ll tell you the running red story first. I wash every single piece of fabric before it goes into my stash.
This quilt was being entered in a show so I wanted to wash it to remove all the markings and block it. One of the reds ran . . and it ran a lot! It was a Hoffman fabric — not a cheap fabric. I worked so hard and must’ve washed it a dozen or more time and finally got all the red out. I used those dye catcher sheets, Synthrapol . . you name it and I used it but I did get the red out.
Now, I wash every piece of fabric (except white!) with a good size (maybe 12″ x 12″) piece of muslin. If the fabric runs, I’ll sometimes wash it a second time using Retayne. If it still bleeds after the second time, it goes into the trash.
The other part of the story about this quilt: Back in the late 90′s I started making these blocks for a quilt for my husband’s brother and his wife. They had red carpet in their bedroom. By the time I finished the blocks, they had re-done their room and she told me “we’re so happy to have the red out of there!” Ughhh! I decided to go ahead and finish the quilt. I set the blocks side by side in a row with sashing. Didn’t like it. Then I set them straight in vertical rows. Didn’t like that. This is what I finally ended up with. It’s done, no red on the white but I am a firm believer in pre-washing fabric.
Judy L.
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But you failed to mention that this quilt won a ribbon at that quilt show! It’s beautiful!
(Hugs)
Judy,
Do you remember that applique quilt you quilted so beautifully for me and it won a blue ribbon at the Maryland State Fair? Well, after it won the blue ribbon I had it sitting on my table in my studio and somehow it got wet. The red dye all ran all over the quilt top and I cried. I had prewashed the fabric before using it and it still ran. I was so afraid to wash it in case it turned pink. I had another scrap quilt that had a scrap of the same red fabric in it so washed it with synthropol and it worked, so I put my prize winning quilt in the washing machine with synthropol and it all came out. But, I’m still a huge fan of prewashing!!
June
junepiperbrandon@verizon.net
I always wash all my fabrics too, bfore I dream of using them.
That quilt is lovely, & the quilting is fabulous.
This quilt is stunning. I’m glad you finally got the red out. I confess I don’t prewash fabric (I have enough washing already!) so I hope I don’t have a disaster on a special quilt one day
I prewash all of my fabric before it goes into my stash too. I don’t have any dye running horror stories so it seems to be working for me.
The quilting on this one is stunning, what a completely lovely quilt! I posted today about what happens if one doesn’t prewash, too; not so much running in my case but a deep desire to rid the fabric of dreadful, stiff sizing!
Glad you were able to solve the running red… I don’t prewash, but I often cut a small square off placing it very wet between layers of white paper towel. If the paper towel isn’t white when its dry, then I deal with the fabric further before using it….
Judy, the quilting on this quilt is absolutely gorgeous! I’ve just been sitting here gazing at it!
I’m a big fan of prewashing – had a similiar thing happen to me in the Blue family!
karen
It is a gorgeous quilt and the quilting on it is amazing!! Thanks for the eye candy!
When I first started quilting, I prewashed everything. Then I started listening to the folks who said it wasn’t necessary anymore. All it took was the dark blue batik running into the light blue fabric on a done and ready to gift quilt. I’m glad I thought to wash it before sending it to it’s new home. At least the recipient didn’t know the light blue was originally lighter. :’-(
Now I prewash everything again. The only problem is that not all of my stash is prewashed …. but it’s easy enough to tell what’s been washed and what hasn’t. Good topic.
Everything I purchase, even fabric squares , goes through the wash but my local quilt store told me I am wasting my time and fabrics are washed so many times during their process they will never run!! HUH!!You should see what colour the water goes! Cheers, Tracey
Judy, a lady named Donna DuMouchel is trying to reach you. She is in the Stashbusters group. Said she’s been emailing, posting and whatever else. Hope you read this. Amie
I’m glad all the red came out – what a spectacular quilting job you did on this quilt. And I see Vicky told us what you didn’t – that it won a ribbon.
I had a disaster once too, luckily it was a smaller red and white quilt. My mother washed it while I wasn’t home and felt so bad. We finally bleached it and the last bit of red came out of the white but a couple of the reds looked horrible. So I got some red fabric paint, masked the white area with freezer paper and painted the red back in!