This is great information! I'm a new quilter, and I recently got some fabrics from my guild to make my first quilt. I chose a group of fabrics with a lot of red in it: solid red, red and white flowers, and a tan fabric with small red flowers. I knew I wanted to wash the solid and the red and white flowers. I figured the tan one wouldn't be so bad because the red flowers were small, but on a whim, I tossed it in some clean water anyway. The amount of red dye that came off the fabric with the least amount of red in it was astonishing. I think I'll be a prewasher for life after seeing that.
I've never prewashed except when crafting masks. I've made several baby quilts with deep colors such as red with white. I use about 3 color catchers when washing and have had no problems. Mesh bag definitely a prerequisite for fabric such as fat quarters. For large pieces I run serger. I wash quilts with ammonia, borax and a smidge of detergent. They emerge soft and clean.
This is the most helpful video on color bleeding I have seen. Thank you! Next stop is to get some of that Ivory dishwashing soap. I already have the color catchers. I will need to be very careful with my latest quilt, only my third, because it has a black background. So I will be very gentle, use cold water, and many color catchers. The next quilt I start will be of prewashed fabric, for sure!
I think you've converted me. I can see how I would never regret prewashing, but I could very deeply regret skipping it! One issue I've come across is that I sometimes buy quilting fabric from thrift shops or from Facebook Marketplace. I always wash those, but then some of my stash is washed and some is not. Not only is it hard to keep track of which fabric is washed, if I mix washed and unwashed in one quilt, I have to remember to prewash the unwashed fabric anyway.... Then more of my stash becomes washed, perpetuating the problem. (I don't like the idea of cutting my fabric and only washing some of it. If I'm going to do it, the whole thing is getting washed.) Great video, thank you!
We just make sure everything in our stash is washed. If it's in a plastic bag or a tied bundle it's not washed (and a recent purchase) but everything automatically gets washed. We had a quilt ruined before we started using this system.
New subscriber here, also used to dealing with ice cold Chicago water in winter! I have always prewashed yardage but not precuts. I just made a quilt from two batik charm packs - very high end brand. Two of the charms bled terribly, even with 4 Color Catchers in the washer. I wrote to the manufacturer and was told that I should always wash my precut batiks with Synthrapol to set the color. Who knew? Fortunately, I was able to get most of the dye stains out with Oxiclean, which I dissolved in warm water first.
I do prewash... everything but pre-cuts. Now I’m wondering about that. Yikes! As if quilting wasn’t already time consuming. I do understand the philosophy behind your recommendation. Thank you.
I"ve always prewashed as I saw the results from not doing so very early in my quilting career on someone else's quilt. A question I have is about what you do if your color catcher is really saturated with color -- do you rewash, with a new color catcher and stop if it hasn't captured much excess dye, or do you just wash once?
Whatever setting you plan to use for regularly washing your quilt. We use the low setting but you want to treat the fabric as you will the finished quilt so that depends on your laundry habits.
@@modernquiltstudio I am very scared to prewash precuts. I am very new to quilting. It gives me anxiety just thinking about how much they would shrink.
@@imanobody3666 Hi Crystal - Here's a different way to think about it: the fabric is going to shrink at some point. Wouldn't you rather know how much before you make the quilt rather than after? It's true that many people write patterns for layer cakes without planning for preshrinking. But what are you going to do when you need to actually wash the quilt? This is the dilemma. Perhaps you can just wash one piece and see what happens but this is one of the challenges of precuts that unfortunately isn't discussed enough.
@@modernquiltstudio thank you! This makes me want to buy off the bolt instead and cut them myself. This helps me think some more about precuts. I am currently making a quilt. I have already cut and sewn it together but I haven't washed it. Should I just continue making the quilt even though I know it will probably bleed off on the white background and shrink? Could a quilt be dry cleaned?
@@imanobody3666 We find that Fat Quarters are the most useful precut and that yardage is more versatile than a jelly roll for example. I would finish the quilt you've started and wash the finished quilt with Ivory and several Color Catchers. After you take it out of the washing machine, inspect it carefully to see if it's bled. If his has, rewash it. If it hasn't, put it in the dryer. The goal is to NOT dry it if it's bled as that will make the bleeding harder to remove. An old tooth brush and Ivory is a helpful way to remove any bleeding that occurs. Good luck!
what is the name of HARRIET'S book, the faint echoing in the video makes it hard to hear ... can you post a link to the on demand printing site? If you are going to make recommendations post the links/ sources in the description please....
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This is great information! I'm a new quilter, and I recently got some fabrics from my guild to make my first quilt. I chose a group of fabrics with a lot of red in it: solid red, red and white flowers, and a tan fabric with small red flowers. I knew I wanted to wash the solid and the red and white flowers. I figured the tan one wouldn't be so bad because the red flowers were small, but on a whim, I tossed it in some clean water anyway. The amount of red dye that came off the fabric with the least amount of red in it was astonishing. I think I'll be a prewasher for life after seeing that.
Glad you learned early. There's a lot of resistance to prewashing but all it takes is one bleeding fabric to make a believer!
I've never prewashed except when crafting masks. I've made several baby quilts with deep colors such as red with white. I use about 3 color catchers when washing and have had no problems. Mesh bag definitely a prerequisite for fabric such as fat quarters. For large pieces I run serger. I wash quilts with ammonia, borax and a smidge of detergent. They emerge soft and clean.
This is the most helpful video on color bleeding I have seen. Thank you! Next stop is to get some of that Ivory dishwashing soap. I already have the color catchers. I will need to be very careful with my latest quilt, only my third, because it has a black background. So I will be very gentle, use cold water, and many color catchers. The next quilt I start will be of prewashed fabric, for sure!
Glad it was helpful!
I think you've converted me. I can see how I would never regret prewashing, but I could very deeply regret skipping it!
One issue I've come across is that I sometimes buy quilting fabric from thrift shops or from Facebook Marketplace. I always wash those, but then some of my stash is washed and some is not. Not only is it hard to keep track of which fabric is washed, if I mix washed and unwashed in one quilt, I have to remember to prewash the unwashed fabric anyway.... Then more of my stash becomes washed, perpetuating the problem. (I don't like the idea of cutting my fabric and only washing some of it. If I'm going to do it, the whole thing is getting washed.)
Great video, thank you!
We just make sure everything in our stash is washed. If it's in a plastic bag or a tied bundle it's not washed (and a recent purchase) but everything automatically gets washed. We had a quilt ruined before we started using this system.
New subscriber here, also used to dealing with ice cold Chicago water in winter! I have always prewashed yardage but not precuts. I just made a quilt from two batik charm packs - very high end brand. Two of the charms bled terribly, even with 4 Color Catchers in the washer. I wrote to the manufacturer and was told that I should always wash my precut batiks with Synthrapol to set the color. Who knew? Fortunately, I was able to get most of the dye stains out with Oxiclean, which I dissolved in warm water first.
It's never a bad idea to prewash.
Always love the pro-tips from you and Bill!!
Thanks! Hope you've subscribed!
I do prewash... everything but pre-cuts. Now I’m wondering about that. Yikes! As if quilting wasn’t already time consuming. I do understand the philosophy behind your recommendation. Thank you.
Exactly!!
I pre wash my fabric because the chemicals in the fabric causes dermatitis / breathing problems that pre
washing solves
Thank you for this. I agree with you 100%
I"ve always prewashed as I saw the results from not doing so very early in my quilting career on someone else's quilt. A question I have is about what you do if your color catcher is really saturated with color -- do you rewash, with a new color catcher and stop if it hasn't captured much excess dye, or do you just wash once?
Hi Margaret - We answer this question in Part 2 of the video so be sure to watch that as it explains what to do.
I am convinced. Thankyou. Just wondering what setting do you use for your dryer? A great video
Whatever setting you plan to use for regularly washing your quilt. We use the low setting but you want to treat the fabric as you will the finished quilt so that depends on your laundry habits.
Thoughts on hot washing and hot drying to pre-shrink?
Should I prewash precut layer cake bundles?
We cover that in the video and explain our technique for prewashing precuts.
@@modernquiltstudio I am very scared to prewash precuts. I am very new to quilting. It gives me anxiety just thinking about how much they would shrink.
@@imanobody3666 Hi Crystal - Here's a different way to think about it: the fabric is going to shrink at some point. Wouldn't you rather know how much before you make the quilt rather than after? It's true that many people write patterns for layer cakes without planning for preshrinking. But what are you going to do when you need to actually wash the quilt? This is the dilemma. Perhaps you can just wash one piece and see what happens but this is one of the challenges of precuts that unfortunately isn't discussed enough.
@@modernquiltstudio thank you! This makes me want to buy off the bolt instead and cut them myself. This helps me think some more about precuts. I am currently making a quilt. I have already cut and sewn it together but I haven't washed it. Should I just continue making the quilt even though I know it will probably bleed off on the white background and shrink? Could a quilt be dry cleaned?
@@imanobody3666 We find that Fat Quarters are the most useful precut and that yardage is more versatile than a jelly roll for example. I would finish the quilt you've started and wash the finished quilt with Ivory and several Color Catchers. After you take it out of the washing machine, inspect it carefully to see if it's bled. If his has, rewash it. If it hasn't, put it in the dryer. The goal is to NOT dry it if it's bled as that will make the bleeding harder to remove. An old tooth brush and Ivory is a helpful way to remove any bleeding that occurs. Good luck!
I prewash and agree with your views. Better safe than sorry.
How about using vinegar?
Vinegar is not helpful after the garment has been dyed according to the science we've read. Feel free to do your own research.
what is the name of HARRIET'S book, the faint echoing in the video makes it hard to hear ... can you post a link to the on demand printing site? If you are going to make recommendations post the links/ sources in the description please....
www.amazon.com/Fiber-Fabric-Essential-Quiltmaking-Textiles/dp/1571200258