can I make fabric colourasst hafway through project

[eileeng2]

I am fairly new to quilting and have just joined this lovely community. I have looked around for a few months without joining but now I have a problem and need some help.

I am making a quilt for my son and his partner who have just moved in to their first flat togehter. Its going to be made of 14 different red materials made into heart blocks with cream material as the background and borders. So far I've made about 2/3 of the blocks and am pleased with how they look.

Now for the problem!

In my eargerness to get started I didn't prewash any of the fabric. The other day I thought about whether it was colourfast or not so tested some ot the scraps in the sink with warmish water and detergent. The whole lot turned pink!

Is there any way to treat the blocks now without it running into the cream material? I've read about treating the fabric with salt and vinegar before starting a project but don't know if this will work now. The other option would be to identify the offending materials and rip out any blocks with them in but I don't have the heart for that.

My quilt class is stopped until the middle of January or I could ask someone there

thanks
eileen

[PeggyM]

Welcome from Maryland! I don't prewash any fabric. I haven't used flannel, but the ladies/gentlemen on here say you must prewash that. I use Color Catchers when I wash the quilt. In your case I would use many. Because you used the word "flat" I assume you're in the UK. I don't know if you have them there.

[ldnanny3]

I don't prewash anything, made a red and white quilt with a solid red backing, used about 3 color catchers in the wash and it came out perfect. I use them in all my quilts when I wash them and never a run.

[lourixe]

Even in the UK, Colour Catchers must exist although they might have a different brand name. For instance, in Spain I've found them under the names Iberia Protect, Mister Clean and Dylon.

[eileeng2]

I think we have colour catchers here in Scotland too. So do you think I should just finish making the quilt top then wash it in the machine with a load of colour catchers then make it up with backing and wadding?

[lourixe]

I am quite a newbie myself, but I'll tell you what I would do, and maybe it is a stupid thing, so wait for some expert's answer first!
I would piece all the intended blocks, and then I would have them washed a full cycle in cold water with a bunch of colour catchers, but before I join them together as a top. Maybe if I am afraid of them ravelling I wash them in a fabric sack, like an old pillow cover. This way, if I saw that one of the reds was still bleeding over the neighbouring clear fabric, I would discard those specific blocks and replace them with other blocks that use a safer red fabric. Only when I'm sure of the blocks would I put them together with sashing and borders and quilt them, and then wash the final quilt with vinegar.

[K. McEuen]

I would NOT wash just the top. All the seams would ravel and quite possibly come apart.

Trust your Color Catchers. Complete the quilt, then wash it with several. Check the quilt over before you dry it for any runs. If there are any on the cream fabric, rewash with more Color Catchers before you ever dry it. The heat of the dryer will set the stains.

I am going to look for a thread to show you what Color Catchers can do.

I found it. Read this and look at the pictures. It's pretty amazing.
Never Under Estimate the Power of Color Catcher Sheets!!

[Madeforyouinma11]

I don't pre wash anything but flannel either. I made this quilt for a customer and used 4 color catchers when I washed it. I always wash a quilt the way I think someone else will, always planning on the busy mom just throwing it in with the rest of her wash. I washed it in warm/cold setting and dried it on a normal heat setting . It came out beautiful with no pink!

this pic looks like there is a stain on the bottom, but I think it's the (bad) lighting because there is nothing on the quilt, as you can see in the first pic.

[pamipatch]

Please please please don't just wash the top, it will be a disaster!!! Complete the quilt and wash it with colour catchers as the other ladies have suggested.

[eileeng2]

Thanks for the advice. I have checked the supermarket and can get Dylon colour catchers here. I'm going to go ahead and make the whole quilt then wash it with a handful of them and keep my fingers crossed.

I'll post pictures when its finished. Although it may not be for quite a while yet!