Ok so Joanns is starting to get on my nerves (it could just be that i'm working with a short budget) I need to make 2 quilts before christmas stressed and Joanns doesn't have the colored fabrics I need nor does Michaels gonk (red,black and grey). Is it really that hard to find fabrics in that color? I found the red and black but people said that the colors bleed really badly. So I decided not to buy those, I mean why waste money, right? I can make the AFK,OMG,and ORLY? hat if I could buy the materials, but I don't wanna seem selfish so I was gonna get the christmas stuff first. Should I try Wally World? (Walmart) would they have those 2 colors? and faux fur...I need those in red,blue and white..am I gonna just have to get white and dye them for myself?
Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2006 4:52 pm
Walmart usually has a good selection. And red and black bleed regardless of where you buy them, just instruct your recipients to wash in cold water. 3nodding
gemini6184
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knitting_needle_ninja
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Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2006 4:56 pm
My mom had a set of towels that bled really bad. She washed them once in viniger, and it solved the problem. Try testing a some of the fabric (JoAnn should let you get a test strip or a small sample of the fabric) and wash it once on it's own, then try the cold water or vinigar method. Also, there are things called color catchers that absorb stray dyes in the wash water. They work like a charm and can be used three or four times a sheet before they need thrown away.
The red will probably bleed a little, regardless of what you do. Red pigments are very unstable by nature.
Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2006 5:45 pm
I would advise against trying to dye faux fur. You can dye it, but it takes several go's, and it usually looks scraggly, and sheds a lot, afterward.
Alright, thanks guys. I'm going shopping tomorrow and I didn't wanna buy something wrong. Also will black and grey bleed as well? I was supposed to make my friend a quilt from last year that i just never got around to making so i promised it to her for this year.
Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 10:57 pm
Peprika
Alright, thanks guys. I'm going shopping tomorrow and I didn't wanna buy something wrong. Also will black and grey bleed as well? I was supposed to make my friend a quilt from last year that i just never got around to making so i promised it to her for this year.
the black itself will likely bleed some but hopefully not too much. see if the clerks are knowledgable about which types of fabrics are more colorfast. 3nodding
gemini6184
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Zahra Ovaci
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Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 8:35 am
Color bleeding is usually only a temporary problem in my experience. What you could try is washing the fabric (or swatches of the fabric, as a test) before you do any of the cutting or sewing. This should help with possible shrinkage of the fabric as well.
Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 9:04 pm
gemini6184
the black itself will likely bleed some but hopefully not too much. see if the clerks are knowledgable about which types of fabrics are more colorfast. 3nodding
~ I find that a poly-cotton bends take and hold dyes the best. 100% cotton tends to cost more and I don't find necessarily hold dye better. I don't claim to be an expert but I do work at a fabric store (and love to quilt).
You definately need to wash your fabrics before you use them no matter what (especially darker colours like black or red), just because of bleeding and shrinkage and all those lovely things. The fabric at walmart is cheap in many ways, it is about the lowest end fabric they can get away with, it has low thread count and I find it is easy to destroy. You can use it but I wouldn't make any guarentees on how well it will last. ~
Tes
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cordelya
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 3:21 pm
You can improve the dye-fastness of your material by washing it with a detergent called Synthrapol, which can be found online at DharmaTrading.com and sometimes also offline at places like AC Moore.
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