Would you wash batiks before using

[twopence]

I’m about to make an appliqué panel for a cushion and the modern quilt by Helen Howes.  I’m using red spectrum batiks on a white background.  Would you wash them first?

[Lilian]

I haven't washed batiks before sewing, maybe just a warm rinse to flush out any colour but they are boiled in the last process so any shrinkage would already have happened. 

[Renegade Sewist]

@twopence  putting it on a white background, absolutely wash it first. Lilian is right about the shrinkage. So be sure to wash your white fabric as well. Separately of course. 

[BrendaP]

Yes, wash to get the excess dye out, red is one of the worst colours for running..

[rubywishes]

Absolutely.

[Iminei]

After quilting and binding Cheescakes lil Liesl's quilt, I threw it in the washing machine with a few colour catchers as there were some batiks amongst the stars and this was the result ....

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Still the white background remained shining white!

[wrenkins]

HaHa I love the way hindsight has you 'throwing it in the washing machine' willy nilly! OOooh the soul searching and stressing!  How many colour catchers? Eleventy seven wasn't it???? 

[Iminei]

OOooh the soul searching and stressing

Really ??? I cant remember that ... Did we have a thread or was there just manic pming back and forth ???

Certainly half a pack .. never used them before but they worked brilliantly, didnt they!

[Iminei]

Found the last of many, many pms to oodles of peeps!

It is done and it was a joy ... now I have to take my heart in my hands and put it through a very gentle cool wash with colour catchers.

I hope to God  I have quilted it enough and it doesnt wrinkle too much, but I will of course iron after.

If we are lucky I could post this tomorrow, recorded and  tracked and it will arrive on Tuesday the 9th ... which ... if Cheesecake is the sort of new mother most are ....  should/might be Baby Cheesecakes 2nd month birthday ???

February 24, 2019, 12:54:13 PM »
Glad to see another cushion cover swap, was great last year.  Unfortunately I’m too busy to take part this time- daughter arrived a few weeks early (now 2 weeks old).  So I still have those cushion cover UFO’s for my sister sat on my sewing table.

Look forward to seeing what everyone makes. 

You girls are the BEST!!! You gave your time, fabrics and love and you have made something Im sure Cheesecake will appreciate forever. Cheers! 

Wish me luck, Im going in!!!

Imi
xxx

[BrendaP]

@Iminei  There wasn't a public thread about making that quilt, just oodles of PMs between a few of us.  It was after all intended as a surprise.  IIRC Cheesecake's message of thanks when it arrived had the title Look what the Postie Brought or something similar.

[BrendaP]

There were also some piccies put onto my website, but not linked/indexed.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.uk/TSP/star_quilt.htm

@Iminei @Lilian @Sakar @Pearl @Sandra @Bogwoppit @Ploshkin @Ellabella  @wrenkins  @Kenora

and of course @Cheesecake
https://thesewingplace.org.uk/index.php/topic,6986.msg112725.html#msg112725

[wrenkins]

That was great! 

[Lowena]

No, I never pre wash anything

[Iminei]

Liesl must be a year and a bit now ??!!! That was quick!!!

[Cheesecake]

It was v v quick!!
She’s walking all over the place, climbing everything etc.  She’s recently learned to clap which is nice.

I pre wash batiks but don’t think it’s always needed I’m just in habit of prewashing all fabrics.  I do use colour catchers a lot and would with a finished batik project.