Wow, does this quilt have a story to go with it! I originally created this quilt in a much larger size (98 in. x 51 in.), but when I washed it to block it, it BLED. Despite the fact that I pre-washed my fabric with a color catcher!
The Original
If you look closely at the photos below you can see a faint pink, especially around the letters P, A, and C.
The Quilt Reimagined
I was so disappointed by the bleeding, that I let it sit for almost a year. I finally made the decision to try to get the bleeding out and submit it for QuiltCon 2023. I figured the quilt was already ruined if I made the bleeding worse, but what if I could get it out?
First I tested to see how colorfast the fabric still was by pouring boiling water over one of the letters. Yikes! Next I removed the facing and trimmed it down so the text would be more centered in the quilt. Then I unpicked the light pink accent quilting that remained.
Into the tub it went, with as hot of water as came out of my spout and as many pots of boiling water I could manage + SYNTHRAPOL. After this bleeding incident I started pre-washing my fabric by boiling it with Synthrapol, so I felt confident in this approach (remember, it sat for almost a year before I worked up the courage to try this!).
Success!
After sweating over the hot water in the tub agitating the quilt, twice, it was time to block the quilt again. I am happy to report that not only did the bleeding come out, but it was accepted to hang at QuiltCon 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia!
Talk about a stressful situation. After having put so many hours into making something to have it bleed. It was devastating! I always boil my fabric in Synthrapol just so this won’t happen again.
The Details
- Finished Size: 88 in. (W) x 36 in. (L)
- Fabric Front: Kona White, Kona Lipstick, Kona Baby Pink
- Fabric Back: Ruby Star Society
- Binding: Ruby Star Society Facing
- Batting:
- Thread: Aurifil
- Shows: QuiltCon, Atlanta, GA, February 2023; Art Fluent ConTEXT II, June 2023
- Publications: None
- Awards: None
