Hey quilters...hope the weather is being kind to y'all. I found out recently what a wimp I am. This so called "virus" that is going around is a doozy. The weather doesn't help much so keep safe. Recently I was asked about the care/washing of Batik fabrics and the reason why they said they don't use Batiks. First...my heart sunk due to I love Batiks. I love to mix Batiks with a solid or print cotton to add variation to the design. They were afraid of "fabric bleed." Yes...Batiks are "hand dyed" which makes them so unique. The design is printed on both sides of the fabric so you can't go wrong when piecing. Another plus :-) Most of the time when sewing with great quality fabrics you don't have an issue. But with any fabric I always say..."do a test first." The few minutes of extra care is time well spent. I always "pink the cut edges" of my fabric before washing. The pics below show my Berry Crush fabrics pinked on edges before washing and a test of not pinking edges showing little ravel. I will throw in a test square of 100% white cotton fabric for any fabric bleed. White cotton will absorb color quick. It's kinda like when you accidently have a white sock in your load of colors. Yes...I've done that too :-) Then I will add about a 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of vinegar to my mild detergent. The vinegar varies depending on how much fabric I am washing. I actually was told about the "vinegar" years ago by a fellow quilter. Somehow the vinegar helps set the colors. I'm not a scientist so I can't explain it but I will say so far it has worked for me. I then hang dry my fabric after washing. Again...this might be a bit extreme but for me it has worked and I feel comfortable combining Batiks and cottons especially when I am "gifting" an item. I also follow the same steps when washing a finsihed quilt. So, if you're a bit timid to try Batiks I hope todays tip inspires you to try Batik fabrics. I've been a lover and user of Batiks and my Children's Learning quilts for this year was designed using Island Batiks/Lumin Fabrics. I thank y'all so much for following and check back soon. We have a fun year of projects ahead. Enjoy!
Blessed Quilting from My Home to Yours,
Cat
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Berry Crush Batiks by Lumin Fabrics/Island Batiks before/after washing...
Pic below of "pinking cut edges" before washing....
Pic of Lumin Fabrics Berry Crush washed w/ a white cotton scrap....pretty pleased :-)
Pic of pinked edges and a one not pinked after washing...not bad at all :-)
