I found this:

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf40329670.tip.html

Here is a link that might be useful: bleeding fabric

I sent an e-mail to Dharma Trading Co to see what they suggest. I do hope it isn't the one you just picked up.

beverly

Linda, I've seen where some quilters have had good luck with Shout Gel. I've used it on some heavy duty stains and they've come out.

SharonG/FL-IN

Thanks for the suggestions and sympathy. Yes, it's my best one I just picked up. You just never know, do you.

I'll calm down a day or two and then try a dose of Shout or something.

If you have a Shout stain stick around, get it on the stain ASAP and then you can walk away for a bit. I had this happen to a quilt that I was washing for a client. I used Orvus soap in cold water and kept adding color catcher sheets. I'd hang it up to dry, watch it and as soon as I'd see more dye bleeding into the white, back in the tub it went. In the end, I believe I had to wash the quilt 12 times, putting a new color catcher into each wash.

The snag in your case may be in the type of dye used in the original hand-dyed fabric. If it was a fiber-reactive dye that was not properly washed out of the original fabric, it may have already formed a permanent bond with the protein in the cotton fibers. Fiber reactive dyes are incredibly permanent once they bond with the proteins in a fiber--the most color-fast dyes available, but the fabric must be carefully washed after dying to remove any excess dye.

This is just one of the reasons that I prewash all fabrics in hot water, with detergent in my white sink so that I can see exactly what's happening. I and repeat the process until no color shows against the white of the sink. I've had one or two fabrics that required over a dozen repeats in order to remove all the excess dye.

Annie

You washed with synthrapol on cold and added a couple of dye catchers ...
The directions on synthrapol say use hot water; see link below.
I have had this problem too, and it is very upsetting. Even fabrics that have been prewashed sometimes react later with other fabrics, different water, temperatures, or who knows what else might be different.
But I have had good luck with Synthrapol even in warm water, with color catchers (plus a glass of wine).
Another time, I had an applique block with a red ruched rose that someone else made, and I had to rinse the block in cold water to remove the blue marker. As it hung up to dry, that rose just bled all over. In a panic, I rinsed the block again in blue Dawn dish detergent, and all the running went away. However, I still recommend Synthrapol, or it might bleed again later.
Best of luck to you and your quilt. Believe me, I know just how you feel.
BlueBars

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/2127-AA.shtml?lnav=chemicals.html

OMG! I've been useing synthrapol for ages and never saw the hot water! I'll wash it again with hot and see what happens. And, maybe lots of wine while I wait.

OMG I did not mean that the wine goes in the wash (what a waste that would be!) LOL
BlueBars

Drink the kind you brought to retreat! Drink some for me, too!

SharonG/FL-IN

OMG! I've been useing synthrapol for ages and never saw the hot water! I'll wash it again with hot and see what happens. And, maybe lots of wine while I wait.

I didn't post twice so there really are bad gremlins out there.

Can't get to washing machine till 9:30 Pacific time so it's hard waiting.

Careful about that wine! You might be dancing on the table before the wash is done!

[Good luck with the quilt...]

I heard back from the folks at Dharma and they had no suggestions, just to use retayne, but too late for that now. Let me know how it goes.

beverly

I've had really good luck with Oxi Clean. I use the power, just put a scoop in the machine when I start to fill it up, use hottest water possible for the fabric, let it soak in the Oxi Clean water, then rinse as usual.

Good luck!

Whatever you do, DON'T use Retayne! That will set the dye forever!

Annie

So far:
1. Rewashed with Synthrapol and HOT water. Seemed to make it worse.
2. I rewashed with Shout gel. Seemed to help a bit.
3. I rewashed with Oxiclean but only with warm. Helped a bit more but stains persist.

I will try today to rewash again with Oxiclean and hot. Don't know how log to soak but maybe till tub gets cold.

I don't think it will ever be "well" but I will exhaust all ideas before folding it up and putting it away. I will say that all that marvelous quilting she did has held up so well with all the washing - as it should I suppose. I don't have the heart to bind it but maybe some day if my daughter or someone takes a fancy to it.

Thanks to all of you for your loving support. This has taken the wind out of my sails for now but I'll survive. I'll find another project to catch my interest soon and put this behind me. And, I'm hiring a witch doctor to put a curse on Ricky Tims and his hand-dyes.

Just keep at it, Linda, eventually you might get it all out. Hand-dyes scare me! I've let that gel soak on stains for a few hours and then wash and it seems to do better and I've made a paste with Oxyclean and done the same.

Let us know when you find that witch doctor and we'll help! I might need some wine though. Could be we'll both be up on that table! Don't give any to Gwen, though cause you know how she gets. lololol

SharonG/FL-IN