Embroidery thread ran - help!!

[barbm]

Just received my guild's raffle quilt (so I can display it in my booth and sell tickets) - there are eight embroidered squares and the thread has run into the white background fabric. I know that dye-catchers will help, but cool water? warm water? detergent?? It will have to be in a commercial washer - this is a big quilt.

Thanks!!

[Quilting Heidi]

Barb,

Can you soak it in synthrapol? That would get the excess dye out of it. I would use warm/cool water, although sythrapol says to use hot water.

[RitaR]

I'm different, of course!! lol. I like to use Orvus aka Quilt Soap, dye magnets and a short, delicate speed. If it's bigger than a twin, I take them to a tumbler style machines, which some laundromats have. and they need to have a working temp control. Tumble dry until still damp, if you have a place to lay it out and finish drying. I've also used Orvus and Synthropol together with the dye catchers.

Good Luck,

RitaR

[Lynne in Iowa]

Synthropol can do wonders. Fortunately haven't had the opportunity to use it on a quilt, but did wonders for my son's white baseball uniform! He washed his red batting glove in the pocket - it came out of the washer hot pink. After several soakings in synthropol it finally got to just barely pink.

I'm sure your quilt isn't nearly as bad as this was so it should work. Good Luck!

[Sandra Darlington]

Oh, my!!!

Good luck in getting it all out. It sounds like you have some great suggestions.

BTW: What kind of embroidery is it? I have lots of new embroidery threads (Metro, Glide, Isacord) and I never thought about the colors running. That's a bit scarry!

[RunningThreads]

Probably rayon. If I remember correctly Bob from Superior said rayon cannot be made colourfast.

Nigel

[Sandra Darlington]

Thanks, Nigel. The threads I just bought are polyester. Wheeeew!

[Omega QW]

Yes! Rayon thread will bleed, run, whatever. I do Brazilian Embroidery which uses rayon thread, and I finally gave up and started pre-washing every skein the minute I buy it and wash until the water runs clear, which takes a while in some cases. Be aware - which is not necessarily the same as beware.

Interesting to learn that rayon cannot be made colorfast; it would have been nice to know that at the very beginning.

[Gator]

Yep, rayon is beautiful as long as you're not adding water or age. Was this machine embroidery or hand embroidery using "floss"? Just wondering?

[barbm]

Connie,

It was hand embroidery, but it turns out that the thread didn't actually bleed, although two of us looked at one of the pieces and decided it had. The lady who designed the quilt actually added color to the background after the quilt was bound - a "highlighting" of the piece. Now that I know it was deliberate, it's not so bad, but it wouldn't have been my choice.....

[Bekah]

Oh Barb before I read to end, my heart stopped for just a second for you. Glad that it is okay