My fabric is ruined!!! What should I do? AARRGGHH!
06-21-2011, 08:59 AM
#1
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Enchanted Oaks, Tx
Posts: 1,750
I'm just so sad...I don't know where to go from here. I posted a few days ago this beautiful collection of green and purple fabric that I got on sale and was going to use it for a quilt for my DDIL. And so many of you gave me great ideas for a pattern...I could hardly contain my excitement about starting this quilt! But now I'm crushed!
Well, a little back story here...I had some yellow fabric that kept fading when I pre-washed it. My other colors didn't seem to do this...just the yellow. (No I don't use bleach or have bleach in the detergent). So I purchased some Retayne and it worked beautifully keeping the color in so nicely. Well since most fabric looses just a little color when washed...I thought I'd use the Retayne on the fabric for my DDIL's quilt...because I wanted the fabric to look as pretty as possible. I followed the directions to the "T". But...after examining the fabric when it came out of the dryer I realized ALL the pieces had some degree of fading spots on them. Looks terrible! The Retayne worked on parts of the fabric but not all...everything has this mottled look to it. :cry:
Don't know if this can be fixed or not...I don't know how to approach solving this. This was sale fabric so most of it's gone by now...and I can't afford to buy it all over again anyway. Sigh...any ideas? Since all of the fabric is like this...do I go ahead and use it anyway...saying it's meant to have a "vintage, worn-out look" to it?
Just need to vent here. Thanks for your collective listening ear. But if anyone has any idea as to how I can make all this messed up fabric work I sure would appreciate your ideas. I'll post one pic so you can see it...it's hard to see as the camera doesn't capture it very well but you'll get the idea.
Well, a little back story here...I had some yellow fabric that kept fading when I pre-washed it. My other colors didn't seem to do this...just the yellow. (No I don't use bleach or have bleach in the detergent). So I purchased some Retayne and it worked beautifully keeping the color in so nicely. Well since most fabric looses just a little color when washed...I thought I'd use the Retayne on the fabric for my DDIL's quilt...because I wanted the fabric to look as pretty as possible. I followed the directions to the "T". But...after examining the fabric when it came out of the dryer I realized ALL the pieces had some degree of fading spots on them. Looks terrible! The Retayne worked on parts of the fabric but not all...everything has this mottled look to it. :cry:
Don't know if this can be fixed or not...I don't know how to approach solving this. This was sale fabric so most of it's gone by now...and I can't afford to buy it all over again anyway. Sigh...any ideas? Since all of the fabric is like this...do I go ahead and use it anyway...saying it's meant to have a "vintage, worn-out look" to it?
Just need to vent here. Thanks for your collective listening ear. But if anyone has any idea as to how I can make all this messed up fabric work I sure would appreciate your ideas. I'll post one pic so you can see it...it's hard to see as the camera doesn't capture it very well but you'll get the idea.
06-21-2011, 09:04 AM
#3
Banned
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 7,286
Aww, Karen, I am SO sorry this happened. I think I would try to wash it one more time, to see if it will fade evenly. I suppose it couldn't hurt. In fact, why don't you wash just the one, first, the purple, and see what happens.
The other thing you can do is take it all back where you bought it and ask for a refund since it all faded like that.
One other question--do you use powdered laundry detergent or liquid? Many time the powdered stuff just doesn't dissolve evenly, and can cause streaks. Just a thought.
The other thing you can do is take it all back where you bought it and ask for a refund since it all faded like that.
One other question--do you use powdered laundry detergent or liquid? Many time the powdered stuff just doesn't dissolve evenly, and can cause streaks. Just a thought.
06-21-2011, 09:08 AM
#6
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Enchanted Oaks, Tx
Posts: 1,750
Originally Posted by gaigai
Aww, Karen, I am SO sorry this happened. I think I would try to wash it one more time, to see if it will fade evenly. I suppose it couldn't hurt. In fact, why don't you wash just the one, first, the purple, and see what happens.
The other thing you can do is take it all back where you bought it and ask for a refund since it all faded like that.
One other question--do you use powdered laundry detergent or liquid? Many time the powdered stuff just doesn't dissolve evenly, and can cause streaks. Just a thought.
The other thing you can do is take it all back where you bought it and ask for a refund since it all faded like that.
One other question--do you use powdered laundry detergent or liquid? Many time the powdered stuff just doesn't dissolve evenly, and can cause streaks. Just a thought.
06-21-2011, 09:09 AM
#8
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: near Peoria Illinois
Posts: 1,638
ooh so sorry i'm not as familiar with retayne. i have used shout's color catchers with good luck. it is possible that the fabric was exposed to sunlight--like in a store window- and would not show fading until washed. only you can decide if it is still ok to use. but if you are hating it, you won't like any part of the process of quilting for DDIL. so sorry i can't be more helpful
06-21-2011, 09:09 AM
#9
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Enid, OK
Posts: 8,273
Originally Posted by karenm36
I'm just so sad...I don't know where to go from here. I posted a few days ago this beautiful collection of green and purple fabric that I got on sale and was going to use it for a quilt for my DDIL. And so many of you gave me great ideas for a pattern...I could hardly contain my excitement about starting this quilt! But now I'm crushed!
Well, a little back story here...I had some yellow fabric that kept fading when I pre-washed it. My other colors didn't seem to do this...just the yellow. (No I don't use bleach or have bleach in the detergent). So I purchased some Retayne and it worked beautifully keeping the color in so nicely. Well since most fabric looses just a little color when washed...I thought I'd use the Retayne on the fabric for my DDIL's quilt...because I wanted the fabric to look as pretty as possible. I followed the directions to the "T". But...after examining the fabric when it came out of the dryer I realized ALL the pieces had some degree of fading spots on them. Looks terrible! The Retayne worked on parts of the fabric but not all...everything has this mottled look to it. :cry:
Don't know if this can be fixed or not...I don't know how to approach solving this. This was sale fabric so most of it's gone by now...and I can't afford to buy it all over again anyway. Sigh...any ideas? Since all of the fabric is like this...do I go ahead and use it anyway...saying it's meant to have a "vintage, worn-out look" to it?
Just need to vent here. Thanks for your collective listening ear. But if anyone has any idea as to how I can make all this messed up fabric work I sure would appreciate your ideas. I'll post one pic so you can see it...it's hard to see as the camera doesn't capture it very well but you'll get the idea.
Well, a little back story here...I had some yellow fabric that kept fading when I pre-washed it. My other colors didn't seem to do this...just the yellow. (No I don't use bleach or have bleach in the detergent). So I purchased some Retayne and it worked beautifully keeping the color in so nicely. Well since most fabric looses just a little color when washed...I thought I'd use the Retayne on the fabric for my DDIL's quilt...because I wanted the fabric to look as pretty as possible. I followed the directions to the "T". But...after examining the fabric when it came out of the dryer I realized ALL the pieces had some degree of fading spots on them. Looks terrible! The Retayne worked on parts of the fabric but not all...everything has this mottled look to it. :cry:
Don't know if this can be fixed or not...I don't know how to approach solving this. This was sale fabric so most of it's gone by now...and I can't afford to buy it all over again anyway. Sigh...any ideas? Since all of the fabric is like this...do I go ahead and use it anyway...saying it's meant to have a "vintage, worn-out look" to it?
Just need to vent here. Thanks for your collective listening ear. But if anyone has any idea as to how I can make all this messed up fabric work I sure would appreciate your ideas. I'll post one pic so you can see it...it's hard to see as the camera doesn't capture it very well but you'll get the idea.
06-21-2011, 09:10 AM
#10
Power Poster
Join Date: May 2009
Location: NY
Posts: 10,590
It really doesn't look that bad and once you cut it up into little pieces and put it in the patchwork I don't think it will show at all quite honestly. I would try doing one more wash though. Even if it still looks the same after the second wash, I would still use it because in a quilt it won't be obvious at all.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
