New to me... doing a lap size last-minute Christmas gift (fourpatch in a square, nothing complicated), but in flannels of very strong colours: black, scarlet, deep blue, gold, green, etc. I'm guessing a pre-wash would be the only sensible thing to do. Is there anything I can do for extra insurance that they won't bleed (keep in mind that I live waaaaaay out in the boonies without access to fancy chemicals, so we're talking everyday household stuff!), or anything I need to know about flannels in general? They are mostly Northcott, if it makes any difference.
Definitely wash them, if necessary a couple of times. Don't want them shrinking after the quilt is made. The olden days remedy for bleeding is to put vinegar in the wash.
Wash them two or three times in very warm water, and dry in the dryer. Flannel really, really shrinks! And I've heard of the white vinegar method of "setting" colors too... good luck!
I usually fling about a cup in before adding the detergent into the little drawer for detergent so it basically ends up in the wash at the same time. and remember to add a white cloth in as well so you know if all that red you see in the water actually stains or is just a pretty colour the water has.
I would first wash the material in cool or cold water. This will help set the color. See how much they bleed. Then, your second wash should be with warm water. I never wash flannel in hot water.
I have heard the salt trick but am here to tell you that it doesn't work. Now this is way off topic but I have to tell this story, it is funny but it is also sad we were so stupid.
When my nephew was in K-4 my sister bought him a set of Christmas flannel sheets. She washed them and washed them and they kept fading, she washed them in salt, she washed them in vinegar, she used everything she had heard about using and washed them in it. Finally she thought she had all the navy blue dye out of the sheets. Well he got up and went to school the next morning and the school called Dad at the furniture store and told him that he was blue, Dad put me on the phone because my sister was at school. I asked, what do you mean he is blue, like in can't breathe blue and they said yes, so I started to the school to get him. As I started my sister pulled in and I hollered at her and told her to get in the car there was something wrong with Jay. We got to the school and sure enough the child looked like he was about to take his last breath, but he didn't feel bad, didn't act sick or anything. His cousin, much older than he is was a nurse and lived right behind the school, so we thought we will go ask her what she thinks is wrong with him, she didn't know and told us to take him to the ER. Being he wasn't having a hard time breathing or anything we brought him home to tell mother we were going to the ER. My mother looked at him and said well he doesn't act sick, but he sure is blue. She took her hand and raised his bangs up to feel his forehead to see if he was feverish or anything. Under the child's bangs he was white/normal color. Come to find out the blue had come off on him while he slept and he was fine, just needed a good bath and those sheets taken off the bed. We threw them away because we never could get the dye out. Now can you just imagine what would have happened if we had taken him to the ER?
Any time I think of things fading I always think of this. Sorry if I bored you all but just remember if your kid wakes up a funny color, check the dye in the sheets esp. if they are brand new, or are flannel.
Jacqueline in KY
On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 19:59:34 -0500, "Kate G." wrote:
OK, I didn't end up in the ER, but... My feet have been really cold lately and I have a hard time getting them to warm up. The other day I bought denim-coloured socks. Wore them before prewashing. When I took a shower the next morning, I thought I had frostbite or something, explaining the cold feet feeling.. nope, socks had dyed my feet blue... but it did take me a few seconds to figure it out since I had just hopped off the bed... :o)
Jacqueline in KY wrote: ... Come to find out the blue had come
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