Do you remember the commissioned baby quilt I made for my friends? Well, I had just enough fabric cut, but left over, to make one more block. I thought I would stitch it together and make a mini for their nephew's teddy. It's quick. It's easy. It's rewarding. I dove in.
It was pieced in no time and was hand quilted while watching movies over Christmas. The borders and back were even scraps from the baby quilt. The only thing I had to cut "fresh" was another stirp of binding. The perfect holiday project.
And then.... I washed it.
I knew the colors in the quilt didn't run so I wasn't all that worried about it. I tossed it into my normal weekly wash of colored clothes with one color catcher (old habits die hard) and didn't give it a second thought.
When I pulled the laundry out, though, the color catcher was dark dark grey and my mini was ruined. Grrr.... I have no idea what ran in my laundry as there are no new clothes in there, but something did. The two white prints in the star (and the back) are now the color of Kona Ash and the white bubbles in the orange border a light grey.
What's interesting is that the Kona background didn't pick up the grey like the Mixed Bag Moda prints did. They must be treated differently in manufacturing. I did wash it a second time with a light bleaching agent with no luck.
Live and learn. I should have known better.
How annoying. I feel your pain :-(
ReplyDeleteWhile I understand not including it with your commission quilt, please tell me you aren't chucking this super cute teddy quilt. Your niece cam still cover babies with it, regardless of the colors of the star background. Tea parties a many will be served over this beauty.
ReplyDeleteIt is still a really beautiful mini despite the colour run problem, and to be honest if you hadn't said anything I wouldn't have know from the photos that there was a problem. I do hope some little person is still going to get to enjoy tucking in their teddy or doll with this little beauty.
ReplyDeleteVery frustrating. I did that with my supertote bag - threw it in with the weekly wash and something else ran.
ReplyDeleteHow odd. If not red, what would that be. I always wash them in the wool setting and with delicate detergent. So far no issue.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the teddy bear it was intended for would really mind.
ReplyDeleteMaybe wash out your machine at a high setting just in case. I had my favourite white cotton cardigan turn a grey colour too. The colour run bleacher worked for it but I had to do it twice!
ReplyDeleteI'm with the others... I'm sure that Teddy wouldn't mind the colors at all. :) And there's always a chance the color will come out in the wash later. Years ago, when I was in college, I made my very first quilt - a t-shirt quilt. Once, when washing it while I was home on break I accidentally left it in the washer overnight and the dark blue flannel squares that were next to all of my precious t-shirt squares bled. And bled. And bled. Every single one of my t-shirt squares had big lines of blue along the edges.
ReplyDeleteI'm the sentimental type, so I couldn't bring myself to toss it even though it looked terrible. I think it sat in the closet for a good long while.
Flash forward over 10 years later and I was using it again to keep my kids warm in their beds at night. This meant frequent washings again... One day I pulled it out of the dryer and wouldn't you know it all that blue was gone! Now my quilt looks like new again. :)
So I guess you never know... maybe with enough washings it will all come out in the wash someday! xoxo
Black runs foreeeevvverrr- I ruined my forest QAL quilt the same way. Have you tried colour run remover? I accidentally bought some instead of colour catchers so I can split it with you and we can try and rescue our quilts together if you like?
ReplyDeleteI couldn't tell by the photo that something was wrong. I think it will still work for a teddy quilt!
ReplyDeletedon't use color run remover like someone else suggested! I ruined the colors of a quilt with it after a red backing made a quilt pink after washing. It acts like bleach!
ReplyDeleteNot only will Teddy not mind, but it may even relieve the pressure on Teddy's mummy. She won't have to worry so much about Teddy's quilt getting marked. (positive spin on everything)
ReplyDeleteboooooo. still, it wasnt the quilt and that just be a relief if nowt else. chin up. x
ReplyDeleteBuggery boo! Thank god it wasn't a full size quilt. Can't see it from the photos though. Give it to teddy as planned, I had a word with him and he said he couldn't give a toss x
ReplyDeleteBuggeration!
ReplyDeleteyou can never tell what is going to run, I washed a hand appliqued, hand quilted red and white quilt with 4 color washers and a splash of synthropol even tho I was using cold water.
ReplyDeleteAll the color catchers came out as white as they started, and not a spec of red where it didn't belong!
the quilt angels were with me for sure
It seems to have coloured evenly, so it looks as if it was made this way, especially since the background stayed white. I once had a run of red, and washed it again with colour catchers, and the red disappeared. Worth a try?
ReplyDeleteNooooooooooooooooooo! Vanish?
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'm just colour blind, but I don't think I would've noticed this if you hadn't pointed it out! It's still super cute and totally fit for purpose.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, I read another blog only yesterday where colour ran -- Moda fabrics picked up the colour, Kona did not!
ReplyDeleteYour mini, while not white, could still be used by someone's teddy/Dooley; it really doesn't look that bad! Well, not from Australia anyway! LOL