Test Fabrics for Colorfastness
If you’re planning to make an item from several fabrics of different colors and will be
laundering the finished item, test each fabric (and any trims and linings too) first for
colorfastness. There’s nothing more disheartening than to work hard on an project, wash
it for the first time, and find that one fabric has bled all over another.
To test for colorfastness, submerge each fabric individually in the same water
temperature and detergent you plan to wash your finished item in. If the water turns
color or if dye comes off when you press the wet fabric between layers of a white towel,
then your fabric isn’t colorfast.
In which case, you can do one of the following:
Make a different fabric selection.
Try rinsing the fabric in diluted vinegar, which may set the dye.
Wash your finished item in cold water, which may keep the fabric from bleeding.
Have your finished item dry cleaned.
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