When in Doubt, Test It Out

This tip comes from Alex Anderson's book: after purchasing new fabrics, especially dark colors and reds, test the fabric for colorfastness by immersing a 2" sample of the fabric in boiling water. If the color does not run or fade, wash as normal to prepare for quilting. If the fabric bleeds, soak it in a solution of 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water to set the dyes. Launder the fabric by itself. Test again with another sample. If it still bleeds or has faded during washing, chose another fabric for your project. A few minutes of testing can save hours of hard work (and crying) later.

Note: I included a 2" piece of white fabric in my test to make sure my red fabric would not transfer.