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Dye problem with Kaufman's cotton/silk blend A caution and anyone else affected?
Debra H Advanced NC USA Member since 7/16/04 Posts: 64	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 9/28/08 11:20 AM I just loved the new line of solid fabrics that Kaufman produced (they call it Radiance) that is a cotton/silk blend that has a matte side and a side that looks like satin. It is a great blouse-weight fabric and you supposedly can handwash or delicate machine wash in cold water. Several online vendors and stores carry some colors of it....VogueFabrics.com, Waechtter's in Asheville, Hart's Fabrics, eQuilter.com, etc. Well, I bought some of the copper color and it is BAD news.After pre-washing in cold water and air drying, very large dark splotches in big sections, about every 18 inches or so. It mostly shows up on the matte side the most, but also shows up somet on the shiny side. Now, it did not appear to bleed in the wash... so I think that it was already a problem, but just has gotten worse now that it has been washed. Since I had planned to use the matte side the most...the fabric is no usable. And my lovely blouse cannot be made at this time. I have no idea if dry cleaning would have helped or not, but none of the websites, including Kaufmans, suggest dry cleaning. So, I am mainly cautioning folks that this fabric may have problems. I am hoping that I just got a bad batch. Has anyone else had this problem? I would love to know what colors of this fabric people may have had and if they had this problem or not? ------ D Henzey
Heidi Cooper   CA USA Member since 8/24/02 Posts: 453	Login to reply to this post In reply to Debra H Like this post Date: 9/28/08 12:34 PM I am assuming you did NOT use any fabric softener when you washed this, right? heidi ------ “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” -Mahatma Gandhi “ Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.” -Mahatma Gandhi Now Blogging at http://sewexotic.blogspot.com/
Debra H Advanced NC USA Member since 7/16/04 Posts: 64	Login to reply to this post In reply to Heidi Cooper Like this post Date: 9/28/08 12:43 PM No softener...just a drop or two of Woolite. ------ D Henzey
Heidi Cooper   CA USA Member since 8/24/02 Posts: 453	Login to reply to this post In reply to Debra H Like this post Date: 9/28/08 12:53 PM Softener is notorious for causing oil-like spots on fabric Have you tried re-rinsing or re-washing? Does it look like the dye migrated? Any chance it was left bunched up while wet? I have had unstable dye transfer to other places on the fabric when I have left it wet and bunched up. Just some thoughts... heidi PS I used to use Woolite for everything, now I use Charlies and I love it! ------ “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” -Mahatma Gandhi “ Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.” -Mahatma Gandhi Now Blogging at http://sewexotic.blogspot.com/
fiberfan Advanced UT USA Member since 2/25/06 Posts: 991	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 9/28/08 12:54 PM Call the vendor you bought the fabric from. If they are unresponsive, contact Kaufman directly. This is the kind of thing most vendors and manufacturers want to know about and correct. Joanne ------ joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. Isaiah 51:3 so many ideas, so much fiber, so little time http://fiberfan.blogspot.com
Sewliz   CO USA Member since 6/22/04 Posts: 4126	Login to reply to this post In reply to Debra H Like this post Date: 9/28/08 2:34 PM Oh no! What a disappointment! I have some of this in the peacock color but haven't washed it yet. When the weather dries up a little I'll wash it and report here. ------ Liz thefittinglife.blogspot.com
Karla Kizer   Advanced FL USA Member since 4/8/02 Posts: 7049	Login to reply to this post Like this post Subject: Dye problem with Kaufmans cotton/silk blend Date: 9/28/08 2:42 PM I'm leery of Woolite, after listening to handweavers complain about what it does to their yarns. Any chance that could be the culprit? ------ “Never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and it annoys the pig.” -Robert Heinlein and Ann's father. Thanks for the reminder, Ann. Where are we going, and what am I doing in this handbasket? Matthew 25:40 (New International Version) The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Debra H Advanced NC USA Member since 7/16/04 Posts: 64	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 9/28/08 7:57 PM I do plan to get ask for a refund. I was wrong about the soap I used...it was a few drops of Ivory Snow. Forgot that I was out of Woolite...glad to know to avoid it. It really does look more like there was a dyelot problem...if it were the detergent, it seems like there were be some consistency of the problem. What it looks like is that there are very uneven, random, but LARGE areas that are visibly darker than the rest. You can see it even in dim lighting. For anyone who has this fabric, I would STRONGLY recommend dry cleaning instead of washing. I did do a small test first and that area did not have the problem, so no way to predict what happened to other sections. -- Edited on 9/28/08 7:59 PM -- ------ D Henzey
MsMaryO Intermediate OR USA Member since 9/3/07 Posts: 152	Login to reply to this post In reply to Debra H Like this post Date: 10/1/08 8:36 AM Debra, I actually have some of the copper color and I did not have that problem when I washed it. I can't remember what soap I used, though. If I am in a rush, I will sometimes wash it in the sink with a little bit of shampoo. If I wash in the machine, I also use Woolite or Ivory Snow. It sounds like your problem was with the dye lot. Oh, by the way, this fabric is really cool! So soft, and it gets softer with washing. But the cotton gives it a little more beef, so it's a very comfortable blouse. Mary ------ "Why be difficult?.....with just a little more effort, you can be completely impossible." 2009 out: 25.5 yds 2009 in: 15 yds.
Debra H Advanced NC USA Member since 7/16/04 Posts: 64	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 10/5/08 9:56 PM It was good to hear that someone got the same color and had no problems. I am getting replaced yardage AND Kaufman manufacturing actually had me ship the defective fabric back to them to see what the problem was. They have now decided that the fabric is hand-wash only and recommend dry cleaning as #1 choice, so I thought I would share that with others. It is a really unique fabric so hopefully this was a quirky issue. ------ D Henzey

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