WHAT IS COLOR FASTNESS AND WHAT SHOULD WE CHECK
COLOUR FASTNESS
It’s a big disappointment to spend hours on an embroidery project, just to have the colors run when you wash it. The term “fast” refers to the permanence of the thread’s color under different conditions. “Lightfast” means the color will fade more slowly when exposed to sunlight. “Colorfast” means the dye won’t run when exposed to water. Colorfast is the ability of a fabric or other substances to keep the same color without fading or running even if washed, placed in harsh light, exposed to perspiration, or treated with certain chemicals.
HOW TO TEST FOR COLOR FASTNESS
Before you begin on a big project, test your fabric and threads for color fastness. Testing for color fastness before sewing clothing is especially important when your item will be washed over and over. Imagine if you made a beautiful red and white spotted dress with a white ruffle and the red ran all over the ruffle after the first wash. Disaster! It would be awful if all your hard work sewing or an expensive item was ruined in the first wash. Ideally, you should always pre-wash your fabrics.
Not just to test for their color fastness but also to pre-shrink. The more (and hotter) the water is the more likely a color will be to run. If threads will be exposed to wet conditions, you need to be extra sure every color of every thread is colorfast.
IF PRE-WASHING FABRIC IS NOT POSSIBLE, HERE IS HOW YOU CAN STILL CHECK FOR COLOR FASTNESS
COLOR FASTNESS- PROBLEM SOLVING
As far as colorfastness is concerned, there are things you want to think about before you purchase your embroidery thread to begin with. The best way to make your embroidery thread colorfast is to buy embroidery thread that claims to be colorfast from the outset. While there can still be bleeding issues with colorfast embroidery thread, buying embroidery thread that claims to be colorfast will give you a big leg up.
Making Threads More Colorfast
There are two methods you can use at home to make your threads more colorfast. Sometimes one works, sometimes the other.
COLORFAST FABRIC AND HOW IT AFFECTS YOUR LAUNDRY
Learning about colorfastness in clothes is important to your success. Some learn through a terrifying experience of discovering an entire load of white clothes has been turned pink by a red sock. Or, a favorite light-yellow blouse has turned green by traveling through the washer with a new pair of blue jeans. Or the dark thread colors are all over the white fabric after the first wash.
Do The Colorfastness Test
One easy way to test if a fabric is colorfast is to dampen a clean, white cloth. Rub the wet cloth on an interior seam or hem of a colored garment. If any color comes off onto the white cloth, then the item is not colorfast and the dye will run when the garment is washed.
For a more thorough test for specific detergents and laundry products, use the following tips:
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CARE
Have you ever bought a beautiful garment, worn it, looked at the care label symbols and thrown it in the laundry basket promising a hand wash that never happens? All laundry symbols have a specific meaning so, we have put together an essential guide that you can use today to maximize the lifetime of your most prized threads.
International care labeling code is based on 5 basic symbols. Washtub (Washing), Triangle (Bleaching), Iron (Ironing), Circle (Dry cleaning) and the Square (Drying).
General guidelines – that are applicable across fabrics anywhere
WASHING
BLEACHING
Before you turn to your bottle of bleach to make your whites shine like they used to, it’s worth taking a look at your garment’s fabric care label and as well as the embroidery thread that is used to see if the clothing can handle bleaching agents.
If you see an empty triangle, that means you can safely use bleach on your piece of clothing when necessary. Diagonal lines inside the triangle refer to the use of non-chlorine bleach, however in the case when the triangle is crossed out by two lines, you shouldn’t use bleach at all.
DRYING
If there is a cross over the tumble dry symbol, you should not tumble dry the item.
IRONING
CONCLUSION
Colorfastness is an important quality of embroidery thread. Learning how to test your fabrics and threads for color fastness may seem daunting and difficult at first, but it is such an important step to preserve your fabric and embroidery design. If you find this blog interesting and helpful, and you want any assistance you can explore more by using this link https://candlethreadusa.com/. You can get information and guidance regarding aspects related to embroidery and digitizing.
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