How to Test for Thread or Fabric Color Bleeding

Color bleeding is one of the most frustrating things that can happen to a finished embroidery project. After hours of stitching, you give it a careful wash, then watch in horror as a beautiful red, blue, or purple thread bleeds into the surrounding fabric.

The good news is that a simple colorfastness test can help you catch potential problems before you begin stitching. It only takes a few minutes and can save a finished project from stains that may be difficult, or sometimes impossible, to remove.

I can honestly say I hope I learn from my mistake. I'm always so excited to start a new project that I often skip this step. Especially if I am not using any hand or overdyed threads. In the project shown above, I used a mix of DMC and Anchor floss and didn't even consider doing a colorfast (bleed) test.

Testing thread and fabric is not the most exciting part of starting a new embroidery project, but it is one of those small habits that can prevent a very big disappointment.

A scrap of fabric, a few inches of floss, and several minutes of testing can tell you a lot about how your materials will behave later. When it comes time to wash your finished embroidery, it is much more reassuring to do so knowing that you have already tested the thread and fabric.

I'll explain what colorfast means and how to perform some tests. Then, I'll discuss what I could have done differently to prevent this issue.

When a thread or fabric is colorfast, its dye stays put when it comes into contact with water, moisture, or other conditions that might cause the color to run.

When a dye is not colorfast, some of that color can transfer into the surrounding fabric or thread. This is often called bleeding.

Bleeding can happen with embroidery floss, hand-dyed threads, richly colored fabrics, and even materials you have used successfully before. That is why testing is especially useful when you know the finished embroidery will eventually need to be washed.

You do not necessarily need to test every skein of floss before every project, but there are times when it is especially worthwhile.

Consider testing when you are using:

If you are making something that will become a family keepsake, gift, quilt block, clothing item, or anything else that may need regular washing, testing first gives you a little extra peace of mind.

Cut a short piece of the thread you plan to use. You only need a few inches.

For an even more realistic test, allow the wet thread to rest against a scrap of the actual fabric you plan to use. Once everything is dry, check the fabric for staining.

In the example shown, the bleeding didn't start right away. After handwashing the piece, I placed it on a bath towel to air-dry. I noticed the bleeding about an hour later.

Thread is not the only material that can bleed. Fabric can also release dye.
This is particularly important with dark fabrics, brightly colored cottons, hand-dyed fabrics, and fabrics that have not been prewashed.

You can also rinse the fabric several times and watch the water to see whether color continues to come out.

When possible, do not test just one color. If your embroidery design uses several strong colors, make a tiny sample using all of them.

Stitch a few lines on a scrap of your project fabric using the same threads you plan to use in the finished design.

Then wash the sample exactly as you would the finished embroidery.

This is one of the best tests because it recreates the conditions of the actual project. This is especially true if you don't prewash your fabrics. It's not common, but sometimes sizing or chemicals left in the fabric during manufacturing can react with different dyes.

You will also learn something else useful, like how the fabric and stitching behave after washing. If your fabric shrinks a lot, you could get puckers under your stitches.

A little color in the water does not always mean you cannot use the material, but it does mean you should be cautious.

Depending on the project, you may decide to:

If the thread continues releasing a significant amount of dye after several rinses, I would be hesitant to use it on white or very light fabric. If you do use it, just know that you probably can't ever wash it.

You may have heard suggestions such as adding vinegar or salt to the water to “set” the dye. Unfortunately, there is no single home remedy that reliably fixes every type of dye or fiber. Different dyes are set using different processes, and something that works for one material may do nothing for another. As someone who has dyed her own floss and fabric, I can tell you the home remedies haven't worked for me.

I have also heard of people using the dye-catcher laundry sheets to prevent bleeding. I've never tried this, and from what I've gathered, it's not a foolproof option either. If you want to try this method, I would do a few test pieces first.

For embroidery, the safest approach is usually prevention: test your materials first and avoid using anything that behaves unpredictably.

This is probably the most important part of colorfastness testing.

The closer your test is to the real washing conditions, the more useful the results will be.