Quality Control in Fabric Pre-Treatment: Managing Shrinkage and Color Bleed
During this session, all team members gathered to collectively select a fresh batch of cotton fabrics recently acquired from a new supplier offering higher-grade materials. Working under the assumption that premium quality would prevent dye transfer, we soaked all the colorful fabric pieces together in a single washing container for initial pre-treatment. However, during the soaking and washing process, we observed significant color bleeding across multiple pieces, alongside visible fabric shrinkage as the cotton fibers reacted to the water. To accurately assess the structural and aesthetic impact of the wash, we carefully dried and ironed each fabric panel. Ironing allowed us to closely examine the extent of color fading, cross-staining, and dimensional shrinkage across the batch. This experience provided a crucial quality control lesson: even high-quality cotton fabrics naturally release excess surface dye and contract during their first wash. We recognized that incorporating unchecked, color-releasing fabrics into finished bag production would cause dyes to bleed onto adjacent panels, ultimately ruining the final products. Consequently, we established a mandatory quality control protocol requiring all newly purchased cotton fabrics to be washed individually and thoroughly inspected before being approved for bag construction.
