We get mordant questions all the time at Botanical Colors so why not create Mordant Monday??? Got mordanting questions? Email [email protected]
YOU ASKED: I have scoured the internet trying to find an answer to this question, with no luck other than to ask you 🙂
I am dyeing my fabric (scoured and mordanted with tara tannin, aluminum acetate, chalk bath) and want to eco print flowers onto the fabric afterwards. Do I re-mordant or is the previous mordant still viable after the fabric has been dyed as the water reaches 180 degrees. I use your plant extracts to dye and the instructions on your website.
I don’t want to mess up the dye by running another mordant process. Should I flower pound first on the same mordant using the above method and then dye bath or again, is another mordant required as I have to rinse the eco printed flowers.
At what time in the process is the mordant no longer viable?
KATHY ANSWERED: To answer your question, the mordant is bonded to the fiber, and rinsing does not remove the bonded mordant from the fibers. I’m assuming you are immersion dyeing first since you are eco printing over the dyed background. I hope that’s accurate from your description?
If that’s the case, then you should not need to re-mordant if you are dyeing the fabric and then rinsing it, and now want to eco print.
I would suggest that you keep the first dye bath a bit lower in temperature as we’re finding most of the dyes strike at below 180F. Some as low as 125F. So you can save a little time and energy by lowering the temperature of the dye bath. Keep the processing time the same. Rinse and proceed to flower pounding, then process the flowers as you normally would.
The things that would damage the mordant are if you are using a lot of citric acid or a very high alkali on the fabric. Based on your description, this does not seem to be the case so you shouldn’t have to worry.
Pounded flowers are inherently less colorfast than immersion dyed fabrics, so handle the finished goods with care.
Good luck to you!
You might also like to read:
Easy Eco-Printing Instructions
MORDANT MONDAY: Cloudy Mordant & Eco Printing Fabric
MORDANT MONDAY: Alum From The Supermarket To Eco Print?
Shop:
The Harvest Box; Flowers and Foliage from our Farmers.
This is a great kit to experience eco-printing and bundle dyeing. Five different dyes, all grown for us, five mordanted cotton bandanas and many options for fun and beauty! Instructions enclosed.
Mordanted Hemp-Cotton Towel Eco-Print Kit
Botanical Dyes: Plant-to-Print Dyes, Techniques and Projects