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MORDANT MONDAY: Mordanting For Mixed Fibers + Blotchy Linen

We get mordant questions all the time at Botanical Colors so why not create Mordant Monday??? Got mordanting questions? Email [email protected] This week on MORDANT MONDAY… YOU ASKED: I tried the oak gall tannin and then symplocos method on linen and for the life of me I can’t get an even dye. The mordant looks blotchy. Not sure what to do. I get consistently blotchy pieces with linen. KATHY ANSWERED: Hmm. Unevenness in mordanting and dyeing can come from a number of bedeviling sources. The first thing that comes to mind is the cleanliness of the fabric. If the linen isn’t evenly … Read more

FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Dyeing With Fugitive Color and Pre-Making Dye Extracts

This week: Dyeing with fugitive color and pre-making dye extracts for a later date

You Asked: What Did I Do Wrong With My Ceriops Tagal?

Thanks so much to Sue who wrote to us and documented with her own images, asking why she didn’t get the color she’d hoped from Ceriops tagal. She writes: “I dyed a linen apron and mask commercially dyed off-white. Total weight 225 grams. I scoured them according to Botanical Colors and Catharine Ellis using washing soda. Allowed to dry. Wetted out and mordanted fabric was soaked in a tannin bath made from 30% WOF dried winged sumac leaves, whirled in processor. The fabric was immediately put in a cold mordant of 12% WOF potassium aluminum sulfate and 1.5% WOF washing … Read more

Mordant Monday: Ceriops Tagal (No Mordant Required!)

Today, we’re taking a look at Ceriops Tagal, a “red” tannin from Indonesia, and a color that is rich in history and traditional use. At Botanical Colors, we recognize that the mangrove species is threatened due to widespread clearing of mangrove forests for timber, fish farming and other coastal activities. Ceriops Tagal is a product derived from tree bark that would otherwise be discarded. It is harvested and produced under conservation guidelines from the Forest Stewardship Council and provides income for remote villages. Indonesia is home to some of the largest mangrove forests in the world, and the Indonesian government … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Does Alum Acetate Have a Shelf Life?

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 some alumimum acetate mordant that is 18 months old. It is kept in a plastic container inside a freezer plastic bag. I heard it has a short life. How do I know when it is not worth using? KATHY ANSWERED: I have also heard that aluminum acetate has a short shelf life but I asked our supplier and they were unaware of this issue and have never provided us with a “best by” usage date. … Read more

8 Frequently Asked Questions About Natural Colors and Dyes

We get asked so many questions about natural dyes that we put together 8 of our most frequently asked questions! What are natural dyes? Natural dyes are textile colorants that are derived from plants, insects and other natural materials. They are steeped in history, mystery and lore and each culture has its own set of prized colors, traditions and meanings. Prior to the mid-19th century, all dyes were from the natural world. Blue came from indigo, yellow from a variety of plants, including fustic, mignonette and dyers’ greenwood, red from madder roots and cochineal insects, purple from logwood and brown … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Do I Need To Re-Mordant To Eco Print?

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 … Read more

A spoon of red powder on a stack of bright yellow fabrics and yarn

FEEDBACK FRIDAY: This Week in Natural Dye Questions

This week: Is it possible to use too much natural dye in a vat, foaming kamala and getting green with myrobalan

FEEDBACK FRIDAY: This Week in Natural Dye Questions

This week: All things related to Aquarelle Madder Root

FEEDBACK FRIDAY: This Week in Natural Dye Questions

Each week, we are emailed with questions from our natural dye community asking simple and complex questions that we thought might be worth sharing. Here are a handful from this week answered by natural dyer in chief, Kathy Hattori, Founder of Botanical Colors: Do you have any tips on getting a crimson red on cotton from cochineal? Been trying so many different ways and can’t get the concentration to stay! The majority of the historical recipes for very deep and bright red on cotton use madder, not cochineal. Your best bet if you want the deepest shade on cotton is … Read more