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MORDANT MONDAY: Moody Hues In Black & Blue

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 was pleased to see the color range of your sappanwood extract on your blog since those blue-violet to gray hues are what I’m trying to achieve. You compare the color fastness to logwood, and I know that logwood doesn’t take well to cotton. Will sappanwood work on a 85% cotton 15% cashmere blend yarn and what should I mordant with? KATHY ANSWERED: You can mordant with tannin and aluminum sulfate or aluminum triformate and symplocos to … Read more

A hand holding damp fabric that has been dyed black

The Beginner Dye Kit: Black

Use your gallo tannin + iron to get some deep & dark shades of black! You can substitute the gallo tannin with other tannins in the future and dark extracts to make a variety of dark hues. Want to know how to make your very own signature black natural dye? Here’s a really good black recipe from Kathy to send you into tannin and iron experiments all day…or maybe, for the rest of your life. Black with gallo tannin, iron and logwood is a historical recipe from Europe and creates a warm black. Prior to the introduction of logwood to Europe, black was achieved through multiple baths of tannin … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: What’s The Best Mordant Duo For A Cotton T-shirt?

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 had a question about your aluminum triformate. I am going to dye 20 cotton t-shirts and thought the aluminum triformate would be a good option for mordanting. I am wondering if I should still use a tannin? Do you think it’s the best option for mordanting cotton items that will be washed often? KATHY ANSWERED: Yes, tannin really helps with wash and lightfastness. You have a wide choice of tannins: gallo-tannin, tara powder, chestnut, myrobalan, pomegranate … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: To Mordant Or Not To Mordant + Disposing Of Mordant Baths

We get mordant questions all the time at Botanical Colors so why not create Mordant Monday??? Got mordanting questions? Email [email protected] What is Mordanting? Mordanting is the most important process of preparing fibers to accept color. Using a mordant helps to ensure the most durable and long-lasting colors. With the exception of indigo (as a vat dye, it does not require a mordant), this is not an optional step. However, there are many different mordants you can use. Deciding which mordant to use comes down to the types of fibers you want to dye and how much time or energy … Read more

FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Aluminum Acetate Substitute & Using Recyclables For Seed Cups

This week: Substitutes for aluminum acetate and using recyclables for natural dye seed cups

MORDANT MONDAY: What’s The Most Lightfast Mordant?

We get mordant questions all the time at Botanical Colors so why not create Mordant Monday??? Got mordanting questions? Email [email protected] YOU ASKED: My mordant steps for cellulose fabrics after scouring are:1. Tannin powder solution overnight2. Aluminum acetate overnight3. Calcium carbonate 15-30 minutesIf I am using alum acetate instead of alum sulfate, do I still need the tannin pre-soak step? I always thought alum acetate was the recommended alum for cellulose and alum sulfate for animal fibers.Do they work equally well or is alum acetate still the best cellulose mordant? KATHY ANSWERED: Tannin is always a great bonus to any … Read more

FEEDBACK FRIDAY: This Week in Natural Dye Questions

This week: Too many topics to list, just read!

MORDANT MONDAY: Will Mordant Affect Indigo Dyeing?

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 use aluminum triformate as my mordant for cellulose and silk. I am planning to dye linen with weld and was told that I didn’t need to use a tannin before dyeing if using potassium triformate.If I do need to use a tannin and have already mordanted the linen, do I go back and use tannin and remordant? KATHY ANSWERED: I have concentrated on using a tannin pretreat with aluminum sulfate and haven’t done so as frequently … Read more

FEEDBACK FRIDAY: This Week in Natural Dye Questions

This week: Cochineal for more than textiles and how long does it keep, and what to do about a murky alum bath

MORDANT MONDAY: Does Alum Triformate Shift Color?

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 just recently tried Alum triformate, first time using it. Have you had reports that it shifts the colors? We used Sequoia extract that was purchased from Maiwa, and it should have a dusty brownish purple, and it did on the regular alum mordanted bits I had in there- but it made a greenish grey on the triformate. Just wondering if you had info on this? I’m going to do a test with 2 skeins in … Read more