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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

MORDANT MONDAY: Is Soy Binder In The Whole Plant?

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 am growing soybeans to make soy milk to use as a binding agent and am wondering if it’s possible that the entire plant contains the necessary proteins, or if it’s solely in the beans? KATHY ANSWERED: If you do a search on soybean leaves and protein, a lot of information comes up. It appears as if the leaves contain protein but I don’t have the training to translate how much protein and what quality it is … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Tips On Temps For Mordanting Fibers

We get mordant questions all the time at Botanical Colors so why not create Mordant Monday??? Got mordanting questions? Email [email protected] YOU ASKED: Does your wool gauze need to be scoured before I mordant it? KATHY ANSWERED: I do not scour the wool gauze as it’s so sheer and fine and it seems pretty clean. It takes the dyes exceptionally well with a mordant only. YOU ASKED: Which type of mordanting do you think ensures color fastness? KATHY ANSWERED: Color fastness is a function of the dyestuff and the mordant, not the mordant alone. If you dye a mordanted fabric … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Fresh Rhubarb For Mordanting Wool?

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 fresh rhubarb leaf for pre-mordanting wool, and I’m wondering if it can be used dried, and if so, what is the ratio of dried leaf to WOF? KATHY ANSWERED: Since you are already using the fresh leaves, do you have a percentage or weight that you are using? If so, I would use about half as much with dried leaves and see if you like the results! YOU ASKED: Kakishibu Japanese persimmon dye is used with … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Symplocos Mordant + Prepping Paper

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 looked over the symplocos mordanting instructions that you have on the Botanical Colors website and I see that there is an “Oiling the Fabric” step for cellulose fabrics that we did not use in the workshop. I am wondering how important that step is in creating a fairly lightfast and colorfast final fabric? I really love some of the colors we got in class on cotton using symplocos mordant and sappanwood and would like to use … Read more

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

MORDANT MONDAY: Mordant Making Linen Stiff

We get mordant questions all the time at Botanical Colors so why not create Mordant Monday??? Got mordanting questions? Email [email protected]. Today we look at linen! YOU ASKED: I am wondering why mordanting with alum might change the feel of the fabric? I dye linen a lot and I haven’t been able to figure out why this happens and how to restore it to its original softness! KATHY ANSWERED: If your fabric is feeling stiff after mordanting, you may be able to restore softness through a gentle tumble in a clothes dryer. If this doesn’t solve the problem, evaluate how … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: How To Reuse A Tannin Bath

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’m wondering if its possible to reuse a tannin bath, perhaps by using half as much tannin powder the second time as one can do when re using a mordant bath? Recently I have made a tannin bath for linen and have lots left over, it would be great not to throw it out! Secondly, I usually rinse the fabric after mordanting and before dyeing- is this correct? KATHY ANSWERED: I think recharging and reusing tannin baths … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Alum + Tannin & Line Fade

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 live in India and where I live there is a lot of rust in the water. When I have tried to do a tannin-alum procedure before dyeing I noticed as soon as I put my fabric in the alum after the oak gall soak my fabric turns grey!!! The alum I have is alum sulfate for cotton because I don’t have alum acetate. I am trying symplocos now. Any suggestions how to avoid staining all material grey?? KATHY … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Penny Circles + Mordanting Wool

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 am looking for something to dye 100% wool. I mostly eco dye and not familiar with dyeing wool. I’d like to do several colors to make penny circles. I have a whole bolt of the wool. Can you recommend something for color and mordant? (My wool has been scoured.) KATHY ANSWERED: Since penny circles are fairly small, you have a lot of options to make some lovely color combinations. A small amount of fabric – something … Read more