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10 Tannins That Don’t Need a Mordant

There are so many mordant variations and we urge you to experiment and find the one that works best for you. If you’re not familiar with the term, mordanting is the most important process of preparing fibers to accept color. Mordanting prepares fibers to bond with natural dyes and is typically a separate immersion bath for the fibers. Many natural dyes require the use of a mordant to achieve the most durable and long lasting colors. Though you might start with the tried and true aluminum mordants, consider trying tannin-rich extracts that not only offer a base color, they prep … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: What Mordant For Viscose?

YOU ASKED: I received some organic bamboo pillowcases that I would like to bundle dye. Per their website they are crafted from 100% viscose from organically-grown bamboo. Does viscose take color? If so, what is the best mordant to use to get the most vibrant and long-lasting bundle dyeing color? KATHY ANSWERED: Natural dyes work well with viscose, which is the name typically used for fibers extruded from cellulose material, such as bamboo and wood products using a chemical process. It’s sometimes referred to as “rayon” and can contain a number of difference cellulose bases. If you are planning to bundle dye, … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Mordant With Liquid Dye + Reusing Baths

For this Mordant Monday – We bring you a question about our Saxon Blue Liquid Indigo! YOU ASKED: Should I mordant (alum is my go to) for your liquid dye indigo? I have read that it is not a needed step but also don’t want to dye without alum and make a big mistake. Hoping you can clarify please!! KATHY ANSWERED: Thanks for your email and the question. The liquid indigo, also called Saxon Blue, was developed in the 1700s to dye wool. We recommend that you mordant and alum is perfect prior to dyeing, and you can also add … Read more

Mordanted Scrunchies

Mordanted Scrunchies — Ready to Dye Pre-mordanted scrunchies, prepped and ready for your dye pot. We’ve done mordanting for you: each scrunchie has been scoured and then mordanted to ensure your natural dyes bond evenly and develop their full, washfast color. Whether you’re using madder, logwood, cochineal, marigold, or your own backyard finds, these scrunchies take dye beautifully and let you skip straight to the fun part — the color. Perfect for sampling new dye recipes, using up leftover dye baths, testing modifiers, or making small-batch gifts. The fabric is soft, the elastic is generous, and the prep is done. … Read more

Mordanted Silk Bandanas

Mordanted Silk Bandanas We have some lovely silk bandanas that we’ve just added to the mordanted materials page. They are a luxurious and drapey 19.5 momme charmeuse silk, matte on one side and glossy on the other. The scarves are hemmed with dyeable silk thread in a handrolled hemstitch. These are square bandana size, and the size is approximately 20″ x 20″ (sometimes a bit larger) and mordanted with aluminum potassium sulfate. Pre-mordanting makes these easy to use; simply dampen them, make your dye bath and drop them in. If you’re an eco-printer, they roll up nice and snug and … Read more

Symplocos Plant Mordant

Symplocos Plant Mordant We are happy to offer symplocos (Symplocos cochinchinensis) dried leaf powder as a plant mordant from Indonesia. The fallen leaves are hyperaccumulators, rich in alum from endangered forests. As a result, we support a sustainable crop rather than felling trees for their lumber, or supporting industrial mining. As natural dyers, we have access to various plant-derived tannins for mordanting options. However, there are few alum-accumulators available to us in commercial form. Symplocos offers an exciting alternative. The Plant Mordant Project offers natural dyers a unique opportunity to make reliable colors 100% from plants. Powdered leaves from symplocos … Read more

Mordanted Silk Hankies

Grab yourself a bundle of 4 lightweight, mordanted silk hankies for spontaneous dye sessions or color studies. The wonderful thing about these hankies is they are perfect for color tests and experiments as all you need to do is dampen them and add them to the dye pot. If you’re an eco-printer, they roll up nice and snug and really take the color. The bundle consists of 4-100% China silk hankies (approx. 11×11″, 8 momme) that we mordanted with aluminum potassium sulfate. Lightweight and very receptive to natural dyes, take a look at what we created with lac extract. I … Read more

Mordanted Bamboo Socks

Mordanted bamboo socks Mordanted bamboo socks are the perfect way to express your creativity! Simply dampen, sprinkle with the dyestuff of your choice, roll and gently steam. If you don’t have a steamer, allow them to sit overnight or longer. These are a classic crew sock, Women’s size 5-9 and made of super soft bamboo. They are the perfect second pair if you purchased a Petal Pushers Sock Dye Kit and want to re-use the dye bath. The great thing about these socks is they are ready to go. No scouring or mordanting needed and they can go into both … Read more

Wheat Bran Mordant Assist

We like to use wheat bran mordant assist with aluminum acetate. It contains minerals that help enhance the aluminum acetate mordant and brighten dye colors. Complete instructions are available here. Wheat bran baths can be used several times before discarding. Their enzymes are also useful to remove starch from fibers. Wheat bran is the outer layer (pericarp) of the wheat kernel. It is the part that gets removed when processing wheat grains into white flour. Bran is high in fiber for dietary purposes but provides a different function altogether when used for mordanting. A note for gluten allergies: Wheat bran … Read more

Mordanted Hemp-Cotton Napkin Set

Mordanted Hemp-Cotton Napkins Mordanted hemp-cotton napkins are perfect for the celebratory table and everyday use. Handwoven from vintage hemp fabric, these are deeply textured, rustic textiles. These beautiful napkins are sturdy, wear well, and get softer and softer. They take color beautifully! Each napkin is fashioned from vintage hemp-cotton fabric stock. The hemp was grown in a Romanian village field, and each household would harvest, process, spin and weave many yards of household linen for their use. They are approximately 18″ x 18″ and machine hemmed. We used aluminum acetate and calcium carbonate for the mordant. We’ve washed and mordanted … Read more