Mordanted Hemp-Cotton Towel Eco-Print Kit

Description

We mordanted some very vintage hemp-cotton towels so you can get right to the fun part: dyeing!  These towels were mordanted with oak gall tannin and aluminum sulfate and are ready for bundle dyeing. We supply marigold, logwood and onion skins with the towels. Sprinkle, roll, wrap and steam and you are done! Follow our easy instructions below and make a hostess gift or brighten your kitchen.

The towels are a silvery taupe shade. Some have subtle marks and stains as the fabric is unused but over 50 years old and these will blend right in once the towel is bundle dyed. They are handwoven; they look amazing with a scattering of dyes on them. The towels are made from hemmed, handwoven vintage hemp-cotton with a hanging loop.  Towel sizes vary but they are generally about 16×22″ each.

Your kit includes

• 2 mordanted, vintage hemp-cotton towels
• Dye packets of onion skin, marigold petals and logwood sawdust

Pair these with our Dyes of the Americas Kit or our Harvest Box and have a blast!

Sold in a pack of 2 towels:  one for yourself and one to gift!  Or both for yourself!

• Instructions: Soak the towels in warm water to dampen, then squeeze out excess moisture. You want them damp but not sopping.
• Lay the towels on a flat surface and sprinkle with the dyestuffs. Sprinkle as little or as much as you desire. Logwood is very potent and makes dramatic purple-black marks. Onion skin makes larger, gold to bronze to olive marks and Marigold makes bright yellow marks. More dyestuff coverage means a darker towel.
• Roll up the towel tightly and tie with string or use rubber bands.
• Set up a steamer and place the roll in the steamer. Steam the roll for 90-120 minutes. Be careful of the hot steam if you take a peek. Let cool so you don’t burn yourself. Note: if you don’t have a steamer, let the tightly tied roll sit overnight or as long as 48 hours. You can put it under a weight like a long baking dish or a pile of books – remember the roll is damp so protect surfaces. The weight will help the color transfer. The dyes will transfer onto the towel, but it takes longer without steam.
• Unroll, and admire your work! Rinse and dry.