Iron( ferrous sulfate)

MORDANT MONDAY: Iron + Mordant=A “Weird Feeling”

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 bought iron from you guys to use to dye some wool fabric. I used it in a dye bath with coffee. I used your alum to mordant prior to dyeing in advance. I’m concerned I let the fabric sit too long in the coffee + iron bath because it now has a sort of weird feeling to it, almost a coating on it. Curious if there is a way to remedy this? KATHY ANSWERED: Sometimes too … Read more

Our Top 8 Picks For The Most Durable Natural Dyes

We get asked A LOT about which are the most durable natural dyes in our shop. By durable, we mean dyes that excel in both light and washfastness. But as we always say to people when they ask us to point them in that direction, there’s lots of questions we have for YOU around your lifestyle and wash practices and natural dyes. For instance, do you use a harsh detergent? Do you wash your dyed clothing daily? Do you hang dry or put on high heat in the dryer? Is it a silk blouse or a cotton napkin? How often … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Safe Mordant Disposal With Well Systems

We get mordant questions all the time at Botanical Colors so why not create Mordant Monday??? Got mordanting questions? Email [email protected] YOU ASKED: Am I right that a mordant bath is tired based on how many uses and the WOF? Safe mordant disposal for us rural artists with well systems and no municipal drain…do I need to neutralize with soda ash or is that step unnecessary? My tap water is ph6. Can I water plants or feed the spent bath to the spruce trees? KATHY ANSWERED: You can definitely recharge alum baths. We support that as a way to get … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Tannin Mordanting Cotton & Stiff 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’m getting ready to dye vintage cotton runners. I have aluminum acetate, which tannin powder would you recommend? Weight of fiber protocol?I have a bag of wool roving and also trying to figure out the best way to handle. Last time I ran it through a dye bath it dried dull and stiffish. What do I need to do next? KATHY ANSWERED: The choice of which tannin is really up to your preference. We like to use … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Scouring & Mordanting Raw Silk

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 wondering what is the best way to scour or mordant raw silk? I know you have on your site that info for silk but just wanted to ask if that applied the same for raw silk as well. KATHY ANSWERED: Raw silk, also referred to as silk noil, is the carded short waste pieces from silk reeling that are carded and spun before weaving or knitting. The fiber is medium weight, textured, matte and can … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: What Mordant For Viscose?

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 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 … Read more

Sunday Visit: Michigan-Based June & December Connect To Nature

Every Sunday, Botanical Colors sits down for an interview with a luminary in the natural dye and textile world. Grab a cup of tea and settle in to learning about someone you never knew! Catch up on all our Sunday Visits here. For this week’s Sunday Visit, we catch up with Katie Forte, the lead designer/artist and creative director of Michigan-based June & December. June & December is an independent design studio and maker of sustainable gifts that tell the wild stories of nature.  Their hope is that they can aspire to have their products cultivate a deeper connection with nature. … Read more

You Asked, Kathy Answered: Get A Gorgeous Madder Red

We get lots of emails from customers about challenges with dyeing and needing Botanical Colors’ President Kathy Hattori’s help. Why not share the learning so we can all benefit? From our inboxes to you, it’s simple: You Asked, Kathy Answered. Email [email protected] with your plea for help! YOU ASKED: Good morning and thank you so much for this opportunity of free knowledge that you give us. I saw in your madder recipe to put the dye at 145/160 degrees? The recipe says that to make a real red, the temperature must not exceed 80 degrees otherwise it turns brown. But … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Alum From The Supermarket 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 teach kids paper making and am starting an eco print enrichment this week. We are using cotton fabric. I bought alum at the grocery store thinking it was all I needed to soak the fabrics and have them bond with the flower dye, but as I read more into the topic I only find myself more confused at the minute differences. I just want the pigment from the flower petals to bond with the fiber for learning … Read more

You Asked, Kathy Answered: Indigo For Soap Making

We get lots of emails from customers about challenges with dyeing and needing Botanical Colors’ President Kathy Hattori’s help. Why not share the learning so we can all benefit? From our inboxes to you, it’s simple: You Asked, Kathy Answered. Email [email protected] with your plea for help! YOU ASKED: Indigo is often used as a natural colorant in soap making and I have been using your organic indigo powder for the past couple of years. As I’ve been researching about processing my fresh indigo plants to turn into powder I’ve started wondering about using indigo powder for soap making and … Read more