mordant monday Archives - Page 6 of 6

acorns and a spoon of tan powder on pale fabrics

MORDANT MONDAY: Which Plants Need Mordant?

We get mordant questions all the time at Botanical Colors so why not create Mordant Monday??? Got mordanting questions? Email [email protected] I keep getting mixed answers from people about dyeing with plants from my yard and whether I need to mordant or not when using them. Advice? I think some of the confusion arises over what plant we’re talking about. Many plants contain high levels of tannins and these can be used to mordant and dye in one step, rather than using the traditional mordant method with aluminum sulfate or aluminum acetate. Traditional tannin mordants include: Common garden and kitchen … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Post-Mordanting With Iron + Preferred Method For Protein

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 recently purchased Ceriops Tagal Liquid Dye and have used it once already, I love it!! I am looking at your site and it says post-mordanting with iron to alter the color but I can’t seem to find what color it will produce. Does it result in a darker almost black shade like walnut would? KATHY ANSWERED: Ceriops creates a very dark chocolate shade when immersed in an iron rich mud solution (check out this link from Threads of … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Post-Mordanting Cotton

We get mordant questions all the time at Botanical Colors so why not create Mordant Monday??? Got mordanting questions? Email [email protected] I recently used Logwood and cochineal on old cotton sheets as blankets to put over watercolor paper when eco printing books. The cotton blankets came out so amazing I decided to sew them together and make a kimono. I had no intention of making a garment or I would have taken more pre-care with the fabric. Since these were very old sheets, I didn’t scour as I’ve laundered them for literally years. I did not mordant either. Anyway, here’s … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Silk, Cashmere + Heat

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 several cashmere sweaters that are the most boring colors ever and I’d love to try over-dyeing. I have Orvis paste to scour with but wanted to check that the 180 degree hold for 30 minutes would also work for cashmere – I see sheep and goats on the website answer about scouring so I am assuming yes, but there is this little question in the back of my head – email to the experts it … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Is It The Mordant Or The Cochineal?

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 a junior Fashion Design student. I am currently working on a project where I am trying to dye cotton yarn with cochineal. I have followed the cochineal instructions on trying to achieve a bright red color however when I take out the yarn from the dye water it begins to turn black. What should I do in order to keep the bright red color on the yarn? KATHY ANSWERED: Can you take a picture of … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Alum Sulfate & Acid-Loving Ornamentals?

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