mordanting Archives - Page 2 of 9

MORDANT MONDAY: Can A Cold Water Mordant Deepen Colors?

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 some aluminum triformate from you all. I tried the aluminum triformate using it at 10% WOF hoping to get the strongest results possible. So far I have only the aluminum sulfate to compare it to. It seems the aluminum sulfate samples are much darker, especially the reds, although I am not finished with all the colors. I am wondering if this is typically the case? Is there anything you would suggest to coax … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: To Mordant Or Not To Mordant + Disposing Of Mordant Baths

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

Tannin and Alum Mordant Experiments

I’m obsessed with using tannin and aluminum sulfate to create different color bases for both natural dyes and indigo. What I love about this technique is that this is a great mordant option and it’s a lot of fun to see the colors develop and take on the subtle differences between the different tannin bases. This time, we’re working with a lightweight, pre-mordanted, organic cotton suitable for stitching and quilting. We mordanted 4 fat quarters, each with a different tannin, and then tried a few dye experiments using Marigold Mix, Madder extract and Indigo. Start with our Mordanted Fat quarter … Read more

Mordant Monday: A NERD’S GUIDE TO MORDANTS

A Nerd’s Guide to Mordants Kathy is currently creating magic at Sanborn Mills for her Nerd’s Guide to Mordants workshop. We decided to give you a little taste into all of the beautiful mordant variations she is creating for this workshop and some of the key considerations you should take into account when beginning to mordant. For all of you budding mordant nerds out there, here are some highlights of what is covered during the class. We are working on bringing this class to you in online form, so here is a little teaser while you wait! What is a … 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: What’s The Best Mordant Duo For A Cotton T-shirt?

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 had a question about your aluminum triformate. I am going to dye 20 cotton t-shirts and thought the aluminum triformate would be a good option for mordanting. I am wondering if I should still use a tannin? Do you think it’s the best option for mordanting cotton items that will be washed often? KATHY ANSWERED: Yes, tannin really helps with wash and lightfastness. You have a wide choice of tannins: gallo-tannin, tara powder, chestnut, myrobalan, pomegranate … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Scouring + Mordanting Cashmere

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 some lovely 100% cashmere yarn I’d like to dye before knitting and am scared of ruining it. Should I use the scouring instructions for wool? I’d like to use aluminum acetate as I’m dyeing with cutch and like the pinks this mordant pulls out of this dye. Is this mordant safe for cashmere? If not does aluminum triformate also bring out pinks in cutch? Any cashmere dyeing tips are most appreciated. Thank you! KATHY ANSWERED: … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: How To Recharge Mordants & Assists

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 mind-bending questions about the mordants that can be refreshed like aluminum acetate, aluminum sulfate and aluminum triformate. Is it different with different mordants? And what happens with the assists like soda ash or cream of tartar, if I put them together with the mordant, do I also need to recharge it as well with 25/50%? KATHY ANSWERED: Typically aluminum sulfate, aluminum potassium sulfate and aluminum acetate are refreshed at 50% and aluminum triformate is refreshed at 10%. … Read more

Easy Print Paste Thickener Tutorial

Designs and prints come to life with mordant printing using Botanical Colors Print Paste Thickener and this tutorial! If you don’t follow Arielle Toelke, Designer + Creator of Four Rabbit, you’re missing out! With a background in art, Arielle creates a line of goods that are both graphic and fun. We’ve been friends with her for years and also gotten to know her as one of our customers using our dyes and assists to make some pretty exciting, graphically pleasing surface designs. We asked Arielle to write an easy-to-use print paste thickener tutorial, sent her some of our print paste … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: How Is Gall Nut Extract Different Than Ground?

We get mordant questions all the time at Botanical Colors so why not create Mordant Monday??? Got mordanting questions? Email [email protected] YOU ASKED: If I am using whole oak galls as a mordant, how is the gall nut extract used differently than the ground oak galls? Does the ground have to be heated for a certain amount of time or can it be added directly to hot water? KATHY ANSWERED: Gall nut extract, which we call gallo-tannin, is dissolved in near boiling hot water and then added to the dye pot or the mordant tub (it is a low -temperature mordant, … Read more