Mordant, from the French "mordre" to
bite
If you're going to use
natural dyes, you need to pre-treat your
fabric or the color won't hold. We do
this using two classes of mordants: metallic
and tannin. Mordants cause the color to
'bite' the fabric. Your
mordants must be dissolved in warm water
before being added to the fabric.
Types and Methods
Alum: Available in
most grocery stores and very safe to use;
it's normal to add cream of tartar to produce
brighter, cleaner colors. Dissolve the
Alum (about 3 oz. per pound of fabric or
yarn and 1 oz. cream of tartar) separately
in warm water. Pour into a water bath
of 4 gallons of water, heated to 160°. Add
your fabric being careful not to crowd. Bring
to a slow boil in about 30 minutes and
then hold at that level of boil for 45
minutes. Your fabric will take a better
dye if you allow it to cool in the bath. You
can use it immediately, or let it dry.
Chemical name: potassium aluminum sulfate.
Chrome: This gives
wonderful deep, rich colors. You have to
be more careful with it, then the alum,
to avoid uneven coloring later on. Adding
cream of tartar will help brighten the
colors even more. Use 1/2 oz. of chrome
with 4 gallons of water, to 1 pound of
fabric or yarn. Heat the water to
160°, and remember to pre-dissolve
the chrome in warm water first. Put your
wet, washed fabric in the bath and simmer
for 30 minutes. Remove the fabric,
add 1/2 oz of cream of tartar (pre-dissolved)
stir thoroughly, replace the fabric and
simmer for 1 hour. Be careful to keep the
fabric totally under the water in the bath,
or when you do dye your fabric it will
streak.. Wash the fabric after mordanting
in the chrome and allow it to dry slowly,
before dyeing. If you're going to
be dyeing the fabric lighter colors, you
can use a bit less chrome. Too much
will result in a harsher feel to the fabric.
Chemical name: potassium bichromate.
Tin: The most difficult of all
the mordants metallics to use. Too much
will destroy your fabric or yarn. Its
greatest use is as an aid to other mordants,
with bright, crisp yellows and reds resulting. As
an actual mordant, use 1/2 oz. tin, with
2 oz. cream of tartar and 3/4 oz. oxalic
acid - to one pound fabric or yarn in 4
gallons of water. Heat the water
to 140°, put in the wet, washed fabric
and raise the temperature of the bath to
190°. Hold at that level for
1 hour. Do Not
Boil. Chemical name: stannous
chloride, tin crystals. Oxalic acid
is Oxalic wood sorrel, a bleaching or cleaning
agent - very strong acid.
Basic Mordanting Points to Learn
- To much mordant can cause:
- Alum
- harsh and sticky;
- Chrome
- color streaky;
- Tin
- harsh and brittle feeling
- All should be pre-dissolved,
and added separately to water
bath.
- Fabric must be removed
before adding additional mordants.
- Don't Over Crowd the
Bath!
- Avoid sudden changes in the
bath; steadily increase
the temperature.
- Add additional water
as the boiling causes evaporation.
- Dispose of any remaining solution
safely;
Do not use it
to water your garden or in your
septic tank.
- These are still
chemicals and care must be taken.
A good idea would be to contact
your local city health or sanitation
department to see what they recommend
for disposal.
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Natural
Dyeing | Mordants | Plants
and Color | Preparation | Dyeing
Recipes
|
Did
You Know?
Just because your doing 'Natural Dyeing'
does not mean you aren't careful, take
precautions, or use safety procedures..
Never ever
use the same implements in your natural
dyeing process that are used for cooking:
pots, pans, spoons, cups etc.
Always take the time to do
it safe and do it right. When in doubt,
don't do it.
Dyeing Books
A
Dyer's Garden
by Rita Buchanan
The
Craft of Natural Dyeing
by Jenny Dean
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