Mordants and Assistants
Mordanting is a very important step in successful natural dyeing – yet it is often rushed or even omitted contributing to disappointing results.
Mordants facilitate the bonding of the dyestuff to the fibre.
It provides flexibility as the fibres can be mordanted in advance, dried and dyed later – or mordanted and dyed in one day.
If you have time and patience – leaving the mordanted fibre to “cure” for a few days before rinsing results in deeper shades on wool and silk.
I do not use or recommend mordants such as chrome, copper or tin as they produce toxic waste which requires special disposal and are a health hazzard.
Mordants such as as alum, iron and tannins are safer to use and can produce multitudes of beautiful colours used in conjunction with the appropriate dye.
CALCIUM CARBONATE
Also called Chalk A dense white powdery mineral – a common addition to the madder and weld dye bath – providing hard
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CREAM OF TARTAR
(Potassium Bitartrate) Crystalline opaque white powder. Alkali modifier. Used for wool and silk. An optional addition to the alum mordant and to
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IRON
(Ferrous Sulphate) Iron is an ancient mordant found in ore bearing rocks. A blue – green crystal – originally it was known
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OAK BARK
The bark from the oak tree produces tannin which was traditionally used for tanning leather. Tannin is a common mordant used in
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TANNIC ACID
Tannin Tannic acid is used to mordant cellulose fbres and fabrics before the alum mordant. Alum does not combine as readily with
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