Welcome to week 2 of the natural dye along. This week we will complete the most important part of natural dyeing, mordanting. I know this part intimidates many new dyers, but you will see that there is nothing to worry about by the end of this week.
What is Mordanting?
Mordanting is the process of treating the fabric so dyes will create a lasting bond with the fabric. To mordant fibers, we use a metallic salt that naturally occurs in minerals – most often aluminum. For cellulose fibers, aluminum acetate is frequently used, but aluminum potassium sulfate is used in some recipes. There are many ways to mordant your fiber, but this week, we will be using the technique of an aluminum acetate bath followed by a calcium carbonate bath. I find this technique simple while also producing satisfactory colors.
How to Mordant
Here, I will walk through the process I use to dye with aluminum acetate and calcium carbonate. These directions assume you have already scoured your fabric. For specific information on the proportion of the ingredients to use in comparison to your fabric, refer to your Beginner’s Guide to Natural Dyeing.
- 1. Start by wetting out your fabric in warm water.
- 2. Make your mordant bath. The mordant bath does not need to be heated. However, it is preferable to use hot tap water. Fill a large bucket or tub with hot tap water. You want enough water so that your fabric will be fully submerged and able to move.
- 3. Measure your aluminum acetate. This powder is very fine and plumes into the air. Wear a mask so you are not breathing in powders. Add the aluminum acetate to a smaller cup or jug of hot tap water to dissolve.
- 4. Once this is added to the hot water, stir it until it is completely dissolved.
- 5. Add your dissolved mixture to the large tub of water and gently stir. Add your already wet and scoured fabric to this mixture and submerge. Stir around to make sure your fabric is not creased or folded. I use a large storage bin for this. I generally mordant large quantities of fabric at one time and then put it away until I am ready to dye, so you may not need something so large. Use whatever size works for how much fabric you have.
- 6. Keep your fabric in the mordant mixture for 2-24 hours, stirring occasionally. I prefer to leave mine for 12-24 hours. Once it is time to remove, squeeze the excess water off your fabric into the bucket. You can reuse this mixture by adding more aluminum acetate at half the strength of your original mixture.
- 7. Make the calcium carbonate bath. To make this bath, use the ratio from the Beginner’s Guide to Natural Dyeing. Similar to the aluminum acetate bath, fill a pot or tub with hot water. Measure out the calcium carbonate and add it to a cup of hot water for dissolving. Stir to dissolve and add this to your pot of water.
- 8. Add the still wet fabric to the calcium carbonate bath. Keep the fabric in this bath, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Remove the fabric, squeeze out the excess, and proceed to dyeing or dry and save for later.
I know these steps of scouring and mordanting are not all that exciting. They are essential, however. Once you start dyeing, you will see spots that may not have dyed as well as you like. This is either because of poor scouring, poor mordanting, or the fabric was not wetted out. If you are careful with these steps you will have more even dyes. With all that being said, if your fabric is blotchy after dyeing, you can start again and fix it. I always save any dye projects that are not up to my standards. Once I have a large pile of fabric, I mordant these again and re-dye. If I use a similar dye color as the original, I usually am happy with the new results. So don’t worry or stress too much about this part. It takes time and practice, but each time you dye your results will be better than the last time.
Prize & Looking Ahead
Remember that there will be a prize at the end of this week. I will choose one person randomly who has posted a progress shot using the hashtag #naturaldyealong. Make sure to tag me too! The prize will be 2 yards of PFD Essex linen and mordant for the fabric.
If you do not already have mordant, you can buy the mordant kit HERE. I will link it below as well. Also, next week we will be dyeing. I have been collecting onion skins for one of my dye pots. I will also be using powdered dyes that are a part of the Dye Kit 01. Onion skins or avocado pits and skins make some of the best dye. Dandelions will dye fabric (and are available to many of you right now), but I have also heard this is not one of the longest-lasting dyes. There are different barks (apple, maple) and flowers (cosmos, marigolds, hollyhocks) that will also work. If you are not sure, usually a quick google search will help to learn about other’s experiences with natural plants and dyes. You can also email me at sidelakestitch@gamil.com.
