New mordanting experiments

Plant dyeing involves boiling down pigments from plants and then using them to dye fibers, but the dye does not adhere well to the fibers as is, so a process called "mordant" is required to bind the fibers and the pigment.

Today, we'd like to talk about mordant.

Mordants used in mordant dyeing are usually metal-based substances that bind the fibers and the dye. Although it depends on the dye, aluminum mordants tend to produce lighter colors, while iron mordants produce darker colors. Mordant dyeing also has a "color fixing effect" for the dye dyed on the fibers, and a "color development effect" through chemical reactions.

For example, when boiling black beans, adding an old nail (which contains iron) will turn them a beautiful black color.

Mordant solutions can be easily purchased at dye shops, but we always DIY ours using the IKTT Cambodian method. The IKTT iron mordant we use as a model is a method of adding iron scraps, palm sugar, raw lime, and water to a clay pot and letting it ferment, but we are trying various methods to find an iron mordant method that suits the climate and dyeing method of Itoshiro.

Below are two existing iron mordants:

- A type that heats scrap iron with brown sugar, vinegar, and water
- A type that ferments iron scraps with brown sugar, vinegar, and rice water (I also tried using rice bran).


This time, I'm trying to make a stock solution by boiling scrap iron in vinegar, which is still in the middle of the experiment. The new method I'm trying this time is different from the previous one in that it doesn't involve a fermentation process and is made with easily available ingredients. I'm really looking forward to trying it again next month to see how much it affects the color and how long it lasts.

By the way, the photo shows the fabric I used for iron mordant using the mordant solution I already had. The hymenium is a soft yellow, so I expected it to turn a soft khaki color after iron mordant, but it turned out to be a mature beige color, which was unexpected. I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of clothes this fabric will be made into.

Also, when I make a new mordant, I hope to be able to share with you all how the dye turned out.

--
[Dress] V-neck dress/cotton/yellow (Himejion)