Intro to natural dyes: mordants, additives and tannins with Modest Transitions

Mordanting is necessary for creating a long-lasting and vibrant color from naturally derived dyes. This process essentially “fixes” the dyes, transforming soluble color into insoluble form to ensure its permanence. In this workshop, attendees will gain insight into the art of mordanting to achieve successful dye results, with an emphasis on choice of mordant for various fabrics. At the conclusion of this workshop, participants will mordant their materials independently and can then begin applying plant dyes with extracts, ground, foraged materials, or kitchen scraps. This workshop will explore mordanting for cellulose and protein fibers, WOF with examples and a worksheet, and tannins.

Students are required to bring their own fabric/fiber/yarn, which must be 100% natural (e.g. cotton, silk, hemp, linen, bamboo, tencel, wool). Blends with 5% or more of synthetic such as Lycra are not recommended. For any questions or concerns, please contact us.