In this video I test the difference tannin makes in mordanting cotton fabric for natural dyeing. I mordant 6 pieces of fabric in different ways, 3 of them using tannin, and then dye them with 4 natural dyes. I then do a light/wash fastness test on the dyed fabrics to see how the colors last.

If you would like to see the results of this experiment as photos, check out my blog post https://chromaticnatureclothing.com/2...

Mordant ingredients I used:
Sumach Gallnut Extract (Tannin) https://chromaticnatureclothing.com/p...
Aluminum Acetate https://chromaticnatureclothing.com/p...
Alum (Potassium Aluminum Sulfate) https://chromaticnatureclothing.com/p...
Calcium Carbonate (chalk) https://chromaticnatureclothing.com/p...

Synthrapol detergent https://www.misterart.com/crafts/text...

The dyes I used:
Logwood https://chromaticnatureclothing.com/p...
Madder Root https://chromaticnatureclothing.com/p...
Osage Orange https://www.etsy.com/listing/62246447...
Sappanwood https://chromaticnatureclothing.com/p...

Music is by Borscht Porsche

00:00 What this is about
01:28 Laying out the experiment
03:12 Mordanting
11:24 Dyeing
15:41 Logwood results
19:27 Madder root results
23:23 Osage Orange results
26:14 Sappanwood results
30:01 pH shifting problems
31:28 Closing thoughts