I hope the dyers amongst you are following the Masterclass in Bengal posts on Maiwa's blog. So fascinating.
The photos and following quote are from today's post.
Today is mordant day. For those who are new to natural dyes, know this: dyes require that fibres be treated with a mordant if the dye is to live a long and joyous life on the cloth or yarn. Exceptions are substantive dyes (like walnut and tannins) that can bind directly unders some conditions. The plot thickens when we understand that for cotton the mordant will not stay with the fibre unless it is first treated with a tannin. Michel encourages us to think of this more complicated relationship in terms of friendship: the friend of my friend is also my friend. Cotton is friends with tannin, tannin is friends with the mordant, and the mordant is friends with the dye.
I can't tell whether Michel is happy or not with his lovely blue hands! LOL!
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