“Artisan dyer specializing in 100% natural botanical dyeing, alum-free.”
“A mordant is a substance that helps botanical color bind to fiber and last. The word comes from Latin mordere (“to bite”): the mordant lets the dye “bite” into the textile. Mordanting is usually done before the dye bath. See What is a mordant? above for the full definition.”
“Instead of aluminum salts, you can use plants as mordants: symplocos (plant alumina), tannin-rich plants (gallnut, sumac, birch bark…), and oxalic-rich leaves (rhubarb, sorrel, beetroot leaves…). At Teinture Sauvage this is how I mordant wool, silk, linen, and cotton. The comparison table summarizes the three types.”
“Symplocos (Symplocos spp.) is a plant that stores alumina from the soil in its leaves and bark. Dried symplocos works as an all-purpose plant mordant on wool, silk, and cellulose — a practical alum-free alternative I use every day. I sell symplocos in the shop. See Plants rich in alumina for how it fits into botanical dyeing.”
“Yes, but not always the same way. Wool and silk take symplocos, tannins, or oxalic plants fairly readily.”
Download this profile and inspect its supporting evidence.