ALUM MORDANT (Potassium Aluminum Sulphate Dodecahydrate)
~ Necessary for most plant dyes to ensure colour fastness ~

Alum is considered the safest and least harmful mordant used in natural dyeing. It helps fix dyes to fibres and enhances colour retention. What many don't realise is that Alum occurs naturally in nature, and some plants, such as Lycopodium, contain natural Alum.

Mordanting Cellulose Fibres

For mordanting cellulose fibres, please refer to our blog for detailed recipes:

• How to Mordant Linen and Cotton Fabrics Successfully – AppleOak FibreWorks

• How to Mordant Linen and Cotton Successfully Without Tannins – AppleOak FibreWorks

Basic Recipe for Wool

Ingredients:

• 10%-20% Alum (based on the Dry Weight of Fibre - D.W.F.)

• Wool (or other protein fibres)

• Water

• Optional: 5% Cream of Tartar (for hot mordanting)

Instructions:

Cold Mordanting:

1. Weigh your dry textile material.

2. Soak the dry material in water.

3. Dissolve Alum in hot water and add to a mordanting pot filled with water.

4. Add pre-soaked wool and let sit for 24-72 hours.

Hot Mordanting:

1. Dissolve Alum in hot water and add to a mordanting pot filled with water.

2. Add 5% Cream of Tartar to slow down the mordant uptake.

3. Add wool and bring to 80°C for 1 hour.

4. Let cool, then rinse and dye or dry for later use.

Alum is ideal for protein fibres like wool and silk, ensuring vibrant and lasting colour results.

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Madder Dye – Cut or Ground
Rich Natural Reds for Dyeing | Wild-Harvested in Eastern Europe

Madder (Rubia tinctorum) is a renowned natural dye that produces a stunning range of reds—from warm oranges and rich brick reds to deep blood reds and fiery crimson tones. The final shade depends on multiple factors, including soil conditions, root age, mineral content of the water, dyeing temperature, and fibre-to-dye ratio.

Dyeing Tips:

• Mordanting: Avoid cream of tartar when mordanting cold. 
• Soaking: Pre-soak fibres for at least 12h-24h before dyeing.
• Dyeing Methods: Madder can be used in both hot and cold dye baths. Adding chalk can help achieve better reds.

Colour Fastness: Excellent – Madder is known for its durability and deep, lasting hues.

Discover the beauty of natural dyeing with madder and create your own unique reds!

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Recipe for Wool: Downloadable PDF 

Recipe for Plant fibres: Downloadable PDF

Also available as dye kit!

Madder Dye Kit for Plant Fibers: Available Here »

Madder Dye Kit for wool & Silk: Available Here »

Basic Madder Dye Recipe

(Adjust quantities as needed to achieve your desired shade. Water quality will influence colour result. Oranges instead of reds are often more likely)

Ingredients:

• 100g dried madder roots (soaked overnight and blended if possible, or use ground)
• 100g mordanted fiber (Alum-treated)
  • Use 50g of fibre for darker reds or 300g for lighter shades
• 7–10 liters of water
• 6g calcium carbonate (chalk) (optional, for enhanced reds)

Instructions:

1. Soak the madder roots in the dye pot overnight.
2. Gently heat to 65°C (149°F) and maintain for one hour for red tones.
   • Higher temperatures will shift the colour towards brown.
3. Strain the dye bath through a cloth to remove root particles.
4. Add the mordanted fibre and the dye bag (optional, might result in uneven colour) back into the pot.
5. Maintain a temperature between 65–95°C (149–203°F) for one hour to develop the colour.

IMPORTANT: The higher the temperature, the darker and browner the final shade.

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OAK GALL
Use: Cellulose Fibre Mordant | Harvested From: Aleppo Oak in Turkey | Also Known As: Oak Apple | Recipe: link below

Oak Gall, also known as Oak Apple, is harvested from the Aleppo Oak in Turkey and is a traditional mordant used for cellulose fibres. Due to its high tannin content, it is an effective mordant for preparing cellulose-based fabrics for natural dyeing. Unlike other tannin-based mordants, Oak Gall only stains the cellulose fibre a light beige, making it a preferred choice for delicate dyeing projects.

Key Features:

• High tannin content for cellulose mordanting
• Minimal staining cellulose fibres
• Available whole, cut, or ground

Function:
Oak Gall is used to prepare cellulose fibres for natural dyeing, helping the dye adhere to the fabric without leaving stains. Its high tannin content ensures vibrant and durable colours on cellulose fabrics like cotton, linen, and hemp. 

Storage & Usage:

• Available in whole, cut, or ground form.
• Store in a cool, dry place.

Perfect for natural dyers and textile artists working with cellulose fibre. Please see this recipe for mordanting cellulose with Gallotannin

100% Natural Indigo (Indigofera tinctoria)

Traceable · Traditionally fermented · Origin: India · Approx. 35-42% indigotin

This is a high-quality, truly natural indigo, prepared in India from fresh leaves of Indigofera tinctoria using a traditional natural fermentation process. The indigo is supplied in powdered form and produces clear, stable blue shades ranging from very pale sky blues to deep, dark navies.

All batches are subject to analytical controls to verify their natural origin. This additional level of checking provides reassurance and traceability in a market where adulteration and partial synthesis have become increasingly common.

The main colouring component is indigotin, valued for its excellent lightfastness and wash fastness when dyed correctly.

Use in textile dyeing

Indigo is an insoluble pigment rather than a mordant dye. In order to dye fibre, it must first be reduced from its blue, oxidised state into a soluble yellow-green form. This reduced indigo penetrates the fibre and then re-oxidises on contact with air — the moment when the characteristic blue colour develops.

This indigo is suitable for a wide range of vat systems, including natural fermentation vats, fructose or sugar vats, lime-based mineral vats, bran vats, and quick vats using hydros or thiourea dioxide. Vats typically operate at 30–40 °C, making indigo dyeing a comparatively low-energy process.

It can also be combined with other natural dyes, such as yellows or reds, to create layered colours including greens, purples, and complex overdyes.

Typical usage guide

For pale sky blues, approximately 1 g of indigo per 100 g of fibre is sufficient.
Medium denim blues are usually achieved with around 5 g per 100 g of fibre.
Deep navy shades generally require 12 g or more per 100 g of fibre, built up through multiple dips.

Other uses

Beyond textile dyeing, this indigo can be used as a natural pigment for paint making, ink, decorative finishes, and woodwork. When used as a pigment, it should be well ground into the chosen binder or medium to ensure even colour development and to avoid visible particles.

The plant

Indigofera tinctoria is a small shrub traditionally cultivated for indigo production and is thought to have originated in India. The plant and its dye are mentioned in some of the earliest Sanskrit texts, and indigo was long known as “the queen of dyes” before the widespread adoption of synthetic indigo at the end of the nineteenth century. Other species of Indigofera have also been used historically as sources of natural indigo.

Storage and safety

Store in a cool, dry place, sealed against moisture. Avoid inhaling fine powder and wear a mask when handling. Gloves are recommended when working with lime, hydros, or iron additives.
This product is not intended for food use.

IRON MORDANT ~ Mordant, Colour Changer, increased light fastness

Iron (Ferrous Sulfate) is used alone as a mordant, influencing Colours and to increase light fastness when used in combination with other natural dyes.

Iron is best known for shifting yellows into greens, keep in mind that this is not given and doesn't work with every yellow plant dye, in which case it will be more of a brown. it is used to increase light fastness for weaker plant dyes, bu it will always sadden and/or darken the colours. 

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Basic recipe:

When adding Iron to your dye bath start of with 3% and use it at the end of your dye bath or as an after bath. Allow to oxidize for 10 min for full colour development.

*If you like your colours darker, increase the Iron amount by 1-2% at a time. 

**Leave for 10min than remove from dye bath - Iron will make wool brittle.

POTASH – pH ADJUSTER & SCOURING AGENT

Chemical name: Potassium Carbonate (K₂CO₃) | Grade: Textile | Use rate: 3–10%

No natural-dye studio is complete without potash (Pottasche in German). This alkaline powder (K₂CO₃) is slightly stronger than soda ash and is traditionally used to raise the pH of dye baths and indigo vats, scour cellulose fibres, and intensify plant yellows such as weld by increasing alkalinity.

💡 Note: This product was previously listed as Soda Ash (Sodium Carbonate). We have updated the listing to Potash (Potassium Carbonate) to reflect the correct material.

Uses

• Boost pH in indigo, woad, or fructose vats
• Add to your scouring bath
• Intensify weld yellow and other plant yellows
• Balance acidic dye baths when needed

In a nutshell

• Material: Potash (Potassium Carbonate K₂CO₃)
• Function: pH enhancer & cellulose scour
• Dose: 30–100 g · L⁻¹ (3–10% owf) dissolved in hot water or dye liquor
• Compatibility: All natural dyes; indigo & woad vats
• Packaging: Resealable moisture-proof pouch
• Safety: Wear gloves & mask; store cool, dry, and away from acids

Basic directions

Dissolve the required potash in hot water (or directly into a hot dye bath) at 3–10%. Stir until clear, then add to the dye pot or fibre scour. For indigo vats, add potash after the pigment to adjust alkalinity before introducing a reducer.

Safety & storage

Potash is strongly alkaline. Avoid inhaling dust and protect eyes and skin. Store sealed and dry; keep away from children and acids. Dispose of effluent according to local regulations.

💡 Tip: Pair potash with our Natural Indigo Powder or Indigo Kits for a complete dye setup.

Potash vs Soda Ash Table