I've been looking all over for alum as a mordant for some natural dyeing. The only thing I could find was i-dye poly, which has a separate packet of "intensifier". I'm assuming it's a mordant, but could you tell me which it is? And can you use the "intensifier" to mordant yarn, drying it and leaving it to dye later (as you can with alum)? Thanks.
Alum and iDye Poly Intensifier are two very different chemicals and the intensifier is a carrier not a mordant. It helps to attract the dye to the fiber to create darker and brighter colors.
Thanks for the info. I can't find any of your alum in Australia. Can't seem to find it at all! Everyone says you can find it at the supermarket, pharmacy or craft shop, but none I've tried have it.
I wonder if it would work anyway... Maybe I'll try a tiny bit with my leaves and see what happens ;)
Don't use the iDye Poly Intensifier with natural dyes. It's a completely different kind of chemical and will not help your leaves.
Other mail-order sources of alum in Australia include Kraftkolour and Batik Oetoro. Contact info is on my page, Sources for Dyeing Supplies Around the World (scroll down to the Australia section).
Hi Alrischa If you get really stuck finding Jacquard alum in Aussie then I have some here in NZ. Takes about four days to get there and the price to ship is fairly reasonable. cheers Petra 2dye4 @ Zigzag http://www.2dye4.co.nz Create beyond Boundaries Find us on Facebook and be kept up-to-date For polymer clay "like" Zigzag Polymer Clay Supplies Ltd" For textile artists "like" 2dye4 at Zigzag
