Creating and Respecting Affinity: The Art of Mordanting

Mordants: Creating or Respecting Affinity Instructor: Michel Garcia 📽 3,5 hours of video | 🎙 Narration in English | 🌍 Subtitles in 6 languages | 📄 Handout in 6 languages What truly makes natural dyes bond with fabric? In this profound and essential tutorial, master dyer and chemist Michel Garcia guides us through one of the most important — yet misunderstood — areas of dyeing: mordanting. This is not just about recipes. It’s about understanding the structure of fibers, the chemistry of tannins and metallic salts, and the philosophies behind different global traditions of dye preparation. This is the second course in the “From Plant to Dye” series, and it forms the cornerstone of all textile dyeing practices that involve mordant dyes — especially for cellulose, silk, and wool. 🌿 What You Will Learn The nature and structure of plant-based fibers and how they react to tannins and metals. The role of tannins as natural complexing agents for aluminum salts — and how this mirrors the natural world. Two radically different dyeing philosophies: Creating Affinity (the Indian method): Grafting tannin onto cellulose to create a dyeable substrate. Respecting Affinity (the Egyptian method): Using salts that already have a natural attraction to the fiber. Practical demonstrations of how to mordant cotton, linen, silk, and wool. The importance of pH, timing, and drying for successful mordant fixation. How aluminum acetate, potassium alum, and other salts behave differently — and how to choose wisely. Eco-conscious practices: how understanding affinity can lead to less water waste and more sustainable mordanting. 🌏 Why This Course Matters Michel doesn’t just teach techniques — he opens doors to ancient dyeing traditions, from India to Egypt, and from West Africa to China. He explains how historical dyers intuitively mimicked natural plant chemistry, using green methods that are just as relevant today. By the end of this course, you won’t just follow steps — you’ll understand why they work, and how to adjust them to your needs, your fabrics, and your ethical concerns. “Once you understand how to create affinity between fiber and dye, you gain full control. No more dumping mordant baths. No more weak colors. Just brilliance — and sustainability.” — Michel Garcia This course is a must for anyone serious about natural dyeing — whether you're a beginner searching for clarity, or a professional looking to deepen your practice.