Exploring Procion MX Dyes: Low-Water Shibori Techniques & Color Splits

Folded and dyed cotton

I’ve added Procion MX fiber reactive dyes to my bag of tricks recently.

It all began while browsing Mandy Southan’s book, Shibori Designs and Techniques. She shares fascinating results from pairing reactive dyes in conjunction with traditional indigo methods. Living in the virtual desert of Southern California, I’m always conscious of my studio water usage. Ann Johnston’s book Color By Accident offers incredible insights into low-water dyeing using very small amounts of liquid with reactive dyes.

To test this out, I tried a traditional shibori folding and dipping pattern on a fat quarter of Kona Cotton. The process yielded beautiful, unexpected color splits along the folded edges.

Using fiber reactive dyes for shibori takes a fraction of the water that traditional indigo vat dyeing requires. While it will never fully replace indigo in my studio practice, it’s a compelling, water-wise augment to my textile explorations.

folded and tied

folded

ready for the dye bath

Triangular folded cotton fabric dipped into a low-water Procion MX fiber reactive dye bath