Fiber Reactive Dyes

Results of Dyeing with MX Fiber Reactives Dyes Workshop

Here are pictures of just some of the samples of the amazing dyeing that went on last weekend, here in the CherScapes studio. It was a great, albiet an exhausting, weekend.

My students learned a lot, and were very complementary. I learnt a lot as well. They were a fabulous group to work with.



By Ann Marie LaBollita


By Susan Loring-Wells








By Gail Callahan


By Susan Loring-Wells

By Suzanne Pelto


By Betsy Higgins-Steele



By Betsy Higgins-Steele



By Ann Marie LaBollita


I am always amazed at how teaching seems to round out who I am as an artist. There is great satisfaction about finishing a piece of artwork - bringing it to completion at a level one can feel proud of. But there is also great satisfaction about finishing a series of classes or a workshop. It is a different feeling, but one of equal strength and value.

I am so proud of what was accomplished by my students this past weekend. I am also totally amazed and inspired by their work and by who they are. Everyone brings their most vulnerable selves to a class that requires new levels of creativity and experimentation.

To grow as artists, we must all, students and teachers alike, open doors to our hidden selves.
I am honored whenever someone is willing to step through the doors of the CherScapes classroom and follow my lead into new and exciting territory.

"This weekend's workshop was truly a wonderful experience. You did an excellent job in teaching techniques of folding fabric and applying the dyes. The tempo and coordination of the different aspects of the processes worked. The studio space as well as your work is beautiful. I am impressed with your energy, organization and generosity. I am pleased with what I accomplished. I learned a lot, had fun and came home with a variety of interesting pieces of work." - Betsy Higgins-Steele

Dyeing Workshop Using Procion MX Fiber Reactive Dyes



Getting ready for my dyeing workshop this weekend. I am delighted to have some people coming from out of town.


We posted the event of the Surface Design Association web site . They came across it while surfing the web for something else.

It is a fun workshop. Lots of exciting activity, and everyone leaves with a mountain of beautiful samples! These samples make a perfect base for using many other surface design techniques, such as stamping, stenciling and silk screening.

Here's Susan Loring-Wells working on her mountain of work! The studio would not function without her!



Dyeing with MX Fiber Reactive Dyes Workshop





I had a really awesome Columbus Day weekend teaching a dyeing workshop at the CherScapes Downtown Fiber Arts Studio.
With such a small group, everyone came away with an impressive stack of samples.


Aren't they gorgeous?!





Dyed Rayon by Merry Lein



Dyed cotton by Merry Lein



Rayon dyed by Merry Lein



Rayon dyed by Gail Tease


Cotton dyed by Gail Tease


All of these pieces of cloth were dyed using Procion MX Fiber Reactive dyes.
Some of them were dyed in a one-step process by using multiple colors at one time, in a shallow tray. Others were dyed and over dyed several times by immersing it in several gallons of a dye, salt and soda ash solution. The patterns were achieved by folding the fabrics before each dyeing process. Its a blast!
If you have an interest in taking this workshop contact the studio.
We'll be offering it again soon. Class size will never be more than 6.


This is Merry Lein figuring out her next color move.