All I had to do was mention my desire to learn about fabric printing to my daughter Rachel @snippetsofsweetness, and voilà, I got everything I needed to get started for my birthday!
- Art of Fabric Block Printing: An Illustrated Guide with 12 Playfully Modern Projects by Andria Green @andriafaye
- Speedball Deluxe Linocut Block Printing Kit, For Fabric
- Print, Pattern, Sew: Block-Printing Basics + Simple Sewing Projects for an Inspired Wardrobe by Jen Hewett @jenhewett
For better or worse, I kind of just jumped right in! I initially was going to just carve a wonky plus block, but midstream, decided to leave some stripes in the center and each quadrant. And then of course, I had to test it out.
The top left pair were my first try - on Essex cotton/linen blend - then the white one, which is Kona. Obviously I wasn't getting very good coverage with the paint. Finally, I just set the stamp right on the paint board (a book covered with foil), and that result is on the right, again on Essex.
I know a couple of things. One, the fabric should be pre-washed, and mine was not. I spritzed it with water, then ironed it dry, but still. So there's that. Also, the point is to roller the paint onto the stamp, so I definitely need to work on my technique there, as I wasn't getting enough paint on my roller to be successful. So I'll be working on that too. So lots to learn. But meanwhile, I think I have a new hobby.
I think the beauty of block printing is the variety that will get created from the process. Hooray for new things to learn, and it will be fun to see how this evolves and you use the resulting printed fabric!
ReplyDeleteThat is a super fun birthday present! i enjoyed learning to block print in school art classes. You are definitely onto something.
ReplyDeletehow fun! and what a thoughtful gift. I can't wait to see how this progresses
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