Hi Ladies and Laddies,
After posting about the fabric stamps yesterday, they arrived in the mail, and I immediately played with them to see how they looked. I’m so very thrilled! Here is my test sheet of paper, my “sampler” if you will:
The two stamps intended to be applied in lines will take some practice to be seamless. Measuring out and marking the lines on the fabric will help. The two emblems are easier and look great – they’ll be fun to play around with trying different patterns, lines, grids, various spacings, etc.
I got these stamps from RubberStamps.net , and found it extremely easy to upload my custom artwork. Each stamp was very inexpensive, and the store offers free shipping (limited time, but still going as of this post). The tutorials I have found online recommend Tsukineko VersaCraft Fabric Inkpad
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In other news, the Astoria Edwardian shoes have sold 130 pairs, with black being the more popular color. The pre-order continues until February 3rd, so if you’ve had your eye on these and want the special price and delivery in April, you have a little over a week left. 🙂 Check Astoria out on my website: www.american-duchess.com
11 Comments
ZipZip
January 25, 2012 at 5:38 PMDear Lauren,
Such cool work on the stamping and htank you for blazing the trail! Ever since Hallie Larkin discussed it last fall on her At the Sign of the Golden Scissors blog, I've been reading up on a few original texts and in Susan Bosence's Hand Block Printing and Resist Dyeing and playing with stamps, and looking at YouTube videos of printers at work in India.
Boy, does block printing turn out to be the proverbial can o' worms. No wonder it's a commercial skill. First, the process of blockprinting, as practiced in India, was amazingly complex and involved. Once exported to the West, the processes remained complex and involved, if perhaps a little more mechanized. Plus, the ways it was done kept shifting.
I bought a number of used wooden block print stamps from Inda (there's a resale market for them after the blocks wear out), and have had fun playing with them on paper, although I've not tried resists yet nor printing on fabric.
Getting stamped prints to take on fabric looks like it will prove tricky, at least for me. If you are stamping, as opposed to using mordants and so on, you have to play with the fabric paint to get it to the right consistency, and it helps to have a soft surface under the fabric to press the stamp on so that it really gets into the fabric… In Britain they had a special blanket on top of the printing surface, and forget where I read it, but they suggest currugated cardboard now, as being springy.
It will be great to see how your progress goes. The rubber stamps you found look terrific, and the idea of using the linen/cotton mix is really interesting.
Something to note if you try resist printing with that mixed fabric. Cotton and linen take mordants and dyes differently, so my reading tells me, so you might want to take that into account.
Very best,
Natalie
Lauren R
January 26, 2012 at 5:44 AMNatalie, this is super helpful. I'm hoping the rubbery surface and the foam mount on the stamps will help it stamp onto fabric easily. I read that the ink pads made for fabric stamping are easy to use and good for intricate designs, but fabric paint can also be used for bolder impressions, when applied evenly and thinly with a foam roller. I'm looking forward to experimenting. 🙂
Lauren
January 25, 2012 at 5:45 PMCan't wait to hear about your block printing process! Such a fabulous idea.
Woohoo for shoes!
ZipZip
January 25, 2012 at 5:51 PMOop, a follow up. Good call on using rubber stamps. Those used wooden Indian stamps I bought? Well, they are pretty, as much to hold as anything. But, "used" means "worn", which means there are often breaks in the wooden pattern, or unevennesses, so some of the designs don't come out clean. It's a problem. (Unless you are trying for a copper-plate look.)
I've thought of cutting Speedy-ball printing blocks (Dharma Trading) and by copying the original designs to them, thus cleaning them up. Don't want them too clean, or they'll look sharper than wood ever did…
Very best again,
Natalie
Lauren R
January 26, 2012 at 5:46 AMI didn't know Dharma Trading sold the speedball printing blocks – I was set on carving my own before I realized I could buy custom-made ones for cheap.
That makes sense about the wood blocks. I would love to see those, btw, if you have a photo handy 🙂
Lizzie Siddal
January 25, 2012 at 6:25 PMI'm very interested in this stamp stuff! Can't wait to see how it turns out on your dress. I just got your last Devonshire pair in my size, I'm very excited to have them here!
The Lady Ship
January 25, 2012 at 9:02 PMWhat a great idea and result so far!
Sara J.
January 26, 2012 at 2:29 AMAbout your side note on the Astorias: Have you hit critical mass to manufacture both colors? I preordered a pair in each color, and will be happy no matter how it turns out, just wondered!
Lauren R
January 26, 2012 at 5:47 AMSara, yes, we've gotten enough orders to do both colors, so all systems are go 🙂
Kathryn Grace
January 26, 2012 at 7:35 PMMy sister and I ordered our Astorias the other day! Can't wait!!
Anna O
January 27, 2012 at 5:49 PMFor helping with getting the stamped images to line up nicely you might consider getting a Stamp-a-ma-jig. I use it in paper crafting but I think it could be used with stamping on fabric. I got mine through Stampin Up but I believe regular craft stores carry them as well. You Tube has a couple of video tutorials showing how to use it. I love seeing your wardrobe planning! 🙂