Tangled Thread - Tips, Trick and Tutorials in Sewing & Stitching

printing on fabric - playing with surface design

by Chloe on October 24th, 2007

I’ve been printing on fabric for quite a few years now.  It’s amazing to see how you can transform an everyday piece of fabric into something spectacular - with not a lot of effort!

There are lots of different ways to print on fabric, but I tend to like the low-tech method of stamping or block printing.

I’m currently working on a series of garlands using this:

It’s taffeta printed with Lumiere fabric paint & my own hand-carved stamps.

I like to use this stuff:

It’s called “E-Z Cut Printing Blocks” and has the texture of a rubber eraser - but comes in big sheets.

You’ll also need these:

Lino cutters with a handle - I personally like the Speedball brand.

You draw an image onto the EZ Cut & then use the lino cutters to carefully cut out around the lines.  Everything that is removed becomes a blank area on the finished fabric.  An easy way to check how the print looks is to use a crayon and make a rubbing of the surface on a sheet of paper.

I use a foam brush to apply the paint to the surface of the stamp.  Carefully lay it on the fabric & press down to print.  Peel the stamp off carefully & voila!  You’ve made your own unique fabric!

If you don’t want to make your own stamps, foam stamps are great for printing on fabric.  Their simple lines usually print beautifully onto fabric.

Remember to use a fabric paint & to heat set it afterwards if you’re planning on washing the fabric after :-)

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POSTED IN: Creativity, Fabric, How To, ideas, links, techniques, tutorials