This entire blog post was written by N. Hughes of @park.lane.studio , who was awesome enough to make a guest appearance to teach us about block printing on fabric.
About @park.lane.studio
As a painter-turned-quilter, I’m always looking for ways to bring traditional “studio art” practices into my quilt work. Lately, I have become completely captivated by the process of block printing my own fabrics. I’ve been fielding a lot of questions from curious quilters, so I was thrilled and delighted when Hayley suggested I share my process with you here in her blogspace!
Designing prints and carving stamps appeals to my inner draftswoman while working with printmaking ink is reminiscent of painting. Part of what I love about the practice of hand quilting is that I’m present for every stitch and that each one is imperfect and unique. The same is true for hand-printed textiles—it’s the little blemishes, discrepancies and variations that can only come from a pair of human hands that make them truly magical.
Though I trained as a painter and have an art degree, I never studied or did any printmaking as a student. Instead, I stumbled into it by way of an art project with my homeschooled kids twenty years into my art career. It’s great fun and definitely something you can explore with others—children, friends, your guild. A few basic tools are required to get started but once you have them, you’ll only need to replenish carving blocks, ink and of course, fabric. (Because if you’re anything like me, once you start, you won’t be able to stop!)
What you need to get started:
- Design Tools
Graph paper, sketchbook, iPad, pencils, ruler, compass (for drawing circles and arcs) or whatever tools you like best for working out rough ideas. Carbon or graphite paper for transferring your design to the carving block is helpful!
2. Carving Blocks
Block printing or “lino” blocks come in many sizes, brands and types—from traditional printmaking linoleum to buttery soft-carve blocks like those made by Moo Carve. I recommend practicing on a less expensive variety like these until you get a feel for carving.
3. Carving Tools (known as “gouges”)
Speedball makes a perfectly good basic tool with one handle and interchangeable nibs. I also love my set of Japanese Kakuri gouges. If you’re planning to do a lot of intricate carving, you may want to invest in gouges made for fine detail like this one by Pfeil.
4. Printmaking Ink
There are several types of printmaking ink. You’ll need the variety specifically formulated for printing on fabric. Water-based ink meant for paper won’t hold up in the laundry! Just like paint, printmaking inks are mixable, so you’ll only need a few basic tubes (red, yellow, blue, black and white) to make virtually any color.
5. Other Printmaking Tools
- Ink Brayer—for applying ink to your block.
- Bench Hook—this is your palette for mixing as well as your “stamp pad”.
- Palette Knife—for color mixing and cleaning your bench hook. A regular putty knife is perfect.
- Baren (optional)—a tool for applying pressure to your stamp. (I personally don’t use one, but many printmakers do.)
6. And last but not least, fabric!
I’m printing on Robert Kaufman’s Essex linen, which is the fabric I use most often in my quilting studio. You can use any fabric you love or have on hand. Quilt cottons work very well. If you’re making something that will be laundered, pre-washing is recommended. (Since my quilts are meant for hanging, I skip this step.)
**A note on printmaking kits**
Most of the above materials are available in kits, which can save you a little time and money. However, the inks that are generally included in these sets are meant for printing on paper. You’ll still need to purchase fabric printing ink separately unless your kit is specifically designed for fabric printing!
Process
- Get inspired.
Digital museum and library archives are incredible sources of surface pattern inspiration. Definitely look beyond textiles for ideas! The natural world, for example, is home to an infinite variety of pattern, shape and geometry. You’ll want to start with something simple—at least until you get the hang of carving. Minimal shapes can yield amazingly beautiful patterns!
Keep in mind that quilt fabrics are often (but not always) smaller prints since they will be eventually incorporated into a larger design scheme. The larger the block, the larger the print, so you may want to considered starting small.
2. Design your block.
Since you only get one shot with a carving block, I find it’s best to have the design well-worked our beforehand. I begin by loosely drawing ideas into my sketchbook. Once I have a basic sketch, I re-draw it in Procreate on my iPad so that I can easily copy the design and get a better idea of how it’s going to look as a repeated pattern. If iPad drawing isn’t your thing, you can certainly do this on paper or simply let the pattern surprise you when begin to stamp!
Once you’ve finalized your design, it’s time to transfer it to the block. You can do this with carbon paper or simply re-draw it freehand as I do. I use a ruler for straight lines and a compass for curves and circles. I like to trace over my drawing with a fine-tipped Sharpie so that the parts I’m going to keep are clearly distinguishable from the parts I plan to carve away.
3. Carve
Once you’ve drawn your design onto the block, it’s time to carve! For me, this is definitely the most challenging part of the process. Take your time—once you make a mistake, there’s no real way to fix it unless you alter your design.
Hold the handle of the gouge in your palm and use your index finger to guide it. Use your non-dominant hand to hold the block and turn it as you carve. Do keep your fingers well out of the path of the gouge! Lino carving tools are extremely sharp and will cut into you just as easily as they cut into your block.
To begin, outline your entire design with your smallest gouge. These initial marks will help your other, larger tools follow the lines of your design.
Next, “clear” the excess area around your design using a larger gouge. Remove any material that you don’t want to be part of the stamped design. Finally, carve away the unwanted bits from inside your design.
4. Ink up and test your stamp!
Cover your workspace completely. I recommend a layer of quilt batting covered with an inexpensive material like muslin. The batting gives the stamp a nice cushion and the muslin will catch any mess. Have your bench hook, brayer, baren (if you are using one) and tubes of ink close at hand. I always press my fabric before I stamp it so that I have a nice, smooth surface upon which to work.
Squeeze a small bit of ink onto the top of your bench hook. To ink your brayer, tap it gently into the ink, then roll it side to side and up and down until you have a thin, even distribution of ink. (See example below)
Ink your newly carved stamp by rolling the loaded brayer evenly over the carved surface then do a test print on a bit of scrap fabric. Position the stamp upside down and press firmly with the palm of your hand or your baren. Carefully lift the stamp from the fabric. You may find that there are bits of ink that you didn’t intend. This is called “noise” or “chatter” and is often considered a desirable characteristic of printmaking. You may choose to leave it as is or make some revisions to your stamp. Simply wash your stamp thoroughly with soap and water and head back to the carving stage.
5. Printing your design
A single block can yield a ton of unique prints and there are infinite ways to use and reuse the blocks you’ve carved. You can combine more than one block in the same print, vary the colors, or change the direction of the stamp for an entirely new design.
6. Curing your new fabric
Once you’ve printed your desired amount of fabric, you’ll need to hang it or lay it flat if you’ve got the space. The fabric should be dry and ready to work with in about a week—less than that and it may smudge. I pin my prints-in-progress to the wall of my studio or hang them from a diy indoor clothesline if I’m working with larger batches.
7. And finally, use your new fabric in your next quilt or sewing project!
