Last Minute Valentine's Gift for the Guys?

Today is February 1st....meaning Valentine's Day is right around the corner.

If you are looking for a unique way to decorate your love letters, consider my Ashley's Garden stamp set with it's curls, swirls and heart shapes!

 

And now Ashley's Garden has a companion - Ashley's Garden Companions! True love!

A perfect match for a Valentine's Day sale!

Get both sets for only $12.00 - that's just $6.00 per set!

Makes a great gift on it's own!

Lots of great pattern possibilities for cards, gift wrap, gift tags. Printing on fabric? How about sachets, gift bags, or coasters? Find some more ideas in these blog posts from years ago, here and here. Ooooh - or how about a Valentine charm square pillow for that special someone! Hmmm, I should make some of those for my shop next year.....

Here is a quick DIY gift idea for the man in your life. Men are so hard to buy for!! Oh well, at least for Valentine's Day, we can get a little more playful and even totally over-the-top, right? Let's print boxer shorts! I've seen some really outrageously patterned boxer shorts in the men's department at just about every department store, so they must be acceptable to the guys. My guess is they are hugely popular. 

In fact, it wasn't easy finding plain white cotton boxer shorts, but I did manage. However, now that I think about it, most any solid color will do. Pink, cream, red.... Although if the color is too dark, you will be limited to the darkest fabric paint colors, such as black, deep reds, grays, navy. That's fine - probably more masculine. There are some nice deep colors in my "jewel tones" paint set. But, I'm going with the traditional Valentine's pinky-red on white because I'm actually going to give these to my daughter. Boxer shorts also make great pajamas - for guys or gals!

Above, you can see the first step: stamp all lined up on it's acrylic block and I'm using the block's bottom edge to line up with the stitched bottom hem of the shorts. Put a piece of paper under your top layer of fabric so that the paint does not seep through to the layer below. Or, maneuver your fabric so there are no other layers underneath. It can be done! OK, so now I've applied the rose color from my "soft tones" paint set and I'm going to create a border of heart shapes all the way around. No need for measuring - I will just go with it! It's good to start on the pant's inside seam because, since we are not measuring, we don't know how it will end up. It won't be noticeable in that spot. Anyway, it's all for fun!

Ta-da!

Just a quick printing tip. Keep your block as clean as possible and keep the paint ONLY on the raised stamp motif. Use a stamp scrubber or even just a damp sponge to quickly rinse (no need to go running to the sink!) - then be sure to dry completely with a dry lint-free cloth. Since we are printing on an already constructed garment, things are going to get bumpy. And bumps can pick up the paint that might be surrounding the image. Above, you can see where I encountered such a bump with a fully loaded block and stamp. Oops. Not bad enough to give up however! These little smudges are perfectly acceptable.

As you can see, I just stopped my row of hearts when it came crashing into too many seams and too little flat space to print. Since it's the inside seam, nobody will notice.

But we are not done yet!

My particular pair of boxer shorts have a gray accent running through the waistband, so I decided to make my design coordinate with that. I used the pewter color in the same soft tone paint set and the smallest stamp in Ashley's Garden Companions, to put a little detail above the row of hearts.

Looking good! I could stop there....

.......but I won't! I put the same stamp on a much larger block so I could use the bottom edge of the larger block to line up the next row and have it be quite a bit further away from the previous row. See? No measuring! Neat trick.

And I skipped every other pair of motifs from the row before, so that there is more and more space between motifs as I go up.

And on and on. At this point, I am just eyeballing the spacing. And taking my time!

All done! So, what I ended up with is just a sprinkling of gray stamps floating down to the more complete border design. Pretty cute if I do say so myself. She's going to love them! 

And I think your special "he" will love them also!

And now for a Valentine's Day coupon code!

HEARTDAY

If you care to make a purchase in my shop, just type the code in at checkout and receive 20% off any (total) purchase over $10.00. Good today through February 14th.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Printing on Fabric with Clear Stamps and Acrylic Blocks

Hello everybody - the new Yardwork Clear Decor Stamps are on the way! Seriously, they are all packaged up and on route to Yardwork headquarters! I'm busy getting the photography all together, using the stamp samples that I had, so that they can be listed in my shop as quickly as possible. But I just want to take a little break because I think it is a good time for me to  provide a few more printing tips to those who are new to printing on fabric with clear stamps.

I'm selling these gift-friendly fabric printing starter sets and you might be wondering if this is something you, your friend, or family member might be interested in. What is all this stuff?? Well, I'll try to give you a little preview of what's in the box!

Most important, of course, are the stamps (you can choose which and how many stamp sets you would like) and the blocks. Basically, you can't successfully print with a clear stamp if you don't have an acrylic block to mount your stamp on. And while you CAN just randomly scatter a stamp motif across a swatch of fabric, you might also enjoy creating evenly spaced, repeating patterns. For that purpose, you will really appreciate the grid lines on the 3 acrylic blocks included in each starter set. Notice in the photo above how I have placed my stamp motif, face down, on the gridded line of my cutting board. If you don't have a cutting board (I strongly suggest you get one!), you can also create your own on your computer or with a ruler, pencil (or pen),  and paper.

Next, you will want to carefully lower your block so that it's gridded lines match up with the lines under your stamp. I like to put the block's lines facing the stamp rather than at me, but experiment and find your own preference. The lines stay visible even if your whole stamp and block get covered with paint, so you can see where you are going!

Now, there are a few ways to begin mapping out a repeating pattern. The very easiest requires no fabric measuring, marking or lots of math (making us all very happy!).  This works if you don't have a specific size of fabric swatch or project you need to cover. Simply start on one corner of your fabric, lining the stamp motif up with the bottom and side edge, and then place the repeating motif right next to, and then above, the first one. Keep on doing that until everything is covered.

Using this technique, you can really just rely on the stamp itself as a placement guide, but the lines on the block are an added aid for keeping things straight. Usually, spaces are created in between motifs to fill in with smaller motifs, possibly using another color. 

Like this!

But, what if you want a little more space in between repeating motifs and you want those spaces to be even? Well, then you are going to have to do a little math and measuring. You will need to either create your own grid or use a cutting mat with a grid. If your fabric is thin enough, as in photo above, you will be able to see the grid through the fabric and it will be easy to line your block up with that grid. 

Then you can print your motif, repeating evenly across the surface of your fabric. I believe this was a 1.25" grid and I repeated the blue flowers every 2.5"

And then I went in with my red flowers, printing in between the blue ones, also every 2.5".

Once you get that much of the design mapped out, you can start relying on your stamp and block lines, along with surrounding motifs, as the guides.

ta-da!

Of course we can't always see through our fabric, which is really annoying! In such a case, you have a few options. There are several fabric marking pens and pencils on the market and, along with your ruler and cutting mat (or some sort of measuring device around the edges of your fabric), you can very clearly mark your fabric this way. Problem with this method is that the fabric paint requires heat setting after printing  before washing) but the pen marks will not wash out if they have been heat set. That is a REAL problem, as you can imagine! However, there are ways around this. If you put little indications of marks just enough to line your block up, but not anywhere near where the motif will be printed, you can usually spray those marks with some water and (hopefully) watch them disappear before ironing. Test this method on your fabric, as all fabrics react differently to the pens/pencils. 

However, my preferred and highly recommended method is to use a hera marker. I have blogged in the past about the lovely hera marker. As you can see in the photo above, the hera marker can be used to create visible creases in your fabric, allowing you to precisely place your stamp. These creases do not iron out but you can either spray them with water or throw the whole swatch in the wash and they will almost always disappear. I have had one or two fabrics that wanted to maintain the crease - so, do a test. Of course, heat set (with an iron or your dryer...or even your oven!) your printed design before you spray or wash!

Here you see flower motifs carefully placed at the intersections of the grid lines made using a hera marker. See? Not so hard. Of course, by now you might have guessed that this is not a "free-spirited" craft! It requires some pretty intense focus - say, the same sort of focus as needlepoint, embroidery, quilting, beading, weaving, etc. I know there are plenty of you out there with that sort of focus! It can be engaging and calming if you open yourself up to it. Similar to meditation!

Ok, but what about the paint? How do we get the paint on the fabric? To me, the only good way to do this is with the stencil sponge included in my stamp sets. You can buy these in various sizes at most craft stores and I suggest you buy lots and lots of them if you decide to get serious about fabric printing. But the one in the starter kit that I sell will definitely get you, well, started! Same with the paint. Just six 1oz. jars of various coordinating colors, just one step beyond your basic primary colors. They are fabulous paints with just the right texture/consistency and they get absorbed into the fibers rather than sit right on top looking like plastic. I'm not keeping any secrets, they come from Pro-Chemical and Dye in Fall River, Massachusetts. So, if you want to dive right in and buy lots of larger jars from them, be my guest. But if you want to try fabric printing with less financial  investment, my starter sets are the way to go.

Back to how we get the paint on. Take just a small amount of paint with your sponge, possibly just from the bit that falls into the lid of the jar, and "pounce" it onto some sort of flat surface, like a plate. Although you will probably want to designate a special dish for this purpose, the paint washes off of non-porous surfaces well with water, so don't worry about ruining anything. Pounce several times, with the sponge stick straight up and down, until you get a nice even spot of paint on your plate and on your sponge.

Then, very lightly pounce your sponge (once again, straight up and down) onto your clear stamp which is already mounted on your acrylic block. Get your paint coverage by pouncing rather than by pressing. This keeps the paint right on the surface, which is the printable image. Yes, as printing goes along, some paint will get all along the sides and that is fine up to a certain point. Once the stamp and block get overly loaded, simply wash it off, dry it, and keep going. The cleaner the block and stamp, the cleaner the printing and the easier it is to see your fabric and grid. 

There are lots of ways to quickly wash your stamp when you are right in the middle of printing. A damp (not overly wet and drippy) sponge swiped right across the surface usually does the trick. There are also things called stamp scrubbers that seem expensive but are really quite invaluable. Plus, they last a long time.

Here is mine which, as you can see, is very stained from years of use. Don't let the stains fool you! It still keeps things clean while sitting in it's own convenient tray. But here's the good news, the scrubber fabric is the same thing as what you find in a paint trimming tool or even the refill pads and both those options will save you the money. Any of these suggestions will save you from having to run to the sink over and over and will help to keep the work flow flowing. It is important to keep a dry towel (as lint free as possible) by your side, or in your lap, to dry your stamp before applying paint again. I use a simple flour sack towel, which works perfectly.  

The next step is where things can go terribly wrong! One of the easiest ways to totally ruin your work is to drop your block, with a stamp completely loaded with fabric paint, on to your fabric. For this reason, I can not emphasize enough the importance of focusing on this step! MAKE SURE you have a good grip on your block as you carefully lower it down to your fabric. Honestly, I say a chant to myself at this point: "I'm holding my block, I'm holding my block, I'm holding my block". Sounds ridiculous I know, but it is so very easy to become over confident or distracted and the block just slips right out of your hands. 

The paint stays wet long enough for you to carefully hover above your fabric until you are sure you have the correct placement. Don't wait TOO long, but you do have time, so use it carefully! Then, lower it down and just gently press in the center. On larger motifs, I will also press (gently!) all around the edges of the image. You don't want to press on the edges of the block, which would make it rock side to side. And you don't want to press too hard because that can distort the image, plus it really isn't necessary. Some fabrics will absorb the paint almost without any pressure. You can basically just let the block sit there for a couple of seconds.  Experiment with each new fabric that you choose to use in order to find the right amount of pressure. 

As you can see, I added leaves to the pattern. Yes, I did change the spacing from what you saw before, up above. My own lesson learned, I should have planned it on paper first!

I hope I have helped rather than scare you away! It really can be rewarding creating your own patterns and turning even simple muslin into something decorative and unique. You can use your very  own printed swatches in small sewing projects or cut them up for patches and patchwork. Charm squares are wonderfully manageable printing surfaces that can add a very personal touch to a handmade quilt. Add a little embroidery for even more charm!

Using a Hera Marker to Mark Fabric for Hand Printing

The hera marker is a handy little tool you don't hear much about. It's best known use is for marking quilts for quilting. You know, the decorative stitched lines that go all over the surface to hold the layers together and create texture. I learned about it at a quilting class I took over a year ago. I have yet to make a quilt, but I have found a lot of great uses for this marker. I use it often when I am sewing and need to create a hem or finished  (turned under) edge. Indispensable when making mitered cornered napkins and placemats! But the big light-bulb-moment for me was when I realized this could be a great tool for marking fabric for hand-printing. When you can't see guide marks placed under your fabric as in my first simple printing tutorial, you need some other way to mark your fabric. Unfortunately, most of the fabric markers out there do not wash out after being ironed and the fabric paints all need to be heat set (ironed) before washing. What a dilemma! 

So, what we need is to be able to make a mark that can be ironed and then washed out. I have found that the hera marker does not really iron out but it does wash out after ironing. Very important to test your fabric because some fibers that are creased remain more or less permanently damaged. Here I am in the photo above, preparing to do a test on a small swatch of handkerchief weight linen. I will make the crease along the edge of the ruler in both the horizontal and vertical directions. You can see that the sharp edge of my marker has gotten a little grey from use. At least that makes it clear, visually, which edge you should be using!

You can just barely see the creased marks on the swatch above. It is more visible in person and with the proper lighting conditions. You may need to run the marker over the line another time to get a good crease.  Experiment and see what works for you. 

Although the creased lines are very faint, it's just enough to position your block. Look closely and you can see how the creased lines are lined up with the registration marks I have made on my wooden stamp mount. This is even easier to see with a gridded acrylic block and clear stamps.

Ta da! Here we have our printed motif lined up with the hera marker creases. We can now iron this little swatch to set the paint and then more completely remove the creased marks with water.

It was beginning to get a little too hard to photograph the marks on my smaller test square, so I'll just continue the demonstration with this one. This is the back of a printed piece of linen and you can see the print coming through from the other side. The printing became damaged in a few areas so it is now a test swatch!  Ignore the faintly printed image and focus on those creased lines right in the middle.

Here are the lines after ironing. Still slightly visible in some areas. 

You don't really need to go to the trouble of washing the whole swatch. Just spray it with water, then iron.

Yay! After spritzing and ironing, the lines are no longer visible. 

Always test your fabric first! 

Teeny Tiny Printing Tip

Another way to add color-as-background to a stamped textile design is to use the back of a clear stamp, which is most often a basic shape such as square or circle. The printed design in the zipper bag above was created using only 2 stamps from my Modern Flowers stamp set. The orange background dot was made using the back of the flowery stamp which is over-printed in black.

Yards and Yards of Stenciled Fabric

The Anatomy of a Stencil

The entire mylar sheet is 8 x 8 inches. Centered on the sheet are the cut-out shapes that create the pattern. The cut-outs are spaced 2 inches apart (from center of shape to center of next shape). If you were to draw a line around all the shapes, touching the outside edges of the group of cut-outs, you would have a 5 x 5 inch square. This fits nicely on a charm square for quilting. However, on all four corners, there is a small dot cut-out. It is about the size of a pen or pencil point. These dots are spaced 6 inches apart, side to side and top to bottom. These dots mark the repeat, which is 6 x 6 inches, which allows you to print out a much larger piece of fabric.

 

A closer look at that small dot. 

Before you start printing your repeating design, you should map out this repeat on your fabric. You could mark each dot with a fabric pen, the kind with the disappearing ink. If you choose this method, it is important that you test the ink on your fabric first because I find that the ink does not disappear on all fabrics. It should disappear with only a drop or two of water because you will not be able to wash the whole piece or your carefully printed paint will wash out. And it you iron it first to set the paint, you will also set your ink! From the photo above, it is obvious what I would recommend. Place a small piece of tape (I used white tape but any sort of tape will do) under the dot and then mark the dot, on the tape, with a regular pen or pencil. This has two advantages. First, you won't have to worry about the mark becoming permanent on your fabric. Second, the tape protects the fabric from the paint as you roll it out over your stencil design. You may like to reference this tutorial for some basics on paint and how to apply it!

Be sure all four holes are registered exactly over your dots when you begin printing. I used double-stick tape on the underside of my mylar stencil to keep it in place. If you do this, I recommend removing this tape before washing the stencil or it will be gummy and much harder to remove. Some like to use spray-on adhesive rather than tape, but I think this would be even harder to remove. Easiest thing would be to use masking tape on the edges of your stencil, being careful to not tape over a freshly painted (and still wet) motif.

And away we go! Register dots, roll paint, lift, and repeat. So easy!

Now, this is what we call a "half-drop" repeat. The motif is printed again, "dropped" half-way across the width and height of the neighboring motif. Rather than the cut-out shapes being spaced 2 inches apart, side to side and top to bottom, they are now spaced 1 inch apart in both directions. To create this spacing, place the cut-out dot over the already-painted motif. This time, use tape OVER the dot to protect it from the next printing.

When you are finished printing with that color and stencil, wash it on a flat surface. If your sink is really large and has enough surface area away from the drain, you could use that. Otherwise, a cutting board works nicely. Good to have one just for this purpose!

Another stencil drying technique. Hang your stencil from a skirt hanger on your shower curtain rod where it can very happily drip-dry.

I'm going to add another color. To make the half-dop registration easier, I drew a line between the registration dots with a permanent ink pen.

The first printing of the red 8 pointed star motifs are half-dropped between the blue petal motifs. Then, the second red printing is half-dropped from the first red printing. Which means the registration dot is placed right in the center of the previously painted red 8 pointed star. You can see the black line here that helps to line everything up very neatly.

Then, I added some detail using a stamp from my "Wild Flowers" stamp set. Now I am wishing that I had used a lighter color than the brownish-red I used for the 8 pointed starts. The black stamped paint works nicely but I would have preferred more contrast. But you get the idea, I hope.

I added some black dots using an eraser from the end of a pencil as a stamp.

I decided to try a brighter combination using only the 8 pointed star stencil and some hot pink paint.

I love this stamp from my "Deco Garden" stamp set and I love a pink with red color combination!

Which created a fun and colorful flower!

I decided this design looked best without a half-drop. Keep it simple! One thing I notice is that some of the pink stenciled areas got a little dark. That is where I was a bit heavy with my roller rolling. Practice! When you are looking through the stencil the coverage might look too light, however, once the stencil is removed you will see that all is fine! It doesn't take much, especially if you are going to stamp on top. Doing a test swatch is always a good idea!

The stencils should be in my shop by the end of the day. Just need to print up a few packaging inserts and then write up and post the listing. I hope this tutorial was helpful! Questions?