DIY Block Printing: The Customized Tea Towel and More - Remodelista
I’ve had some experience dyeing and weaving textiles, but the idea of carving stamps and block printing has always intimidated me. Using a DIY kit from Darby Smart (a new SF company that partners with designers and craftspeople), I tried out the Fabric Block Printing Kit by illustrator and designer Danielle Broder, which was inspired by John Robshaw prints and traditional printing techniques. My just-completed cotton tea towel; the kit comes with two tea towels and a burlap table runner to block print. The Fabric Block Printing Kit includes the essentials for making your first block-printed projects, including a Speedball linoleum carver, rubber brayer, acrylic sheet, six block printing ink colors, rubber stamp for carving, and detailed instructions; $69 from Darby Smart. Steps 1 and 2: Draw your design onto the rubber stamp pad–you can either cover the entire block with a repeating pattern, or draw a single pattern, as I did above. Step 3: Select a single color or mix your own on the kit’s acrylic sheet; here I’ve mixed equal parts white and black to create a black-gray with some depth. Step 4: After you’ve rolled the brayer across the surface of your carved stamp, begin printing the fabric. Step 5: Replicate the pattern across the fabric as desired, rolling the ink across your stamp in between each stamping. Step 6: The ink will be dry to the touch in about 10 to 15 minutes, but I let it dry on a clothes hanger overnight just to be sure.