6 May 2012

Fabric, Stamps & Stencils

Hello there!
I hope you have had a good week. Mine was good, but so busy & I must admit, I'm falling a wee bit behind with some great bloggy adventures which are on the go at the moment... like the Zakka Style Sew Along
Its a sewalong/ blog hop which each week covers a project from the book... like this tote
Source: s.o.t.a.k handmade
Or this pouch
Source: Elnora
Or this sewing kit
Source: Jeannie
For more inspiration just click here
Meanwhile I've been experimenting with ways to print on fabric & I thought I would share with you a few tips & trips about stamping & stencilling on fabric....

If you have any stamps of cute images, or alphabets, or text these are a great way to add another dimension to your sewing projects. All you need are stamps, a permanent ink pad (either stayzon or versacraft I have found work best), baby wipes, a piece of kitchen roll & your fabric... 
Try to stamp on a larger piece of fabric which you will cut & stitch into your project, rather than stamping directly on a finished piece in case you ruin your stitchy masterpiece :)
When you stamp, bring the inkpad to the stamp so that you don't get too much ink on your stamp. Check before you stamp onto the fabric to make sure there is no excess ink on the stamp around the shape - if there is, just give it a wee wipe with the tip of your kitchen roll
Be sure to clean the stamps after every stamp with your baby wipes to keep them nice :)
You can also use stencils & sharpie pens for text if you like
This is a really inexpensive & creative way to incorporate words into your projects.
To set the stamps (or stencils) press for approx 3 seconds on the REVERSE side of the fabric that you have stamped using a hot iron & then press again on the RIGHT side for 3 seconds.
These are a few tips, but I would recommend that you first use a scrap of material & practice a wee bit so you get used to it (& not ruin any of your lovely material!)
These are some of my experiments with inkpads & you will see how some maintained their colour, while others faded.
I hope this will give you a wee incentive to get stamping - it really can be a lot of fun...If you call back in a day or two I'll show you some of the bits & pieces I've made with some stamps
In the meantime I hope you all have a great week &, if you live in the UK, have a relaxing bank holiday Monday
Take care
Karen



10 comments :

  1. Great tips K! I'd love to get more into stamping but I find them so fiddly and messy! Yours are lovely. Enjoy tomorrow! Jxo

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  2. Thanks for the stamping info and tips. I am going to have a go at this! Di x

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  3. Aww man, why don't I have a bouncy castle to relax on?! (Keeping up with the generally esoteric nature of my comments ;o) )

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  4. Thanks for sharing my little Zakka House Pouch, Karen! I'm honored!

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  5. Oooooh, I'm going to refer to this post sometime soon to try stamping fabric. The information is so specific and helpful, and your stamps are so sweet. Can't wait to see what you're making for the sew along!

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  6. I need to get more alphabet stamps. You can also use your markers to colour the stamps if you don't have the right colour of stamp pad.

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  7. Thanks for the tips Karen, I am really getting into stamping but I have found my versaink pad doesn't stay well after washing. Im off to order a stayzon one!

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  8. Thanks for the stamping tips :-)

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  9. Karen, just found your lovely blog via our London Flickr Group! Thanks for explaining the stamping, I have some cute stamps that I never use - just have to buy some permanent ink and I am ready to start! Will have to doublecheck where to store the inkpad though, my boys love stamping as well :o)))

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