Stamping Fabric
Stamping fabric is quick and easy and the supplies are readily
available. Most fabric inks and paints are heat set by ironing,
but there are those brands that require no setting at all. Medium-viscosity
acrylics can be thinned with water and used to stamp fabric. These
stiffen the fabric some, but are very bright and don't need heat
setting. There are a variety of commercial fabric stamps available,
those made for stamping on paper generally have too much shallow
detail for good results on fabric.
If
you'd like to carve your own stamps, any piece of rubber or
foam that can easily be cut with an x-acto knife is a good candidate.
White rubber erasers work very well. Designs can be drawn on
and carved away using a linoleum carving tool or an x-acto knife. Stamps
should be mounted on a firm base such as plywood or Plexiglas,
the latter allows you to see the exact placement and orientation
of the stamp before printing.
 Stamp
pads are ideal for fabric inks and paints. I buy plain stamp pads
and fill them myself. A piece of felt or batting placed in a shallow
plastic container also works well. Press the stamp firmly onto
the pad with an up and down motion, rocking the stamp from side
to side can deposit ink on the edges of the design, causing a
smudged stamp.
Some paints are too thick to be used in a stamp pad, and in this
case a foam brush can be used to apply the paint. True metallic
paints have metal flakes which won't be absorbed by a stamp pad,
I've found foam brushes work best with these paints. Using the
brush it's easy to lay several colors side by side, dip the brush
in each and paint a multicolored stamp. It's also possible to
selectively paint a stamp, leaving some areas unpainted for more
variety.
I always work with pre-washed and dried fabric, and I think this
gives the best results. I lay a towel between the table and my
fabric - you want some padding, but also some firmness to push
the stamp against. Place the stamp on the fabric with a straight
up and down motion, absolutely do not rock the stamp from side
to side or paint from the edges of the stamp could transfer to
the fabric. When you've finished stamping, follow manufacturer's
directions for setting, if any.
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