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Old May 31st 09, 04:30 AM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.quilting
NightMist
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Default OT word of the day

Block Printing

Block printing is the earliest printing technique known of imparting
printed design to textiles, in fact the use of block printing on
textiles may well predate its use on paper. Sources vary as to whether
China or Egypt was the first civilization to play with the method.

In its earliest forms, pieces of wood were carved with the desired
design, then dye was bushed on the blocks and stamped on the fabric.
As the art evolved more interesting methods were tried, some
successfully, some less so. Since vegetables dyes were the ones
primarily is use, a lot of experimenting to get various colors on a
single piece with a colored background took place. Some interesting
results were achieved by stamping just the mordants, and then brush or
tub dyeing.
Of course stamping resists was not far behind stamping dyes in being
thought of, and discharge methods came along after a while as well.

Through history blocks for printing have been made of a wide variety
of materials and combinations of materials. Wood is not as common
now, assorted metals, silicones, rubber, linoleum (like back in school
art class), and various such things have been used and are still used
today.

In the west block printing has largely been discarded in comercial
application, but in the east it is still much in use as so much more
industry there is home based.
The recent rubber stamp craze in the west extended into clothing and
textiles with designs being stamped on all sorts of things in fabric
paint. Thickened dye can be used with rubber stamps, but the dye
tends to degrade the rubber fairly quickly. There are however a large
number of vegetable based resists that can be used with rubber stamps
and cause them no damage whatsoever. Stamping these resists and then
applying dye with a brush can yield very satisfactory results that
last longer than paint.
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Legolas is my house elf
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