HOW-TO: TEXTILE PRINTING AT HOME

my mum has a creative hobby: sewing.
she makes wonderful things. when she sits at the sewing machine, it sings as the fabric slips through her fingers. let me tell you: that is not the case with me and the sewing machine. we do not make a very good match. that is however, another, entirely different subject, that i may leave for a future post...or just let it disappear in the shadows of oblivion.
a while ago, mum spent a considerable amount of time, and effort to make a winter, shift shift dress. she chose a beautiful light creme wool fabric. unfortunately, after she first hand-washed it to remove staines, the fabric developed very odd blotches. color-wise they were not very different, but they definitely stood out. understandably, she was upset.
in comes my hobby - you know, adding prints and patterns on pretty much any plain surface. so today i will share with you, the results of textile printing at home, and the simple steps that can take you there.

i continued with the black and white scheme from last week. it is a simple, classic and very chic combination that goes with pretty much anything and can hardly ever go wrong (stylistically speaking). all you will need is: any smooth fabric like cotton or wool, fabric paint - i got this one, either a stamping pad or a potato, and a crafting knife.

first of all, make sure your fabric is clean. then take your potato, or pad and draw circles on the pieces as big as you want them, and then carve them out. i carved a 3 inch, a 1.5 inch and a 1/2 inch circle on separate pieces. {click on for the final steps and result!}
spread some paint on a tray and smear the stamp in it. then, proceed to stamp directly on the fabric. if it makes you feel better, you can make little marks on the fabric before stamping to know exactly where you want your circles.

nonetheless, i would suggest you trust yourself and go by instinct. instinct can create a beautiful sense of balance and movement for your pattern.

finally, just hang it somewhere to dry very well and then iron it to set the paint and smooth out the fabric. voila! beautiful printed fabric you made yourself!
xoxo