Anthology Magazine - 2012 Holiday Gift Guide

CARVED STAMP
WINTER LINENS

DIMENSIONS
This project by Christine Schmidt
of Yellow Owl Workshop can be
called upon for any occasion, and
invites infinite variations of pat-
tern and color. While the follow-
ing pages show how to apply your
newly carved custom-made rubber
stamps to linens, you can also
use the stamps to make gift tags,
wrapping paper, holiday cards, and
furoshiki fabric wrap.

Note: When cutting your fabric, be
sure to allow for post-washing shrink-
age of the material.
Coasters 6"x6"
Cocktail napkins 10"x10"
Dinner napkins 18"x18"
Tea towel 20"x30"
Table runner 18"x100"

6. Determine the size of the linens you want to make. Use measuring tape and scissors to make a straight 1" cut in the fabric. Place hands on either side of the small cut and tear. Repeat until the fabric is desired size.

1. Print out the template. Use
heavy pencil marks to outline the
template shapes.

7. Wash and dry fabric. This will fray and shrink the fabric. Use scissors (and comb if necessary) to trim long strands of thread. Iron fabric flat if necessary.

TOOLS
The rubber block, carving tool, and
stamp pad are available online as a
kit from Yellow Owl Workshop, or at
most art supply stores.
2. Turn template face down on the
block and burnish with the side of
thumbnail to transfer the graphite
from the paper to the block.
MATERIALS
Pencil

4"x6" rubber carving block Linoleum cutter with assorted blades All-surface stamp pad Scrap paper Measuring tape Scissors Iron Cotton or linen fabric with a plain, tight weave or plain prefabricated linens

3. Carve around the lines you
transferred with a narrow V-gouge
loaded in your linoleum cutter.

8. Lay fabric on flat surface. Print carved stamps with stamp pads to create desired pattern. Clean stamps with soapy water or cleaning wipes before changing stamp pad colors.

4. Load a straight knife blade in
your linoleum cutter (or use a craft
knife) to cut the carved stamps
from the rubber block.
9. Put stamped linens in dryer for
45 minutes on high heat to heat-
set the ink.

Instructions adapted from Print Workshop: Hand-Printing Techniques + Truly Original Projects by Christine Schmidt.

5. Press the stamp onto stamp pad and then press onto the scrap paper. Carve away additional portions of stamp if necessary. To print on prefabricated linens, skip to step 8.

CHRISTINE SCHMIDT started Yellow Owl Workshop in 2007, when she received her first orders for her line of hand-printed cards and gifts. Since then, Yellow Owl has grown into a humming business based out of San Francisco’s Mission District.