People have been asking me a lot about stamping on fabric lately so I thought that I would share some silk scarves that I have stamped on.
Stamping on fabric is a lot of fun. I have stamped on many fabric items. For example, I have stamped on things like baby onesies, table runners, placemats, curtains, canvas tote bags and silk scarves. Stamping on fabric is fun and a lot easier to do than you think it is.
In order to stamp on fabric, you first need to wash and dry the piece that you will be working on. I just toss the item into my washing machine and was on whatever cycle it is that the fabric calls for - if you are only doing one item, you can also hand wash it. I typically wash more than one item at a time and use my washing machine.
When the item is washed, just toss it in the dryer on the proper setting for the fabric and let it dry. Washing and drying the item removes any coatings on the fabric and let the material be more open to accepting the ink.
You now are ready to start stamping on your fabric. With the silk scarves, I usually put down three sheets of grid paper lengthwise and tape them together so I have a long, narrow surface to stamp my scarf on. The one thing to be careful of when stamping on thinner fabric is that the ink will also go through the fabric and onto whatever is underneath your project. With silk scarves, you don't want to move them around to stamp on them. You want to lay the scarf out in long and flat and stamp on it without moving the fabric. That way, you won't get the extra ink that goes through the scarf smudged all over the scarf where you don't want it to be.
When stamping on fabric, you should use Craft Inks. Craft inks are a pigment ink, they are thicker than the waterbased Classic ink pads and they won't wash out of the fabric. Craft Inks are a very thick ink and their pad is more like a sponge or foam (unlike the Classic pads that have a firmer surface) to stamp on. When using Craft inks, I like to tell people that you need to be careful about how much pressure you use when inking up the stamps. This type of ink is like walking through a mud puddle with boots on. If you apply a lot of pressure, your stamp will get ink all over the rubber and not just on the raised areas of the stamp that you would like to ink up. So, apply a light pressure when using Craft pads and look at how much ink you are getting on your stamp. Some pads are more wet than others and you can apply more pressure if your stamp isn't inking up well with a light pressure. Just be sure to check how wet your pad is by starting off with the light pressure first.
These samples show two sets - Blossoms Abound and Serene Sunflower from Stampin' Up! They are called 2-step stamping sets which means that you take one stamp -the larger and bolder image - ink it in the lighter color ink first and then stamp over top of that same image with another stamp that is inked up in a darker color. 
In the close up photo shown here, the first color was the light purple and the darker purple was the second layer - the same thing applies for the green on the leaves. I have found that the more bold the image, the better it is for stamping on fabric. The thinner the lines of your stamp, the less ink will be on your fabric and the less the image shows up. You don't want to use a stamp set that you would typically use for watercoloring on your fabric. Something that requires a lot of ink to ink up and has a nice, bold image works best.
When using 2-step stamping sets, be sure to dry the first layer of ink before adding the second layer if they are directly overlapping. This helps to set the ink and not make the colors muddied if you have a juicy ink pad you are working with. I usually use an old towel (that can get ink on it) and lay my image ink side down on the towel and iron the piece from the back side. Be sure to set your iron on the heat setting recommended for your fabric and do NOT use steam on the item as this will put moisture on the ink. You are wanting to dry the ink and need a dry iron. The heat sets the ink and dries it quickly so you can move on to the next step. In the case of the lilac above, I stamped both the light purple and the light green before heat setting - then I added the darker purple and green and heat set again. I didn't have to dry after each color since the purple and green were not overlapping.
Once you have completely stamped your entire scarf, heat set it again with your iron. I also toss my finished item into the dryer for a little while in order to heat set it. I let it sit overnight before folding or stacking with other items. This step is probably not necessary after it has been heat set. I just like to take the extra precaution for my piece of mind.
If you have any questions about stamping on fabric, please feel free to email me at happy.stamper@yahoo.com or give me a call at 802-380-0222. You will really become addicted when you first try it. It is a fabulous way to use your favorite stamps and the items make great gifts!
Happy Stamping!
You have to check this out! This is the gift that Carol made for our Holiday Party. She made this using a kit and Stampin' Up! Designer Series Paper and punches. Isn't it the cutest thing you have ever seen? 
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