Stamping on fabric
 

So I have seen around the craft world, small projects with stamps on fabric. I had wondered if it was washable so I did a research. I found one lady that tested about 10 different inks and washed all of them. The best was VeraCraft. It did not fade at all and looked great. So I went to JoAnn's yesterday and got some, VeraMagic in black and did my own test. I put a stamp on scrap muslin and heat set one and didn't the other. I washed both scraps in hot water and then dried it. The heat set one looks great!

I haven't tried on cotton fabric yet but will report back if anyone is interested. Thought it would make a cute little addition to your projects. I found a stamp that has "handmade with love" on it.

Here is a pic after washing but before drying:

https://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos...36215427_n.jpg

muslin is cotton fabric, no?

Yes, but I meant colored. Sorry. Typing in a hurry. lol

ah, I see ;-)

Thanks for the info. Will have to try that.

I just stamped and heat set different fabrics from knit to burlap. Will report back after the washing/drying.

Good information. I have some hearts stamps leftover from some wedding projects and they'd be a nice addition to some labels. Let us know about the quilting cotton. Yesterday I had to use some for a handwritten label as my muslin wasn't a good match. I hope it holds.

do not want to sound dumb. but what is heat setting? i am new to quilting and i am learning so much from qb. and while i am at what is ufo. lol

Heat setting is when you press the project with a hot iron. (Or whatever heat is suggested for your fabric) The heat "sets" the ink.
You can learn so much here...isn't this great?!!

I wonder if you have to wash your fabric first before stamping, because of the chemicals on the fabric?

Also, can't wait to see how knits and the other fabric does. Thanks for doing all the footwork for us.

Well I normally do not prewash so the muslin was not prewashed. As for the knit, it wasn't prewashed either. None of it was. I also did minky with the dots and felt. I had some Moda Bella solid that I used along with some stiffer cotton. I didn't have a flannel piece. :(

I will say the burlap didn't stamp too well due to the weave but that was expected.

And yes, heat setting means I put a piece of cloth over the fabric with the stamp and pressed with the iron for about 15 to 20 secs. Not long at all.

Oh and UFO is UnFinished Object.

As a general rule, any surface design involving added color will last longer if the fabric is free of chemicals. So yes, prewashing is preferred, along with no dryer sheets, fabric softener, etc added to the prewash.

Stamps can also be used with colorfast success with many fabric paint or soft body acrylics, fabric dyes, discharge pastes, and more.

You can also stamp velour and velvet with large stamps to give the fabric an embossed look.

thank you for clueing me in. and yes this is a great place

Every fabric has sizing added as part of the processing process and it has to be washed out before any type of paint or ink is applied or the medium adheres to the sizing, not the fabric, and washes out much more readily. I rewashed the tone on tone yesterday before I wrote on it because I know I had previously starched it when I pressed it.

As of right now, the ink came off the minky. The solid Bella faded some but the knit looked good. They are in the dryer now. I will post a before/after picture. Of course the burlap and laminated didn't wash very well but I figured as much, just had to try.

it is always a good idea to pre-wash your fabrics before any technique that means adding something to the fabric- ink, dyes, paints, fusables---you wash with detergent to remove any sizing/starch, oils, chemicals- then dry ---no fabric softener---you are removing- you don't want to add back in-
then dyes, paints, inks, fusables all work better

As noted, none of the scraps were pre-washed but here are the results:

https://instagr.am/p/MrFOMMkLji/media/?size=l


Ink disappeared on the minky and felt, the satin type fabric faded some. Faded on the Bella Solid and knit. Looks good on the cheaper, stiff cotton.

you can also use rubber stamps to emboss velvet (silk or cotton). Put the stamp on the ironing board, design side up. Put the fabric, nap side down, on top of the stamp and iron on the appropriate setting for the velvet.

Thanks for all the samples, this was great!

So, you like the results best with the muslin and cheap cotton? Thanks for showing the results. Sounds like it is a good idea to fully test whatever fabric you decide to use.

I am a prewasher, mainly to rid shrinkage but mostly due to chemicals greatly troubling my finger tips. I wonder if you were to prewash on those same fabrics, what your results might be? Perhaps the ink would adhere to the fabric better... maybe.

I might try to pre wash some scraps today. My MIL is in town so it depends on what she wants to do.

When I first read the title of this thread, I laughed! I had this mental image of someone stomping on their fabric.

Stamp test #2: Pre-washed and pressed all fabric; stamped and heat set, washed in hot water.

BEFORE:

https://instagr.am/p/Mv3v6bkLqO/media/?size=l

AFTER: Muslin and cheaper fabric did the best. The Bella Solid faded some. Knit not shown but it faded badly.

https://instagr.am/p/MyUx29kLsh/media/?size=l

I do! I even prewash fabrics I'm going to dye. The best place to learn about dying, stamping and such is at Dharma Trading Co. online.

Dharma is one of many good resources, but definitely not the only one. To call it the best is purely a subjuctive opinion.

Yes, muslin is cotton and also comes with a blend, check the boards they are wrapped on.

Let me add to this; make sure you put a cloth between your inked design and your iron so that you don't end up with ink on your iron. I'd hate for you to get ink on your iron; they can be bears to clean.

Thanks for the info on stamping fabric. I ordered cotton gauze to make 47" swaddle blankets for my niece's twins, due in November. She has been put on bed rest and I'm trying to come up with a few non-sewing craft projects to take her.

She loves these Aden and Anais swaddle blankets-- http://www.adenandanais.com/shop/ite...ID=22&SKU=2027, with the little designs stamped on them. I think I will spend way more on fabric, thread, and stamping supplies than if I had bought a pack!

Interesting Sabrina... looks like muslin and cheaper fabric is best. Thank you for all you have shown here. :) It's very helpful.