Carving a heron stamp

Carving a Heron Stamp for Textile Design

Stamping fabric is a great way to use thickened dyes to create your own fabric. Carving your own stamps rather than using purchased stamps keeps your fabric original. One of the greatest stamps I ever saw, my friend Gail made from the end of a wine cork which had been slightly torn from the wine opener.

Here I am carving a heron stamp into a lino block. First, an image is sketched onto the block and then it is carved with wood carving tools. Those tools are sharp and having lessons from my friend Joyce, an amazing carver, has helped me to know what tools to use, how to carve and how to be safety conscious.

This lino block was purchased at an art store which may also carry a rubber like product that comes in sheets for carving. For very basic stamps, the rubber is a good choice of material for carving. More detail can be carved into a lino block though and I like the sturdiness of the material. It may take me a little while to complete this heron stamp but when I do, I will post how it works with the thickened dyes.
Buttons with texture, glued to the end of a thread spool work as stamps. Plastic doilies glued to blocks of wood work. Look around for your own things to make into stamps and let me know if you find something particularly good. Happy fabric stamping!