Customize a plain baby one piece by adding rubber stamped images. The images have been stamped onto muslin to make patches to apply to the one piece as appliqué or decoration. This is an ideal project for stampers who are stamping on fabric for the first time as any imperfect stamped images can simply be discarded. Woven fabrics such as cotton muslin are easier to stamp onto than stretchy or knitted fabrics.
It is, of course, possible to stamp directly onto clothes. This, however, requires a steady hand as one slip of the stamp can ruin the finished project.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: An Afternoon
Here's How:
- Before starting decide how you want the finished baby one piece to look. The baby one piece is decorated with rubber stamped images that have been stamped onto a lightweight cotton and then sewn into place. The edges of the cotton have been frayed to give an attractive finish, however it could also be seamed for a neater finish. We've used three stamped heart images together for a central decoration, single stamped images could be dotted around the one piece for a different effect (this is also a useful way to cover up stains).
- Gather materials and prepare the work surface. The ink may bleed through the fabric therefore it is useful to protect the work surface with a ceramic tile or some other firm stamping surface. Prepare the cotton fabric for stamping by ensuring that it is clean and free from dirt and grease. Iron the cotton fabric to give a smooth flat surface for stamping.
- Make a stamped impression on the fabric by dabbing the ink pad onto the stamp until the stamp is fully covered. Test the stamp if necessary on plain paper and then re-ink before stamping onto the fabric. Repeat over the cotton fabric as required. Leave about an inch around the stamped decoration to allow for stitching and fraying. Fix the ink following the manufacturers instructions.
- Cut the rubber stamped images from the cotton fabric and with the sewing thread or embroidery floss sew into place either by hand or using a sewing machine. Gently fray the edges of the cotton.
Tips:
- It is important to pick an ink that is suitable for using on fabric. These are inks that have been specially formulated for stamping onto porous surfaces such as fabric meaning that they are permanent and washable. Inks suitable for stamping onto fabric typically require heat setting using a hot iron (refer to the manufacturers instructions for more detail). These inks can be found in a variety of colors and sizes. Some of the brands include:
- The best results are achieved by using a firm stamping surface. If the stamp sinks too far into the fabric it will smudge and an unclear image will be formed.
- This is a good way to make personalized last minute gifts for babies. A store of white new-born sized one piece, a couple of stamps and a pad of pink and blue ink is all that is required to create a seemingly never ending supply of 'correctly' colored baby gifts.
- A feature can be made of the hand sewn stitches by using an embroidery thread that matches the ink color. Simple embroidery stitches can work very well and give an extra special hand crafted finish to the one piece.
What You Need:
- A plain baby one piece
- Ink suitable for stamping onto fabric
- Rubber stamp or stamps
- Plain lightweight cotton fabric
- Thread or embroidery cotton
