TO MAKE WHITE POWDER.
Take one ounce white lead; half ounce gum arabic, in the impalpable powder; half ounce white rosin, in the fine powder. All well mixed.
SUPERIOR DARK BLUE POWDER.
One ounce white rosin; one half ounce gum sandarac; one half ounce Prussian blue, in fine powder. Mix all thoroughly.
FRENCH INDELIBLE STAMPING.
This is the best process for all dark materials; in fact, this and the blue powder are all that will ever be needed. By this process a kind of paint is used instead of powder, and a brush instead of a pouncet. Place the pattern on the cloth, smooth side up if you can (though either side will work well), weight the pattern down as in stamping. Rub the paint evenly over the perforations, and it will leave the lines clean, sharp and distinct. After the stamping is done, the pattern must be cleaned immediately. This is done by placing the pattern on the table and turning benzine or naphtha over it to cut the paint and then wiping the pattern dry on both sides with an old cloth, or, better still, with common waste—such as machinists use to clean machinery; this is cheap and absorbs the paint and naphtha quickly. Hold the pattern up to the light to see if the holes are all clear; if they are not, wash it the second time. Do not use the pattern for powder immediately after it has been washed; let it dry a short time, otherwise the moistened gum will clog the perforations.
TO MAKE THE PAINT.
Take zinc white, mix it with boiled oil to about the thickness of cream, add a little drying, such as painters use. Keep in a tin pail (one holding about a pint is a good size); have a piece of board cut round, with a screw in the center for a handle, to fit loosely into the pail; drop this on the paint and it will keep it from drying up. Add a little oil occasionally to keep the paint from growing too thick, and it will always be ready for use.
THE BRUSH.
Take a fine stencil brush (or any brush with a square end), wind it tightly with a string from the handle down to within one half inch of the end; this will make it just stiff enough to distribute the paint well. Keep the brush in water, to keep it from drying up, taking care to wipe off the water before using.