Materials.—Linen, cotton, soisette, all or part silk pongee, crêpe de chine, cheese cloth, and unbleached muslin are excellent materials for block printing. Beautiful background tones can be obtained by dyeing the two latter with easy dyes.
In place of the gum wood for the block, basswood, maple, or holly may be used. It is possible to get along without a vise by fastening the block between two cleats nailed to an old table or heavy board. Success is sometimes achieved in cutting blocks while simply held in the hand.
Laundering.—If the material used for the foundation is washable, block printed articles can be satisfactorily and easily laundered in soapy, lukewarm water. The colours are not injured in the least. A liquid called stencil mordant is sometimes used in place of turpentine, insuring still greater permanency of colour.
Other Applications of Block Printing.—Other articles suitable for decoration by block printing are curtains, pillow covers, table covers, cushion covers, bureau scarfs, Portieres, table mats, bags of many sorts, etc. Printing may also be used to ornament articles for personal use, such as aprons and scarfs.
STENCILLING
Problem: Window Draperies.—Making the design, cutting the stencil, printing, and finishing form the divisions of the problem to be worked out. A list of necessary materials follows:
| (1) Making the design | (2) Cutting the stencil | (3) Printing |
| Charcoal | Sheet of glass | Large board |
| Pencil | Sharp penknife | Blotting paper |
| Reflector | Turpentine | |
| Ordinary drawing paper | Oil paints | |
| Tracing paper | Bristle brushes | |
| Carbon paper | Pins | |
| Stencil paper |
The Design.—Suggestions as to the method of procedure in making a design have been already given in the section on block printing. The principles of design to be considered are outlined there also. In working out this problem, however, several new things come up for explanation: (1) The difference between a design to be stenciled and one to be printed by means of a wood block; (2) the method of joining units to form a border; (3) the method of turning a corner in a border design.
