Printing by Hand: A Modern Guide to Printing with Handmade Stamps, Stencils, and Silk Screens [Hardcover-spiral]

Lena Corwin (Author), Thayer Allyson Gowdy (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2008

It’s the natural inconsistencies—the accidental differences between one finished piece and another—that make hand-printed fabrics, papers, furniture, and works of art so interesting. The quirks are what show the maker’s intimate involvement in the process, and it’s that unique quality that first attracted textile designer and illustrator Lena Corwin to hand-printing.

 

Even though decorative prints are more in vogue than ever, there was until now no up-to-date hand-printing guide—no single source explaining the tools and materials that are used today, or reflecting a contemporary aesthetic. Corwin has given us that guide.

 

Using step-by-step instructions and up-close photos, Corwin teaches crafters everything they need to know to master stamping, stenciling, and screen printing, from making their own printing devices to trouble-shooting when plans go awry. Her inimitable collection of projects ranges from stamped stationery and simple-to-sew pouches, to stenciled tote bags and furniture, to screen-printed bed linens and upholstery fabric. There’s even a silk-screened dog bed. The author has created original artwork for each project (full-size patterns are included in an envelope at the back of the book), so that every crafter can achieve the same beautiful results. Or maybe not quite the same. Remember: It’s the subtle differences that make hand-printing so special and alluring.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lena Corwin is a textile designer and illustrator based in Brooklyn. Among her clients are Marithé + François Girbaud, Calvin Klein, Jill Stuart, and Elle Decor magazine. She also illustrated Stewart, Tabori and Chang’s Kids Crochet and Kids Weaving.

 

Thayer Allyson Gowdy is a San Francisco–based photographer whose work has appeared in magazines such as Real Simple, Health, and Country Living, as well as Stewart, Tabori and Chang’s Knitting Nature and Knitting Lingerie Style.

Product Details

• Hardcover-spiral: 144 pages
• Publisher: STC Craft/A Melanie Falick Book; Spi edition (August 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584796723
• ISBN-13: 978-1584796725
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 9.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,187 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lena Corwin lives in Brooklyn, NY, where she designs textile patterns and illustrations, teaches classes, and writes and publishes books. She is the author of Printing By Hand, an instructional book for hand printing techniques, published in 2008. She has illustrated two children's craft books; Kids Crochet and Kids Weaving. She is a co-curator of Lines & Shapes, an artist collective and small book publisher. Lena attributes her love for design and crafts to her very artistic upbringing in San Francisco.

See more of her work at these websites:
www.lenacorwin.com
www.linesandshapesconnectus.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

105 of 106 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything you ever wanted to know about hand printing., September 19, 2008

By 

L.A. in CA - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Printing by Hand: A Modern Guide to Printing with Handmade Stamps, Stencils, and Silk Screens (Hardcover-spiral)

This book turned out to be even more helpful and inspiring than I had hoped for. It answered many questions relating to different varieties of simple hand printing techniques such as: which inks, papers, and fabrics are best suited for each project; how to create stencils; how to transfer designs, how to repeat a pattern, how to work with screens, and on and on. There are many color photos showing step-by-step procedures. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. A lot of the printing projects are done on simple, natural fabrics like linen and muslin.

The book itself is a spiral-bound, soft-cover book within a hard cover shell. This allows you to lay the pages flat so that you can look at them hands-free as you work.

I love this book. I was already familiar with many types of printing such as linoleum and gocco, but I still learned a great deal. So I would have to say this book is for novices and experienced alike.

I guarantee you that you will come away from this book inspired and ready to create.

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Aesthetically beautiful, but brilliantly written too., December 30, 2008

By 

E. Walters (Tasmania) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Printing by Hand: A Modern Guide to Printing with Handmade Stamps, Stencils, and Silk Screens (Hardcover-spiral)

Lena Corwin has created a book that was more than i could have hoped for. As a novice in the printing game, I was pleased to discover that she has broken down the fundamentals of various forms of print mediums into easy to understand steps that anyone could follow. The topics covered in depth include stamping, stencilling and silk screen printing, and she has provided several projects in each category (and none of them daggy nanna style projects!), complete with templates and artwork to kickstart your printing. You can make quilts, linen, artwork, stationery, stencil walls, and make upholstery fabric. Photos are clear, aesthetically beautiful and serve to illustrate the methods described. I would fully recommend this book to novices and more experienced printers alike.

29 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, September 6, 2008

By 

M. Williams (Utah, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Printing by Hand: A Modern Guide to Printing with Handmade Stamps, Stencils, and Silk Screens (Hardcover-spiral)

This book is fabulous! The projects all vary in skill level and time allotment. Lena Corwin gives step-by-step instructions so detailed anyone could follow. Lena's patterns are so fresh and beautiful. I would recommend this book to anyone.