Back when the show I was interning on featured a segment on block printing table linens for a spring get together, I was taken with the apparent simplicity of the craft.  As they had reiterated on air, truly anyone could do this inspired project at home!  After all, I had (unlike the rest of the viewers) the great fortune of,  in the span of a single afternoon, seeing the cloth and matching napkins come to life in the studio’s craft room.  From what I was able to gather from the lead crafter’s super-cool confidence as she quietly plugged away at the linen’s repeating floral pattern was that the block printing technique must be inherently straightforward.  Never did she look flustered or irritated; rather, she was the very picture of composure and certainty.  Suddenly, I really wanted to be like her.  I could see within my very near reach, the oneness of spirit and hand that she truly appeared to have achieved.  If succeeding at block printing would offer me the same reward, nothing was going to stop me from doing it.

Everything about my “craft room” screams of inexperience.

What I had not anticipated was the disparity between what I think the crafting process will involve and what it actually does involve.  Where it took the show’s crafter an afternoon, it took me a whole month from conception to completion.  Let me delineate the steps involved for this first-timer:

Block-Printed Cocktail Napkins How-To-Not According to a Novice

1. Committ to the craft in mind and spirit.  Initially, this is exhilarating;
2. Summon up the courage to not only publicly proclaim it will be done, but actually see the project through.  It’s easier to think it’s a great idea but never do it, right?;
3. Locate a block on which to carve the design.  I used a Mastercarve eraser, which I located in the craft room’s trash;
4. Decide what image to imprint onto the linen  (Wait, this should be step 3.  The block needs to have enough surface area to fit the design;
5. Purchase or borrow linoleum cutting tools;
6. Trace design with pencil; burnish the image onto the block;
7. Select the color palette for the linens by purchasing or finding household linens to repurpose;
8. Select fabric paint colors based upon the color scheme of the above selected;
9. Set aside hours to carve design into block.  DO NOT pick a Scottish thistle (see image below) — the intricacy of the design will equate to many hours of carving frustration.  Someone should have a said as much!;
10. Ensure that linens are washed and ironed.  If you live in the city as I do, take them to the cleaners and wait for them to be cleaned and pressed;
11. Commence printing.  If using multiple colors for design, which I now regret, be sure to wash block thoroughly.  This takes time, but lack of patience will equate to a mixed color print.  What was supposed to be a white thistle quickly became pink. . .;

Detail shot of a thistle

I bet you’re probably glad I’m not writing up the how-to’s of block printing after this! In my words, it seems unnecessarily complex.  As I see the process enumerated, however, I am only reminded of the lengthy process and of the obstacles I encountered along the way.  It is not my intention to discourage this activity, but it is my goal to illuminate the many layers of production involved in a single craft.  The directions that guided me, in retrospect, are now glaringly incomplete and totally unsympathetic to the needs of a novice crafter.  YET, anyone is supposed to be able to do this!  Let me just show you what served as my guide:

Block-Printed Table Linens How-To According to Craft Experts

1. Print leaf and flower template. Trace over designs with a pencil. Carefully place paper, pencil-marked side down, on a Mastercarve artist-carving block.
2. Rub the wide edge of a bone folder over paper to transfer the pencil-marked designs to carving blocks.
3. Use a linoleum cutter with the V-shape attachment to carve the outline of the designs. Switch to a U-shape attachment to carve out larger areas around the designs.
4. Apply a thin layer of transparent water-based fabric paint to the leaf block with a wide brush. Print on fabric with block, re-inking as needed.
5. Print dogwood flower as you did the leaves.
6. Let the fabric dry for about 15 minutes, and then set paint with an iron according to paint manufacturer’s instructions.

I am a smart woman.  I know that the primary goal is to market these craft projects as easy, fun, useful, engaging, and rewarding.  Unfortunately, when it comes to novices like you and me, it just may not be that straightforward.  Indeed, my esteem was not elevated by the many complications I encountered, especially when there was not the slightest mention of what may be a “wrong-to” and how that’s okay and how I should NOT feel bad and how I can correct the mistake.  I just felt alone, nothing like that adept crafter I saw in the craft room.  And, oh yeah, I guess I should mention that her job just may have been a little easier because a) Someone  had already collected the fabric paints, linens and tools for her; b) She had done this many times before with unlimited resources to make up for any errors she made; and c) This is the clincher:  she had all the support in the world, working for a successful company that specializes in all things craft.  Now, do you have that comfort?

Yes, I absolutely admire what this respectable company has done for aesthetics in America, basically creating a history of all things decorative for our children and grandchildren.  Impressive!!!  What I don’t admire is how in pursuit of this lofty ambition, the human element is neglected.  I, a self-proclaimed novice crafter, am looking to build myself up through craft.

When I finally finished the prints, I had destroyed 6 newly purchased linen napkins, permanently discolored my block,and  selected the wrong type of fabric paint.  In my opinion, the results were sub-par at best.  What elevated my lackluster performance, was the fact that I shared the story with you.

The final product.  Admirable, yet rudimentary and a bit schlocky.