How Hard Is it to Stamp the Warp?

To stamp the warp, I stand on the foot beam at the front of the loom and reach over the beater. A six-inch board hangs just below the warp on loops of Texsolv cord, behind the beater, as the platform for the stamping and painting. A strip of blue painter’s tape stuck onto the backside of the beater divides the warp into three sections–A, B and C. The sections denote three tiers of a tiered skirt for which this fabric is intended to be used.

Warp painting and stamping on the loom.
Back of the beater is marked with blue tape that shows the A, B, and C sections of the warp.

I was concerned that this would be hard to do–thinning the paint, reaching over, stamping in sections, letting it dry before advancing the warp, and so on. But it is not nearly as hard as I anticipated. It’s not actually hard at all.

Painting and stamping warp on the loom. Karen Isenhower
When I step on the foot beam at the front of the loom, and reach over the beater, with paint palette (disposable plastic picnic plate) in one hand, and stamp or paintbrush in the other, this is my view.

Similarly, at times it seems hard to do the right thing, even though I know that loving God means walking in his ways. Simply thinking something is hard to do, though, is not reason enough to avoid doing it. And, more often than not, we find that doing the right thing is not hard to do, after all.

May you do the right thing.

Love,
Karen

6 thoughts on “How Hard Is it to Stamp the Warp?

  1. I so enjoy your blog. I hope you are considering publishing your thoughts in to a deveional book . They seem to be just for me. Thank you.

    1. Hi Loyanne, it touches my heart that you find encouragement in the things I write. I don’t have immediate plans to publish a book, but I shall let that idea stir in me for a while and we will see what comes of it.
      Love,
      Karen

  2. I was so excited to see your post! I have been experimenting with this on my rigid heddle loom and am having fun trying different things, stamps, stencils, and free hand doodling. I don’t have a project in mind yet, but it is fun! I will be anxiously waiting to see the finished project. Have fun!

    1. Hi Cari, it’s good to hear from you! What a great way to experiment–using your rigid heddle to try out stamping, etc. I never thought of doing that!

      Karen

  3. what dye do you use.? and do you thicken it? i’ve dyed warp sections using stencils with procion but it was awfully thin and wicked out all over. great blog. thank you maggie

    1. Maggie, I’m glad you enjoy visiting this space!
      I am not using traditional fiber dyes. I wanted something simpler. I am using Tulip Soft Matte Fabric Paint that I found at Hobby Lobby. I put a drop of paint on my palette and mix in a few drops of water with my brush to make it almost as thin as a dye. If it’s too thick, the warp threads stick together as they dry. I’m still working on getting just the right solution – not too thick and not too thin – so that enough color comes through. The darker colors seem to work the best for this.

      Karen

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