here's another installment of book peeks! this time i'm showing off some pages from another one of my vintage books, fabric printing by lotti lauterberg. it's straight out of the late 50s, early 60s (it was published in britain in 1959, and in the US in 1963), and has a great mid-century mod vibe. if i remember correctly, i picked it up at chamblin's book mine, a HUGE and amazing used bookstore in jacksonville, florida.
what i think is particularly inspiring about this book and the images within it (besides the killer/covetable period interior shots and the awesome period furniture!) are the illustrations of how to put together graphically punchy, simple-to-do block prints...amazing results can be achieved with very little effort/prior knowledge. cut up a potato and play around, or carve a lino block, and make a repeating motif...too, too easy! ways i can imagine using these techniques on clothing:
-making a "yoke" or "waistband" at the top or middle of a dress with (your choice of) geometric shapes...maybe even make a wide band of shapes or a design at the hem of a dress or skirt?
-making one's own hand-printed fabric to make a whole dress, or to add punch to certain details on a garment, like sleeves, pockets, belts, or trim
-or, you could even completely cover or partially decorate a ready-made (maybe thrifted?) garment with said hand-printed motifs. imagine making a simple shape on the front of a tee, like a heart made of hearts, a circle made of circles, or a triangle made of triangles, for starters...
-on that last note, check out this killer DIY on how to cover a cheapy dress via potato printing by caitlin mociun that was featured on refinery 29 about a month ago. me love!

-also, also: see: lena corwin's printing by hand: a modern guide to printing with handmade stamps, stencils, and silk screens, one of the most beautiful (and informative) books on printmaking i have ever seen.