Some new pieces

It's been quite busy here at Trouble HQ recently, which may go some way to explain why I've been so quiet blogging recently. My super-amazing mum offered to help me with some sewing, so last week I took advantage of it and went home on Saturday evening. Arriving fairly late (as I'd had a craft fair) I immediately set to work printing some new designs that I had cut from lino so that we'd be ready to start on Sunday morning. Well, we actually started on Sunday afternoon as I did some more printing on Sunday morning and then some ironing, pinning etc. In the end, my mum and I managed to make quite a few new tote bags with French seams. What do you think of the designs? They will all be in my online store and Etsy shop over the next few days.

I think I might make some ice-blue snowflakes to go with the red snowflakes and I'm wondering about making hearts and lovehearts in other colours too. What colours do you think? And you haven't seen the last of the 'Oranges and Lemons' yet... the design is about to feature in some other items soon, so look out for them!

On another note - I've just noticed that my 'shop' section hasn't been working. I had a huge issue with the design of my blog a week or so ago and I'm assuming that the link must have broken then. I think I've fixed it now so hopefully it's working - but if you notice it isn't, please let me know!

How to Make... a lino-print

Lino printing is a good way of producing the same design lots of times - once you have cut your lino design, you can use and re-use your print as often as you like. All you need to do is make sure you wash your lino stamp after every use and get as much of the paint off as you can.

One word of warning about cutting lino though - those blades are sharp, please always cut away from yourself and keep your fingers well out of the way.


1) Draw out your design on some paper in the size you want it to be.

2) Transfer the design onto the lino by cutting around the outside edge and then cutting out each of the different parts
















3) Using a fine lino blade, cut around the edges that you need.

4) Now start getting rid of all the excess lino - use one of the wide blades to clear as much as you can. The bits that are cut away will not be part of the design, the raised bits that you leave behind are the design that will end up being printed and transferred.

5) You want to get a difference between levels - the bits that are going to be printed need to be as high as you can and try to get a 90 degree angle on the edges if at all possible. Use you favourite blade to cut away and smooth out the lino.

6) If you have large areas at the side of your lino block that are not part of the design, it's a good idea to trim these edges off - that way you won't accidentally get paint on them which might smudge onto your design.

7) Once you have finished cutting your lino, you are ready to print! All you do is cover the raised parts of your lino block with paint (Acrylic is probably best. If you are printing onto fabric then mix it with a fabric medium)

8) Turn your design over and place it carefully onto your object to be printed. Press down hard and make sure you press over all the different parts evenly or else it will come out fuzzy around the edges.

9) Carefully remove your lino block from the print and... wow that looks awesome!

Now that you've made your lino print, you can print the same design again and again and again and a-  ... you get the picture!