Block-Printing Infinite Patterns by Hand

In July, we discovered how a single block-printed shape can produce countless different compositions simply by changing its orientation.

For the workshop, I designed a collection of modular shapes that could be rotated, repeated, and recombined into countless patterns. I wanted to see how much complexity we could create from the simplest possible forms, and how those forms would change once everyone began carving, inking, and printing them by hand.

We started by carving our own printing blocks, then experimented with repeating and rotating them on fabric. As we printed, patterns slowly began to emerge. Some became geometric and orderly, while others developed in completely unexpected directions.

That unpredictability is one of the things I love about block printing. Even when everyone begins with the same basic system, the pressure of the hand, the amount of ink, the placement of each impression, and the decisions made along the way make every result different.

By the end of the workshop, everyone had created their own pattern and hand-printed a cotton bandana to take home.