Hi Jane,

I like to dampen paper and do it the way I learned in a Japanese woodblock class.  I cut down a big sheet of chip board/binder board/davey board (thinner BB  works best and NOT the acid free which is reluctant to take up the water) into sizes larger than my printing papers.  Then I take the stack of binder board/davey board and dip each one briefly in a tray of water and stack them up.  Alternately you can spray them with water but that takes longer.  They are very absorbent and very quickly become evenly damp.  Then I stack the paper between the sheets of damp board and put a piece of plexi on top with a weight for maybe 10-15 minutes.  Then when I print I uncover the stack one layer at a time so it stays damp.  I feel like I always get a nicer print on dampened paper.   I can reuse the stack  of boards over and over.  They get warped but when damp relax flat.  I dry them after use on  those collator devices that secretaries used to use which fold up like an accordion. https://tinyurl.com/kx4tujs

Hi,

I’ve used Caligo for letterpress printing and for doing a sort of poster large print with linoleum blocks mixed with type.  It worked well straight out of the tube.  We were doing a hands on demo for children and the clean up was so easy.  I like baby wipes for when there’s no sink handy.  I’ve also used it adding a little magnesium carbonate to stiffen it.  

I can’t say about the bust issue but I find aprons that crisscross in back are way more comfortable than the ones with neck loops and waist ties. I modify any aprons I buy.  I can’t stand the feel of the neck loop so I cut the loop in the back center. Then I make some sort of little loop on the hip sides where the ties are attached (you can use a metal D shaped thingie or just make a fabric loop.  I cut the waist ties off and attach one to each end of the cut neck loop. I cross the now longer ties and feed them through the guide loops.  It helps to tie a knot in the end of the tie or attach a large bead so it  won’t come out of the side guide when you are putting it on and taking it off.  Then you slip your neck through and your arms through the appropriate spaces and tie it in back or all the way around.  This makes the front of the apron settle comfortably and for me it seems to allow the top front to stay in place and stay centered.  I think all aprons should come that way.   Here are some examples

http://tinyurl.com/d7h8lvu

http://tinyurl.com/bqqmh6j

and how about this design

http://tinyurl.com/c6eqan4

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