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Canvasworks
It’s a little strange, using today’s technology to help recreate yesterday’s craft, but, hey, if it helps to make the final piece better… why not?
I use my trusted Mac for so many aspects of my craft. To start with, I let people know what I’m doing by keeping my website updated regularly. My web designer (and friend and fellow Weathersfielder) has made my site so user-friendly that I only need to call her when things go really wrong or I need a major upgrade.
Then there’s all the communications stuff- emails, emails, emails… How did we ever survive before?
Once I’ve got an interested customer, I use my Mac to draw up designs to suit their home. I use drafting software, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to create every potential floorcloth design. For each customer I average 3 drawings before a final floorcloth is chosen. Photoshop allows me to change colors, manipulate repeat patterns and create a variety of sizes for each design. I save them all, adding to my bank of thousands of designs to choose from.
As part of our Try It before You Buy It program, I can show a client how their floorcloth will look in their home before they order. They send me a digital photo of the room, and using Photoshop, I can slide their floorcloth right under the table and show how it will look. Don’t like it? I can slide different designs under there until we get the perfect fit. If only we could try on clothes this way!
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Here is the before picture that a client sent me.
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And here is the picture I sent back to them that afternoon.
Once the size, design and colors are settled upon I use the computer to print out a to-scale drawing of the floorcloth. This allows me to transpose the design accurately to a larger scale. If a stencil is being used, I can scale the stencil motif so that it fits perfectly within the size and shape of the floorcloth. The scaled motif is printed out and the stencil is cut. We have some stencils (like the ones used for the Medfield Stencil Floorcloth) that hang on the studio wall in sets of 15 different sizes! I am a stickler for having my designs work so that NO elements are cut off or end up uneven from one side to the other.
For museum pieces and other large, room-filling floorcloths, CAD software (I use MacDraft) lets me draw the room, add elements like stairs and doorways and calculate the exact size and shape needed. Square footage is determined with a click of the mouse.
Finally, I use iPhoto to store and catalog images of all of my finished pieces. This gives me easy access to previously-painted designs when a customer calls and needs something similar.
Now on my wishlist is an iPhone, so I can do all of this on the fly!
The finishing touches are just going on a new floorcloth design now. The design is called “Acorns and Dragonflies” and it gets it’s style from the Arts and Crafts period, with dragonflies and branches of berries encircling the border and oak leaves and acorns adorning the center medallions.
This floorcloth was done by first paintng the background colors of Hale Navy and Lenox Tan and then stamping the flower motif on the background.
The next step was to lay out the center medaliions and paint them; all done using freehand techniques. I had determined the entire design well before the canvas was cut. It was approved by the customer, after 2 or 3 different renderings, trying different colors and placement of the motifs. I sent drawings to her by email for her review, then we talked on the phone about changes and adjustments until we got it just right. Having the layout completed ahead of time makes transfering the design to the floorcloth a mathematical task, rather than trying to be creative as well as making everything fit!
The border was done last. 
Again, a repeated motif, with every leaf, dragonfly and berry handpainted on the canvas. I still need to complete the corners and add a navy stripe; then it will be ready for poly.
I just posted an article on eHow about painting a similar design, Flowers and Fans. Go take a peak at the article and you can watch a little video that shows how I painted some of the border details.
Have a great weekend and Happy Father’s Day to my Dad (don’t let the pickerel get you!) and all the other Dads out there!
A lot of people have been asking a lot of really good questions lately. I thought I’d share them here. Feel free to ask if you have more questions. I know it can be hard to find information on such a relatively unknown craft.
What weight of canvas do you use?
We use two different weights. For floorcloths less than 7 feet wide, we use a heavyweight No. 8 canvas. This is 18 oz./sq.yd. It has a very tight weave and is extremely durable. For larger floorcloths we use No. 4 canvas which is a whopping 24 oz./sq.yd! Because we use the heavier weight canvas, our floorcloths are a little more expensive. You get what you pay for. Heavier canvas ensures a floorcloth which will lie flat for years and years (our 15 year old pieces are still going strong) and will withstand the toughest traffic- from dogs to furniture to foot-scuffers.
Will my floorcloth withstand daily wear?
Yes. With five coats of polyurethane protecting the painted surface of very heavyweight canvas, your floorcloth will hold up to dogs, kids, food spills, cleaning and just about whatever else you can throw at it.
Choosing Colors for Your Floorcloth
Posted by lisa and filed under How to Make Your Own, NewsOne of the toughest things about deciding to go with a floorcloth for your home is that you’re starting with, literally, a blank canvas! For a lot of my custom
ers that can be an overwhelming and scary thing. I hear it over and over: “What should my floorcloth look like? I know what size I need and I know the type of design I like, but what colors should I use?” Mother Nature has given us such a wide variety of colors to choose from, and with every season those colors change. Add to that the trends in today’s home fashion, and you’ve got a lot to think about.
Here are some hints to make things easier:
Is there an item in the room that you really love as a decorative piece? A pillow? A painting? A dish or tray? If so, grab it and run to your nearest paint dealer and find the matching paint chips. These are probably the base of everything that you feel works in that room.
When you look through magazines, do you find yourself drawn to certain pages? Earmark them and go back and see if there’s a color combination which seems to call to you. Maybe it’s gold, blue and white; or maybe it’s earth tones or maybe it’s hot pink and lime green! Most people have color combinations they gravitate towards.
Look in your closet. Is there a color which pops up more regularly than any other? Granted, fashions change but you probably have certain colors you feel comfortable in and some that make you feel ill if you put it too close to your face!
OK, so have you got a rough idea of the colors that appeal to you and that you can imagine living with on a day to day basis? Now you can hone that a little. Paint stores are a great place to see how colors work in combination with each other. Use those color chips and play with them until you think you’ve got it. I just found a great Application for the iPhone at Sherwin Williams. This app lets you snap a pic with your iPhone, then it tells you the SW paint color! I need that! (But probably I need an iPhone first…)
If you’re having a custom floorcloth made, you can send me the color numbers and I can plug them right into your layout design. (Photoshop lets me download palettes of all the major brands of paint colors.) I’m also more than happy to suggest color combinations based on information you give me. Photos of the room and/or magazine clippings you like help me enormously in determining the best fit.
Colors are fun and the way they play off of each other can be fascinating. I’d love to hear your color stories- successful and not so great.Here are some placemats and a runner made using three tones of a mossy green. Accent colors are red, burgundy, cream and gold. I got all of these colors from an old painted tray I’ve had kicking around for 20 years!
We have a new kit available. This one is called “Three Willows”. The kit comes with a 2′ X 4′ primed and hemmed #8 floorcloth, a layout for the complete pattern and templates for the willow trees which you can transfer to the floorcloth with carbon paper. $50.00
Last week I dug through some of my old files and called some of my first floorcloth clients. I was curious to know if they still had the floorcloths that I had made for them way back when I first started doing this. The people who I spoke to directly were incredible! They were so happy to hear from me and every one of them still has that floorcloth. One said, “The floorcloth you made me in 1994 is still in my kitchen. We had to refinish the floor, but the floorcloth has never had anything done to it and it looks great!” Read the rest of this entry »
Special Savings on In Stock Floorcloths
Posted by lisa and filed under Specials and PromotionsWe have several floorcloths in stock and ready to ship. These are offered at special prices. Supplies are very limited, so don’t delay!
There are more floorcloths, painted placemats, table runners, canvas jewelry and more at the Gallery. Please come in and check it out!
Paint a Canvas Floorcloth for Your Porch
Posted by lisa and filed under How to Make Your Own, News
I posted an article on eHow about painting a porch floorcloth. Click this link to view it:
How to Paint a Beautiful Canvas Floorcloth for Your Porch
We are finding that as long as you use good quality exterior (enamel is best) latex paint, these will hold up pretty well on porches. If you hear a forecast for a monsoon of rain and wind which could blow a lot of water onto your floorcloth, I would recommend rolling it up so that it stays dry. Otherwise, occasional dampness shouldn’t harm it. Depending on the type of poly you use, you might see a little cloudiness form when the floorcloth is wet. This should clear when it dries.
Remember to order your shrunk, primed and hemmed floorcloths here. For porches you’ll be glad you have the heavier weight canvas and the special all-weather primer we use.
Send me your pictures of completed projects!
I’m off to a horse show for the weekend, and I’m sure lots of people have plans for something special going on. It seems Memorial Day is the “Yahoo! Spring is really, really here and Summer is right around the corner!” weekend. We’re supposed to be able to plant stuff, take the storm windows down, and get the screens out (yes, our house IS that old!)
Canvasworks Floorcloths is celebrating the holiday with a “Flag Floorcloth Kit”. Here’s the deal: Whole Kit is just $30!
For the price of a 2′ X 3′ floorcloth blank, you get the whole kit to make this beautiful Flag Floorcloth!
The kits with patterns are usually $75; but this one is just $30 (valid through June 30, 2009). Kit includes a primed and hemmed 2′X3′ floorcloth, made from Canvasworks’ heavyweight, #8 canvas, a template for the star motif, layout pattern for the stripes design and complete how-to directions so you’ll get that nice aged look.
Don’t forget that the contest to win a 4′ X 6′ Mariner’s Compass Floorcloth (in your choice of custom colors) is still on. That’s a $625 value! Just tell your friends to go to the Canvasworks home page and sign in at the box on the left. I will contact them and ask them who referred them to Canvasworks and each time someone tells me your name you will get a point towards the floorcloth. Whoever has the most points on June 1st, 2009 wins! One sign up per household only, please.
Have a fantastic weekend!
Does your dog deserve something special?
Canvasworks has something new for you (and your furry friend)- painted canvas dog placemats!
You can order this classy design just like this for your pooch and put it right down on the floor to use or you can order a blank canvas dog bone mat and paint it yourself to add that personal touch.
These mats are 19″ X 14″- big enough for a water bowl and a food dish. The mat shown is finished with polyurethane, so you can wipe it clean.