The Details of Sewing in How to Make a Large Canvas Rug

In making a large canvas rug there is a lot more work involved than simply painting a larger surface; the sewing is critical in order to make a seemingly seamless seam. :)

After cutting and measuring for the required size of a large rug, sections of the canvas material are adhered together with tape. Jessica has become an expert in this tedious detailed work. She cuts a straight edge, measures ½” on each side where the tape will be placed, joining the two pieces on one side together.

A spoon is the tool of choice that allows pressing the tape well into the grain of the fabric. It is ironed inch by inch to make sure both sides of the two pieces are perfectly flat. Then we flip and repeat the process on the opposite side.

At the next stage, the entire canvas material is ironed, measured again, and ready for sewing. We women of the workshop have become adept at using big pvc tubes to manage the canvas fabric as we work.

It can take up to three people to sew a large canvas rug: one person to feed the rolled material behind the sewing machine to Jessica, our resident seamstress, and another person (usually me) on the finished end carefully rolling as the material is sewn. It is critical that the material not crush and wrinkle, hence the use of tubes to keep it smooth.

Once the canvas rug is sewn, it is ready to begin with the base coat and application of one of our in-house or custom rug canvas floor cloths designs. Up until the point of applying varnish, a large rug can be painted in sections.

Recently…and I think I posted about this previously, I had to paint a 16-foot canvas rug placed upon a 5-foot table, painting in sections. Thereafter, with another order for a large canvas rug, we knocked out a wall to the workshop to create a 16-foot table! We actually put four tables together making sure all was level so when we applied varnished the rug lay flat. 

If we get an order for anything bigger, I will have to build a completely new room but I am up for such a challenge!

Stay tuned for The Making of a Large Canvas Rug: Part 2 with tips on placement, use in restaurants, and wet dogs from the pool.

 

 

 

Interior Home Design: A Floor Cloth for An Artist's Home

One of my favorite aspects working in interior home design is creating the perfect floor cloth for artistic clients with their vision. Case in point, Frances, a renowned ceramic artist who has traveled the world, wants a hand painted canvas rug for her living room.

This lovely Costa Rica home is full of color and art reflecting the owner's travels. The living room floor is concrete with decorative stains of dark chocolate brown and antiqued turquoise. It was time to replace a white shag area rug but adding color for a floor treatment just wouldn't work.

Frances wanted a floor cloth of pale beige color to match her large modern sofa and incorporate black for a dramatic flair. This design idea, inspired by that of a ceramic water bottle for use when riding a camel, decorates the living room wall along with other treasures, is reminiscent of wind blown sand dunes with soft, flowing lines.

To generate the design I created a graph of 8" x 8" to represent the 8' x 8' floor cloth; together Frances and I drew the wavy lines. Thereafter, in my studio, I transferred the design onto the canvas rug material with pencil and drawing the design square by square. To give it more of a freehand look, I stood on top of the rug and finalized the drawing by making the lines sweeping and flowing.

The living room floor cloth will be a focal point in this interior home design decor feature. It is now painted and I am taking extra care that it is very dry before applying the varnish. This picture represents the rug without varnish. The varnish will add depth and richness to the pale beige and black. It is a very hypnotic design! I look forward to seeing it placed in Frances' lovely home. Next up, a before and after picture...and that's a promise!