Background:
Sir Ivar was sent to vigil at Pennsic XL after the Unbelted Champions won their bout on the battlefield. His friends dug up a box of battlefield dirt for him to be knighted on at John Barleycorn held 9/10/11. I came up with a bag idea and it morphed into this floorcloth. The base is linen covered with gesso (two coats outside, one on the insdie). I then painted it using acrylic paints as specified on numerous websites. After painting, I sealed the dirt in using double-sided heavy duty rug tape. Then I coated the final product with an acrylic sealer as recommended on various websites and by the staff at Dick Blick.
Sir Ivar was sent to vigil at Pennsic XL after the Unbelted Champions won their bout on the battlefield. His friends dug up a box of battlefield dirt for him to be knighted on at John Barleycorn held 9/10/11. I came up with a bag idea and it morphed into this floorcloth. The base is linen covered with gesso (two coats outside, one on the insdie). I then painted it using acrylic paints as specified on numerous websites. After painting, I sealed the dirt in using double-sided heavy duty rug tape. Then I coated the final product with an acrylic sealer as recommended on various websites and by the staff at Dick Blick.
Problems:
1) No matter how many coats I put on the back, when I got it out in the sun I had left brush marks! Arcylic is NOT my friend!!! I will try an oil based paint next time!
2) The tape alone was not enough to hold back all that dirt. It worked for me tossing it around, but not when my husband touched it. Given more time, I would've sewn a binding around it and possible glued the edges. The tape would be fine for just folding the edges over and holding it down, but not for the weight of all that dirt!
3) We had a very damp two weeks while I painted and then tried to seal the cloth. Even with allowing the paint to dry for 5 days, once I applied the sealer, everything bled and then started to peel off. I was deeply upset about this but had no time to strip all the paint off and redo it. I would use no sealer or a different type (maybe an outdoor paint/sealer). 1) No matter how many coats I put on the back, when I got it out in the sun I had left brush marks! Arcylic is NOT my friend!!! I will try an oil based paint next time!
2) The tape alone was not enough to hold back all that dirt. It worked for me tossing it around, but not when my husband touched it. Given more time, I would've sewn a binding around it and possible glued the edges. The tape would be fine for just folding the edges over and holding it down, but not for the weight of all that dirt!
Finished the mat/rug for Lord Ivar soon to be Sir Ivar.
I folded the piece in half and drew the artwork on and painted it with acrylic paint.
The I used the Rhinogrip heavy duty double-sided to close the sides after I painted it to make the pouch for the Pennsic Battlefield dirt.
The pouch where I poured the dirt.
Pennsic 40 battlefield dirt
The back of the rug filled with dirt
After I applied the sealer to the front, the black bled all over the place.
I was so disgusted but did not have to repaint it all.
I was going to bind the edge, but I have offered to repaint it after it is used for Ivar's knighting.
Processing Ivar into court. Sir Osgkar holds the floorcloth.
Soon-to-be Sir Ivar utilizing the floorcloth.
A better pic of Ivar utilizing the floorcloth.
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