Blocks and Dots « Artsy Fartsy

Blocks and Dots

September 15, 2008 at 11:09 am | In Artwork, Crafts, Photos | 5 Comments
Tags: floor cloth, floorcloth

I knocked another item off of my to-do list from earlier this summer. You may remember the floorcloth I painted for my sister last Christmas. When I bought the canvas for that project, I ended up with enough to make three of the size I made Andrea’s. I figured that I’d do something with the extra eventually, but I haven’t touched it since last December. A few weeks ago I decided to stop procrastinating and start working on a welcome mat-sized floorcloth for myself.

Jessica from How About Orange had just announced some new, beautiful fabric designs at the time I was staring at newly bound and primed floorcloth waiting for inspiration to strike. If you can’t tell, I loved the rectangle and dot pattern of her “Boardwalk” print, so I set out to create my own design inspired by her fabulous fabric.

After painting a couple of these now, I can see why people can charge so much for them. A quick ebay search had them priced anywhere from $50 to over $800. I’ve seen small welcome mats in shops for over $100. If I were to sell this one, which measures about 22″ wide by 46″ long, and charge for my time, I’d have to sell it for a million dollars.

One night I spent several hours measuring, cutting, ironing, and binding it. The next night I spent about three hours priming it with four coats of paint. The next night I laid out the design which took another couple of hours. Then a week of painting every night, six coats of polyurethane, and you’ve got yourself a serious labor of love.

I do love the way it came out, and once Luke will allow himself to actually step on it, I think it’ll make a great welcome mat. I was considering making a couple more of these small rugs for Christmas presents, I guess I better get a move on.

5 Comments »

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How could anybody every step on it???? I still can’t believe you painted it. It’s so darn perfect. You make me sick.

Comment by Paula — September 15, 2008 #

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Wow, this is really well done! Of course, if you sell them, the millions you make will end up in my pocket because the design is copyrighted . You did a beautiful job; I agree with Paula above: who could bring themselves to step on it? It’s too nice!!

Comment by Jessica Jones — September 16, 2008 #

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Don’t worry Jessica, after all that work, I’d never sell this one and I wouldn’t want anyone to have one like mine so I wouldn’t reproduce it either. Your copyright is safe with me!

Thank you for the kind words, they’re especially nice coming from you.

Comment by lgaumond — September 16, 2008 #

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If I have a few hours when I come home from work, I spend it watching Law and Order reruns. This is why you have a nicer house than I do!!

Comment by The Diva — September 16, 2008 #

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Great job on the floorcloth. I love the block/dot design and the colors you used. Floorcloths are very time consuming, but so worth end result.

Kris

Comment by Kris — November 6, 2008 #

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