Painted Floorcloth Class

Painted canvas rugs had their beginnings as cloth game boards, playing cards, and table covers as far back as the 1400s.  Until the 1700s textiles were considered too precious to be used on floors.  Indeed, most homes had floors of either tamped earth or unvarnished wood and were generally left bare.  In the 18^th century, “floorcloth” was a generic term that referred to a carpet substitute of wool, flax linen, or cotton and went by many names.  By the middle of the 19^th century, floorcloths were referred to as oil cloths.  Linoleum and a growing taste for area rugs caused floorcloths to fall from favor.  In the 1920s they were advertised as stove oil cloths for use where ashes and grease could damage other floor coverings. 

I’ve had a floorcloth at the entrance to my home for several years with no maintenance except for vacuuming.  With three large dogs who rush the door multiple times a day, it has held up surprisingly well.  Although it could now use a replacement if only I could decide upon the design I'd like to use LOL 

Yesterday we had a class here and had so much fun!  We took the size back down to the table and completed a small rug that may be used as a placemat, table mat for the center of a table, or game board.  The key to a floorcloth is thinking layers and thinking from the bottom up. 

Here are Laura, Jennie, and Kristen trying to decide on the background color for their rugs.  So many colors - which one shall I pick?

 

And Jennie hard at work trying to figure out her new camera.

 

Jennie’s beautiful basket floorcloth before she finished antiquing it.

 

Kristen looking well satisfied with her fabulous mod design.

 

Laura antiquing her wonderful birdie in a nest folkart floorcloth.

 

And here is mine – it hasn’t told me yet that it is finished…and yes, of course it’s out of the box – I don’t know how to do IN the box LOLOLOL 

 

What a fun day!

Reds - Good Ones and Maybe I Shouldn't Have Done That Ones!

There are good reds and then there are reds that you might regret later.  Hmmmm...let's see,

Vintage red child's booster chair?  GOOD!

Red coffee pot?  GOOD!

Vintage metal cup trimmed in red?  GOOD!

Red heart angel?  GOOD!

Red bloom on Japanese maple?  GOOD!

Red polka dots on door angel?  GOOD!

Painting a wall in a bedroom red?  MAYBE NOT SO GOOD!

Shown after one coat of Kilz2 guaranteed to cover.

Can you say two to three coats might cover?  LOLOLOLOLOLOL

A Little Bit of This.......

and a little bit of that.  Everything seems to be growing - yea!  I might be setting a Jill record this year - I think it's the longest I've kept this much alive (and weed free) LOLOLOL  The dinosaur kale came up last week. 

Stonecrop went into my typewriter since I couldn't find chicks and hens at the nursery. And wonderful Mexican petunias behind it - this is the first time I've tried them and they are loaded with buds.

A purple plant of some sort in the pot on the porch. Of course I didn't keep that tag and can't remember the name of it.  Lucy is gazing longingly out the door and you can probably see doggy nosies on the glass too LOL

And marigolds around St. Francis - if that darned solar lantern doesn't work so well then the marigolds may be bright enough to light the way LOL Hubby does like yard art! Oh and my daughter brought me three Mexican sunflower bushes. Something that somehow found it's way into her garden last year and is really fabulous in full bloom. One heavy stalk just full of small sunflower blooms.

I planted some herbs last weekend - Tabor thyme, rue, marjoram Gold Tip, sweet marjoram, tricolor sage, Greek oregano, and Boxwood basil. Lots more basil to get this weekend and hopefully will be able to find some lemon verbena. My last batch grew wonderfully for two years and then died out.

I hope you have a lovely rest of the week and a wonderful Easter weekend!