Help with fabric for a personal project

[MythOfTheWild]

Hello everyone! I have a project in mind that's quite important to me and I need some advice. I want to make a large scale map of a fantasy world, like the ones in the front and back of books. I want to do it in an old fashioned manner, and I know that they used animal skins and leathers to paint their maps onto.

I'm going to use an acrylic/water blend, so I'm quite certain that it'll take to most fabrics, but I'm wondering if you can advise me on what fabric would be best? I don't know much about fabrics so it's quite difficult for me to make any guess myself. I want it tan in colour, like old maps, and I want it to be thick and sturdy, but I can still roll it up around a wooden scroll-type end. Do you have any suggestions? I was originally going to use average fabric, but I'm worried it might be too flimsy. Or is there something I could use to strengthen it before or after I've painted it?

All suggestions are helpful, but you may have to tell me a little bit more about the fabric, but if you can't do that, atleast give me the name of the type of fabric you need, not just a description. I'd like to actually get somewhere when I go into the shop to buy something :P

[SealandStringStudio]

There's something that's called Onasburg that might be what you want.
http://www.onlinefabricstore.net/sheeting-fabric/osnaburg-fabric/unbleached-osnaburg-fabric-.htm

You'll be limited by the width of available fabrics. Standard widths are 36", 42-45", 60" or 108" and not all fabrics are available in all widths.

[Former_Member]

A muslin would have the surface texture you will want for the best visual effect, but it is a lighter weight fabric. It can be stretched over a frame like a canvas though prior to painting.

You may want to try a heavy canvas fabric, a upholstery grade burlap fabric with a tight weave or upholstery grade linen. These will have a heavy weight like an old map would have, and will accept a fabric paint processes.

Are you framing this or hanging it? If you are stretching it over a frame then you will want to put it on the frame and use gesso to tighten the fabric on the frame prior to painting it.

[Former_Member]

I don't know how much work your up for Kim but you could make your own felt. (it wouldn't look anything like commercial felt) You could make it deliberately thick in some areas and thinner in others to give interest. When you roll the felt it has a naturally 'wavy' edge that would resemble torn paper.

[Former_Member]

Just had another couple of thoughts.. you could probably use a calico (it comes in different weights) and paint on it. I used to use it with the kids to make kites years ago and we'd paint on it using household emulsion. It's reasonably inexpensive so wouldn't cost much to experiment.

You can buy 'iron on interfacing' which comes in different weights and when pressed onto any fabric will stiffen it so you could do your painting on any cotton fabric (something like curtain lining) and then iron on even a couple of layers to get the stiffness you want.

[Former_Member]

I suggest playing with 100% linen. It has a beautiful look and feel to it, and someone may have it here on Etsy - perhaps even in different weights/thickness/textures. I love using it to paint on instead of canvas, and I stretch it myself.

[Former_Member]

My three suggestions would be linen, antique muslin, or canvas fabric . Any one of the three would look great. The linen would be a more formal elegant look, the antique muslin would be more of a casual look and it would look more old world., the canvas would take the paint well , but i can't picture it as looking as good as the linen or antiqued muslin. Hope that helps Gilllian

[MythOfTheWild]

You guys are amazing! I stupidly asked some craft shops first and their answers were fine but not great, but you guys hit the nail right on the head. Last night, after asking this question, I started thinking about it a little deeper and I had a vague idea of what the ideal fabric looked like but the name was lost to me.

Now I know that it is either linen, onasburg, or (most likely) muslin! Thanks a lot guys! Now I just need some swatches and to make my mind up :D you've all been a massive help!

[Former_Member]

You can dye the muslin in tea or coffee if you need another antiquing idea, if using muslin.

[MythOfTheWild]

That's even more helpful, thank you! I'm sure that would have been my next question once I had the fabric!

[amuandpri]

I would say linen or canvas, are good & sturdy to work with :)

[MidnightCreations]

The other thing you could try which may actually be a better quality then chain store muslin would be white sheets. You coud probably get a king size flat sheet, tea dye (as suggested above) and have a huge map, also on this the ends would be finish so it would cut down on raveling, if that is a concern.

[PrairiePrimitives]

Sounds like you'd want to try canvas, duck (it's a cotton or cotton/poly fabric!), or something along those lines. If you have a fabric store locally, go in and talk to the employees there. Explain that you want something heavy but flexible, solid color (presumably), etc.

As far as making it look old, i do that to most everything I make! I stain things with fairly strong coffee. Sometimes it's as dark/rich as espresso, other times it's almost closer to the consistency of oil if I want a REALLY old and grungy look. I prefer Folger's brand instant coffee, but other coffees work well too. Tea can be used to stain also, but it generally makes a yellow-brown stain vs. a very brown stain with coffee. Hope this helps!

[kidsstore]

It is best to use natural fabrics, as paints don't always work well on fabrics that have polyester in them. Also, why not buy 1/2 yard of several fabrics for a trial run. That way you will have a better idea of the effect you are going to get.

As for raveling while you work on a fabric, you can either have someone serge the ends for you or put masking tape over them. That will make your project easier to work on. Good luck.

[Former_Member]

I was the former Joann fabrics fabric manager and I would suggest a duck cloth like canvas something devoted more to home furnishings, not a regular duck cloth because that would be to stiff. Or a good quality heavy duty muslin like a kona blend. And, another idea is a suede. I don't know quite how it would take the paint but it would give the look your going for. Go to a fabric store and purchase a four inch strip and practice on it first. Let me know what you come up with because I would love to see how it turns out.
Good Luck

[Former_Member]

Why not just use Linen? The original fabric used by painters from all over the world to make their paintings! And you can use 'undyed' linen or try 'old' linen (and stain that with coffee or tea and a bit of brown acrylic paint).

Good luck!

[Former_Member]

I had a hard time dying with tea/coffee - not sure why. I think I followed some online instructions but I wasn't satisfied with the intensity of the dye. I do think linen is wonderful to work with, though. (And no, I don't carry it in my shop. :))