Canvas Preparation

Name: Njeri Ndungu
Date and Time:

2016.February.15, 1:00 pm

Location: Chandler 260
Subject: Sewing Canvas


Materials:

• Canvas ~ 6 x6 inches (get precise measurements)
• Sewing needle
• Yarn needle
• 15 sewing pins
• scrap piece of canvas
• yarn (precise type, estimate the length used)

• measure one length of yarn along the four sides of the canvas, then continue about 4 inches more to ensure enough yarn for process
• place yarn approximately 2 cm within the edge of the canvas

• fold over canvas twice (about 1 cm each fold), ensuring that the yard is tucked in the outer edge formed during folding

• pin the folded canvas into place
  • the canvas is quite thick – its is difficult to get the pin clear through the two layers of folded canvas and the out edge of the canvas
  • in trying to ensure that the pin goes all the way through I consistently poke myself with the pins
• getting around the corner of the canvas is a bit difficult as well, yarn moves when attempting to fold perpendicular to itself.

• Folded corner is very thick, don’t attempt to thread pin as I do along the edge but rather pin clear through other side

• Continue process until all four sides are folded and pinned

• Final product is a round edges canvas with about 2 inches of yarn coming from one side
• A bit misshapen – would like to go back and make more regular but was too difficult – the idea of creating straight edges did not occur to me while I was folding

• Remove a length of canvas thread from the scrap piece of canvas by unraveling the weave

• Thread through sewing needle and create a knot

• Sew the bottom of the folded edge (that closest to the center of the canvas) to the flat canvas.
• Began by using running stitch but too difficult to get through all three layers – kept pricking finger and took very long time to make progress
• Switched to hemming stitch after about 1.5 inches of running stitch
• Moved a lot faster
• Had to change thread quite often
• Very taxing work, unclear on how to tie thread after it runs out (not enough slack in thread to allow the needle the angle necessary to go back through the canvas again)
• [See if you can go back to canvas now and get a picture that demonstrates this method] Lay the end of the previous thread along the canvas edge to be caught in the new line of hemming stitch (this way it gets tightened along the edge of canvas when new sewing begins.
• Do similar thing with the new end of the new piece of thread

Materials to continue work at home:
Add'l materials,

• wooden stretcher
• 16 times the length of stretcher side of yarn (precise measurement)

---

Name: Njeri Ndungu
Date and Time:

2016.February.15, 1:00 pm

Location: Chandler 260
Subject: Preparation of Rabbit-Skin Glue

• Place 1000ml beaker on scale and tare

• Weigh out 50 grams of rabbits skin glue in beaker

• Add water up to 500ml mark on beaker
  • oThe solution seems to have separated into three layers: the solid glue, the water layer, and a thick, viscous top layer
  • oPut into a hot water bath – pot filled with water and beaker placed inside of the pot

• Place thermometer in solution, desired range of heat is 40-60 degrees Celsius
• Mix with thermometer

• the glue began to bubble violently and erratically

• Create a ‘ suspension apparatus’ to lift the beaker (apparatus: 3 two-inch long bamboo chopstick shards that are held together by rubber bands. Rubber bands are thickly folded to provide cushion between the bottom of the beaker and the bottom of the pot. It is approximately half an inch high)
  • allows beaker to be heated by the hot water rather than the direct heat at the bottom of the plate
• let heat with constant stirring until even consistency and temperature is between 40 and 60 degrees Celsius.

---

Name: Njeri Ndungu
Date and Time:

2016.February.16, 8:00 pm

Location: Ndungu Apartment
Subject: Completing Sewing and Stretching Canvas

• finished sewing canvas with hemming stitch
• used running stitch for the thick corners rather than hemming stitch. Though it was more difficult, it seems to provide a tighter stitch which is necessary to hold such thick fabric together
• Detail of the thread securing method can be seen in details of the backside of the finished canvas (see upper right corner)

• Slide wooden stretchers pieces into each other to form completed square stretcher
• Tie end of yarn to one side of the stretcher with a simple knot
• thread the yarn through the yarn needle and tie a knot to keep secure
• place the canvas inside the stretcher and thread end through the canvas
• when attempting to thread through the canvas the thick knot prevents the needle from going all the way through the tight weave of the canvas
• tried again without tying knot but instead allowing about 1.5 inches of slack on end of needle. The slack comes unraveled fairly easily
• Quite difficult to get through the canvas, but can move through with some finagling

• After threading through canvas, lead the yarn under then over the stretcher, repeat as shown
• Stitches are about 1 cm apart to begin. This takes far too long and is not necessary to keep such small canvas taut. Increase distance between stitches to about 2 cm.

• At the end of each side of the stretcher, tie off the string so that it each side can be adjusted individually.
• Final product is quite loose, will figure out the correct tautness in lab
• Fingers REALLY hurt after this process, having to grip so tightly to the needle to force it through the thin weave of the canvas

---

Name: Njeri Ndungu
Date and Time:

2016.February.17, 11:45 am

Location: Chandler 260
Subject: Prepare Canvas with Rabbit Skin Glue

• Tighten the canvas quite a bit by tightening either side of the canvas
• To tighten: begin by untying one end of the string, pulling the first stitch at the tied end tightly, then continuing along the string until you reach the loose end, and tie the loose which is now a bit longer.

• Check the temperature of the rabbit skin glue so that it is between 40 and 60 degrees Celsius. – temperature is 54 degrees
  • Much thinner consistency glue than expected
  • Wipe off the excess on the edge of the beaker
  • Use wide (TYPE?) brush to apply one layer of rabbit skin glue to canvas

• Changes the canvas to much darker brown color
• Appears very wet when applied, soaks all the way through the canvas also turning it a dark brown color
  • Allow to dry in a fume hood allowing for ventilation between inside the hood and the lab environment

• Approximately 1 hour later apply a second layer of rabbit skin glue
• 
  

• This time application does not change the color as dramatically

• place back in fume hood to dry

---

Name: Njeri Ndungu
Date and Time:

2016.February.22, 10:30 am

Location: Chandler 260
Subject: Application of Earth-tone ground layer


Materials shot^

Pigment mixing^


Dryish pigment mix^


Teresa Grinding pic and vid^


Cleo grinding pic and vid with suction-y effect^


Njeri applying ground layer with brush ^


Final product with exposed edge and drying in fume hood^

[Not pictured: application of lead white layer - couldn't take photos because would contaminate everything]


Final canvas with lead white (put on window sill to dry) ^

---

ASPECTS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN MAKING FIELD NOTES

• note time
• note (changing) conditions in the room
• note temperature of ingredients to be processed (e.g. cold from fridge, room temperature etc.)
• document materials, equipment, and processes in writing and with photographs
• notes on ingredients and equipment (where did you get them? issues of authenticity)
• note precisely the scales and temperatures you used (please indicate how you interpreted imprecise recipe instruction)
• see also our informal template for recipe reconstructions

---