soft flats

[rollo]

when making a soft flat is it best to use bleached or non bleached muslin

 

[chausman]

http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/scenery-props-rigging/261-making-flats.html#post1971

On fabric, muslin fabric comes in bleached and not bleached. Not bleached will absorb water, starch, paint and glue slightly better because it’s not already saturated. Bleached fabric in addition to being more expensive, will also due to the bleaching process be less strong or available in wider widths. The fabric is also available in differing weights of material which would be it’s overall thickness. This weight will have an effect on how smooth the fabric is, also how much tooth or holding power and stretch it will have. Something that’s as smooth as linen well due to the proximity of threads to each other and thread count, shrinks to conform to a flat differently than something that is rough, less refined and has larger holes between threads. The heavy weight 128 to 140 thread count fabrics are fabrics with a better tooth to it and larger shrinkage, thus the fabric you want to use because it will also be stronger. It has been a long time since I faced a soft flat so any further info on the subject is off what other people advise on the subject or is listed in books about it.

Welcome to CB.

 

[Van]

when making a soft flat is it best to use bleached or non bleached muslin

Preferably Unbleached or 'natural', medium-weight, Muslin.

OMG I was at "the Mill End Store" last week. They now carry "Organic, Unbleached Muslin" $9.99/yd in 56" widths..... I'm thinking of doing a "certified Organic" prodcution of "Into the Woods".

< not really>

 

[lipinski]

unbleached tends to take paint a tad more cleanly and is usually cheaper. Bleached will dye better if you're into that.