Date:- 15th March
And here we are in the workshop. (5ltr tin for scale bottom left) I have built a simple frame of 2" x 2" timber and the cloth was stretched on that. I then sealed it. Sealing took just under 9 ltrs of solution. I made up the solution as follows:- (Only approximate measurements)

8.5 ltrs cheap white vinyl matt emulsion
4 cup fulls of PVA glue
3 cup fulls of water
one dollop (about two teaspoons) of red vinyl matt emulsion.

The colour is there for three reasons. 1/. To help ensure I have mixed the ingredients well by watching it turn an even pink.
2/. I can see where I have painted the cloth. 3/. The resulting pink canvas (not easily seen in this photo) makes it easier to see the lines I draw.

I try to cover the whole cloth in one session so that it dries evenly. This cloth took me two and a half hours non stop. I used a 5" wide brush rather than a roller as I feel a brush gets the sealant into the canvas weave more efficiently. Incidentally I also turned off the heating to slow down the drying rate.
TIP Don't overload your brush. If you work from the top down, as I do, then keep an eye out for drips falling from your brush onto the (unsealed) lower part of the canvas. With the PVA glue in the solution these drips will quickly harden and be practically impossible to remove. So look out for any drips and spread them out whilst still wet.

I left the canvas to dry overnight and when I returned this morning it had tightened like a drum. The wrinkles at the edges show my uneven stapling in the first place!

Date:- 16th March

Today I drew in the one foot squares and marked in the figures. (see top photo) I use a stick of charcoal for this task. You will see I have put in my figures not just at the top, bottom and sides but also within the cloth. That helps me see where I am, when working close to the cloth. Saves having to step back to see the figures. With the figures within the cloth I put them straddling the line to which they refer. Drawing the grid took about 1.5 hours