Plant stand and mannequin

While buying supplies from a shop in the UK, I added a plant stand kit by McQueenie Miniatures to my order. It’s a beautiful kit made from mahogany that was very easy to put together. I sealed the wood with satin varnish by Delta Ceramcoat to bring out the grain of the wood.

The hydrangea plant is by Falcon Miniatures. I made the roses and bowl from quilling paper many years ago. The rug is a paper printout of the Piazza rug by Dynamic Rugs.

The other kit came from Hazel Dowd, a different supplier in the UK. The mannequins are sold premade as well, but I bought it unassembled at a lower cost. It was a very easy kit, again with a wood base and cap beautiful enough to varnish without modification.

The wire hanger is by Handley House and the dress is a scrapbooking item by Jolee’s by You. I plan to make some clothing myself but couldn’t pass up this beautiful dress in perfect scale. :D The brass coat rack came from a furniture lot a friend gave to me.

Categories: Furniture, Miniatures
March 13, 2010 | 0 comments

Llama rug

I stitched a pattern from Exquisite Miniatures in Cross Stitch and Other Counted Thread Techniques by Brenda Keyes. I went to a local needlework shop and asked for 22 count needlepoint canvas the project called for, but once I started stitching I realized she had sold me 24 count canvas. Not a big deal for this project, but I was glad I noticed before I used the canvas for anything that required an exact count.

Since this was my first project using canvas, I had to get something besides an embroidery hoop.  I tried to find a smaller needlepoint frame, but the local stores didn’t carry the smaller sizes. I could order online, but then again I wanted to be able to see what I was getting beforehand. On a trip to Michael’s, I found a 4″ x 6″ unfinished wood frame for less than two dollars. t was perfect for miniature needlework and less expensive than the frame components. Sold!

I stapled the canvas in place but have since acquired flat tacks that I plan to use in the future.

I substituted some of the colors listed in the pattern book for what I had on hand, using only embroidery floss not wool as indicated. I also moved some colors around on the pattern to make the llamas stand out more against the background. The rug measures approximately 3″ x 5″ (not including the fringe) and took about 24 hours of work time.

Though I am not planning a southwest-inspired room, I really liked the pattern of the rug. It reminds me of a souvenir my mini inhabitants might have brought back from traveling. The miniature trunk is carved wood and opens; it was a gift from a relative many years ago. It’s marked Made in Poland. I made the plant from floral tape and wire.

Categories: Needlework - French knot rugs
March 12, 2010 | 0 comments

Orange Tree tapestry

I checked out a bunch of books from the library and lined up a number of projects. The first one I completed was from Exquisite Miniatures in Cross Stitch and Other Counted Thread Techniques by Brenda Keyes. This book is not specifically for dollhouses but has smaller real life size projects that can be used in miniature settings both with and without minor modifications.

The art is called Orange Tree, so I thought it would look nice in a conservatory.

I stitched it on 28 count evenweave fabric in mushroom color. The book had called for it to be stitched on 22 count needlepoint canvas. The color of the fabric saved my having to stitch the background, and the higher count made the project smaller in size. The needlework is mounted on stiff felt on the back.

Categories: Needlework - French knot rugs
March 7, 2010 | 0 comments

Newport – Conservatory

Though the Newport was sold eventually, I’ve compiled some of the posts I made when I first started building it.

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The conservatory sits above the garage and is accessible from the master bedroom. The double French doors came from the Foxhall Conservatory kit used to create the garage.

The stairs from the master bedroom are the original front door steps for the Newport kit. I will leave the brick wall exposed, but I haven’t decided on an exterior or interior finish for the conservatory walls. The windows will obviously take up most of the surface area.

Before cutting the French door and window openings in the new conservatory walls, I did a little planning to figure out how the furniture would fit best. The plaid sofa and chair shown below now reside in the study, but they’re about the same size as what I have planned for this space.

I made the elephant ear plant from floral tape and wire. The rattan planter is by Concord Miniatures. I’ll have more plants, most of which I plan to make myself, including some hanging plants. It looks a bit crowded from the perspective shown in the photo above, but the room is actually spacious. The rug is a paper printout of the Piazza rug in brown by Dynamic Rugs, but I plan to recreate it in another material besides paper, such as punchneedle or needlepoint.

I cut the window and door openings in the new 3/8″ plywood walls. The foam core rooftop is just for planning purposes. I haven’t decided on whether I want a glass (i.e., acrylic sheet) roof or a solid one. The single French door opens to allow access to the outside of the conservatory where there will be a narrow walkway and room for outdoor plants.

I’m rather excited about this room, mainly because it is turning out as I had hoped just like the garage. Both the conservatory and the garage are partial scratch built rooms using the Foxhall Conservatory kit as the basis.

Categories: The Newport
March 2, 2010 | 0 comments

Mackintosh chair covers

I’ve been checking out books from the library to find ideas for projects and to generally drool over all of the beautiful minis out there. One of the better books I found was Embroidered Projects by Sue Hawkins.

It has rugs, screens and pillows in a nice array of styles. There were a few lovely items worth spending the time stitching, but there was one in particular that caught my eye: the Mackintosh chair cover. I already had the chairs…and the design in the book fit perfectly with my modern living room.

In the past, I’ve done quite a bit of counted cross-stitch but very little needlepoint. The project called for 32-count silk gauze but I had a hard time locating it. I also changed the colors from what was listed in the book because the pinks were just too bright for my taste.

My eyesight has always been good, but wow were these tiny stitches!

The first one took a little over five and a half hours of work, and I did it without the aid of a magnifier. For the second one, I flipped the design to have a mirror of the first and bought a magnifier with two LEDs. The second one (at the bottom of the photo below) took about the same amount of time but it was much cleaner since I could actually see what I was doing.  :D  Since I already had enough fabric in the hoop, I decided to make another like the first one; it turned out much better the second time around.

I had to remove the glued-on chair pads, which was a scary task since the chairs were expensive. I popped them into the microwave to loosen the glue, but it still wasn’t easy removing them. While the cushions were off, I gave the chairs a couple of coats of Bittersweet Chocolate paint by Americana. The original finish was uneven and a bit too red. I then sealed them with satin varnish.

I removed the original fabric from the chair pads and used the needlework to upholster the chairs. I finished the edges with twisted embroidery floss. I think they turned out pretty well for my first attempt at miniature needlework and fit in rather well with the modern style and colors in the living room.

Categories: Needlework - French knot rugs
February 24, 2010 | 0 comments