A Little Bit of Stitchery

Bird Stitchery Design by Gail Pan

A little bit of embroidery for a change. I got the design from Gail Pan's website (I don't think it's available now). I had this frame which was just right fit! It took me about a week to stitch. I've used variegated DMC threads. It's now hanging on my living room wall. 

Sewing - Thread Catcher/Pincushion

I've had my (very expensive) Brother Innovis 1800Q for five years, and I finally got to use it! My craft room was in a mess and although there's still a LOT to tidy up, put in drawers, or throw away, I feel I'm getting there. At least I can use the sewing machine. The first thing I made was this thread catcher/pincushion. I bought the pattern from Etsy, and it was very easy to follow. I used some tiny plastic beads - which are meant to add weight to doll bodies - to the pincushion, plus some soft toy filling. I already have a pincushion/thread catcher, but the bag is very baggy and I wanted something more sturdy.

I have a HUGE pile of unfinished needlework projects - quilts, bags, applique pictures, and so much more - and I want to see how many I can get finished before the end of the year! The "kits" are taking up too much room in drawers which I could be using for other things. 

I want to use up lots of the fabrics I have, and not buy any more! The fabrics I used for this project are from Moda, and I bought it to make one of my quilts, though I can't remember which now ... it's been so long! 

All My Miniature Building "Finishes" So Far in 2020

I haven't posted anything since December last year, but not because I haven't been doing any crafts, because I have ... a LOT. I just felt I should be using the time to actually crafting and not having to stop to post after every step. I was - and still am - working on each of the projects as the mood hit me. That meant that I had lots of boxes full of the parts for each of the buildings lying around, but after a while the pile of boxes came down. I still have a few things to finish, but it's too hot at the moment to do anything too taxing ...

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These are my finishes so far this year. All the buildings below are 1:48 scale, and all from Petite Properties.

The Corner Shop.  This is one of the early Petite Properties book and kit packs. I wasn't confident I could do the bricks with air dry clay, but I've used some embossed paper I bought on Etsy (from Greece), and it works very well. The shop facade is made from cardboard, and I'm very happy with how it turned out. I much prefer the newer kits where everything is included. For these earlier ones you had to make the windows from sticker strips stuck onto acetate, make card doors ... But in the end I just went for it and it worked! The interior is OK, but one of the corners could have been done better ... When I come to furnish the inside I want to put a pile of boxes in that corner to hide the messy bit!

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Cockleshell Cottage. This one is another of te early kits. Had to make a bumpy roof on this one. In the instructions they tell you to use air dry clay, but instead I made the "bumps" with air dry clay, and put some of the Greek cobblestone paper over it ... and it looks really good! I've got a little (tiny ...) boat kit from Jane Harrop, and I want to make it up to put outside this cottage.

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 Money Box. This one came with the door and windows, the bricks, and even the crack, already printed/etched on. I'd put off finishing it for many years but I decided to go for it and got out my thinnest paintbrushes and again it turned out really well!

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Another money box ...

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Toadstool Cottage. I had to make the exterior beams from card ... More of the embossed paper on the chimney and permanent marker lines to make the leaded windows.

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 This is the little cabinet on which La Belle Boutique will eventually stand.

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These are the individual buildings which make up Memory Lane.  These are from right to left -

The Lean-To Scullery. This is an extension to Purbeck Cottage (below).

 Purbeck Cottage.

Nanna's Pantry. A cake shop!

Marshalswick House. Hotel.

Daffodil Cottage.

Buttons and Bunting. Haberdashery.

Marsworth Arms. Pub.

 Crimple Cottage.

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Washtub Cottage. Again, another of the earlier kits. I had to make the windows using acetate and stickers. The stone exterior is more of the Greek embossed paper. The pavement I made by cutting out pieces of card.

All the buildings for Memory Lane are now finished, and I have a shelf to put them all on, but I have to drill holes in the hard wall in the living room and I'm a little bit scared ... 

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The bedroom in my 1:24 scale cottage. I had a chair to match the desk, but Tilly "ate" it! I bought this little chair kit from Petite Properties, and painted it and distressed it a little to match the desk as well as I could. Looks like they belong together 😆

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La Belle Boutique

So, here I am, going from one kit to another, and not finishing any of them! Maybe this way I will eventually catch up with myself and finish all the projects. This is La Belle Boutique, from Petite Properties.

 The ground floor is going to be a clothes shop (for now at least), the first floor may be a living room and the top floor a bedroom. All this is subject to change ...

I made my usual paper strip floorboards for the two top floors, but decided to use some tiled paper I bought on eBay a while back for the shop floor. 

The Little Duck House

I started on The Little Duck House from Petite Properties last night, but unfortunately I don't have the paint for the interior walls so couldn't do much more. Of course I could have used another colour, but I tend to go for the colours used in the original model if I like them!

I've ordered lots of paint colours from Petite Properties now. I'm not sure I like the colour of the floorboards, so I may re-paint them. 

I'd like a darker grey colour for the floor and roof of the gazebo, but I think I'm going to leave the floating duck house roof that lighter grey. I need to distress the whole structure a little bit too. I also need to paint in between the little bits of wood at the top of the gazebo wall trellis, and give the whole thing at least one more coat of paint.

I also have a picnic table and benches and a garden bench to go in the cottage garden.

I need to find ducks for the pond, but I don't like what I've found for sale on the Internet, they look very rough!

More Work on The Little Stump House

Oh, so frustrating ... I could only do a little bit of work on The Little Stump House because I run out of glue sticks! 

Little Stump House

I received the oasis I need for the branch bases (ie those little round things at the bottom of the photo) a while ago, but hadn't got round to using it. So today (now yesterday ...) I decided I'd give it a go. I need to trim the backs a little so I'm able to fit them flush against the side of the Pringles tube. I also made the door surround from a "sausage" of kitchen foil.