The Rug

I got so many wonderful comments on the rug.  I thought you would like to know where I got the pattern.  It's from the book Dollhouse Decor by Nick and Esther Forder.  I found it in a second hand bookstore in Vermont about 6 years ago, so I don't know for sure if it's still available in bookstores.  It's been a wonderful source for me for all sorts of soft furnishings for dollhouse projects.  If you can find a copy it is definitely worth the purchase.

Thanks for all the new followers.  I've been reading your blogs and found such great inspiration from your miniature works as well.  Thanks for sharing.

For all those who leave comments, words cannot express how much they mean to me.  Your comments give me the motivation to continue on in my miniature projects.  Thanks for your kindness.

I've started my next miniature needlepoint project now.  Some needlepoint cushions for the castle room.  More on that in the next posting.

I'm off to the hospital now for a much dreaded test.  Wish me luck.

Until the next time...........

Wanda

One completed rug

I've gotten a little side tracked from the garden shed this week and decided to finish the rug for the castle room.  Here is the completed rug.  It took me about 2 years, off and on, because I kept putting it down to work on other items.  But it is so nice to have it finished.  I was challenged with blocking it, and I may wet it again and try a little more, but it is much improved over where I started.

I also photographed it with some of the other pieces for the castle room, so you can see the colour theme I am working with for this project.

And from another angle to see more detail

Overall I am pleased with the finished product.  I have always had one miniature needlepoint project in the works at all times, so now I need to find another to start.  I would like to do some needlepoint cushions for the castle room, but am still looking for the right pattern.  Would love some floral and traditional patterns.  If you have some suggestions, I would love to hear about them.

Hello to all the new followers.  Thank you for taking the time to check out my blog.  I've found several new blogs to follow myself in the past week because of the new followers.  There are such wonderful and interesting blogs to read out there.  I think I follow over 700 blogs now.....it's getting hard to keep up with them all, but I am managing.

It's been an absolutely beautiful week here in St John's, and now we are celebrating our Canada Day weekend, with an extra day off, YIPPEE! So I have to go outside and enjoy this beautiful weather. It's Newfoundland and we are lucky to get two months of summer, so we have to grab every beautiful day when we can. It's suppose to get up to 27 degrees celcius today.

Until next time............

Wanda

More of my needlework

I haven't done any new work on the garden shed today. I follow over 200 blogs, and I have done so much reading of new postings by others tonight, that I haven't done any work myself. Oh well!! So I still wanted to check in, so I thought I would show you another work in progress. I had mentioned in an earlier posting that I always have one needlework project in the works all the time!! I obviously don't need a needlework project for the garden shed, but I've been working on a large rug now for over a year.

I am attending Camp Mini Ha Ha in September and we are building a castle room. I have decided to make my castle room a modern twist on an old castle. I want to build a very luxurious living room in the castle. I am envisioning a wealthy couple who have purchased an old castle and they are renovating it for today's world, still trying to keep a little of the past, while maintaining the comforts of today. I am hoping to use the rug I am working on in this living room.

Here are some pictures of the Castle prototype.

If you want to know more about Camp Mini Ha Ha, visit http://www.campminihaha.com/ for more info.

I was so excited to discover today that I had 5 new followers!! Wow, thanks for having an interest in my work. Please take a moment to visit their blogs!

Anneke, http://pieplyts.blogspot.com/

Caterina, http://leminisdicockerina.blogspot.com/

Beatriz, http://miniaturasdebeatrizfernandez.blogspot.com/

Piikko, http://avenidamignonne.blogspot.com/

and Kreattiva, who doesn't appear to have a blog. If I have overlooked it, let me know and I will post a link to your blog.

Thanks for taking an interest, I would love to have your comments and feedback.

-Wanda

More of my minis

I have done a little bit of work on my garden shed, but nothing worth showing today, just glueing more shelves and cutting more pieces for the roof, and cutting out printies for the items I need for the inside of the shed. So since I had nothing new to show you on the garden shed I thought I would share pictures of some of the other items I have done other the years.

The first item is another one of the rugs that I have stitched. The one shown below was my second rug. It measures about 5x9 inches and it's stitched on 32 count linen. The colours are very soft and I am using it in the dining room of my victorian dollhouse. The pattern came from a booklet that I have long since sold, so I can't give you the designer's name unfortunately. It was the first rug I ever fringed and I wished I hadn't sold the pattern because the instructions for fringing were the best instructions I have ever had, and I have not been able to duplicate the technique since!





The next item I wanted to share is actually a House of Miniatures kit that I have completely bashed and I am very pleased with how it turned out. The bed started out as a small twin bed, and I added bed posts and length the headboard, and used the original bed post to create a trundle bed. The trundle bed is on brass castors that actually work! I still have to dress the beds, and I am considering adding a quilt rail between the two spindles on the footboard. More to follow on this bed, but I thought I would share my progress to date!




There are more followers to welcome today.

Mirel, http://minimami.blogspot.com/
Heleni, http://heleni-trespetitblanc.blogspot.com/
Janice, http://onbeingaminimum.blogspot.com/

Thanks for taking an interest in my blog!
-Wanda

garden shed progress

I'm still actively working on the garden shed, but there isn't a lot to show for it in pictures. I am very pleased with two things I have accomplished though. The ridge beam has a double 45 degree cut on the top, running the full length of the beam. Likewise the fascia boards have a single 45 degree cut running the full length of the fascia. Problem is, I don't have power saws to make such cuts.

But I have accomplished it. I did in manually with an Xacto knife and sand paper. I'm very pleased with how it turned out. I tried to take pictures of the cuts, but it was challenging zooming in to show the detail, so I apologize for the blurriness. Keep in mind that these boards are close to 13" long with these cuts running the full length. I've just focused in on the very end to show the detail.

On another note, I thought I show you something more interesting. One of the main delays with creating miniatures is drying time for glues and paints. So many times I work on several projects, but space does become challenging then. One thing I find is a great filler for the time in between is my rug making. I've been making miniature rugs since I started making miniatures over 20 years ago. I enjoy it tremendously. There are times I don't touch the rugs for months, but then I find I have long stretches where I work on them constantly between other minis.

I thought I would share with you some of the rugs I have completed. This is the first two I've done. Both patterns came from miniature rug books. The rug is in 28 count and the runner is in 32 count. Again I've tried to zoom in to show you more details on the runner, sorry I've got lots to learn about my camera.

In the picture above there is also a picture of a pillow I have stitched, but yet to assemble. The blue rug is one my sister stitched for me. It's on 18 count.

Above is the close up of the runner.

Again I have to welcome one more follower.

Klara, http://klarameijer.blogspot.com/

Minnie, http://minniekitchen.blogspot.com/

and Iris and FabShabbyRoses who don't appear to have blogs. If you do, just email me and I will put the link on my page.

Also yesterday in my posting I welcomed Latiana and said that her blog was Beautiful Mini Blessings. I made a mistake and I apologize to the owner of this blog. Latiana doesn't have a blog but is following lots of blogs and this was one of the one she was following. Latiana, thanks for letting me know! And thanks for following my blog. I followed blogs for many months without having a blog myself. I was so inspired by other's blogs that I decided to have my own blog. I also hoped having my own blog would give me more discipline to finish my projects. Now I am accountable to all the followers who want to see the finish projects!! Thanks again for your interest.

-Wanda