Dressing a Bed

I don't know about where you live, but here on the plains of Northern Colorado, the heat is on, with 100 degrees predicted for today. We've turned off the air conditioner because it is has a problem, so I have retreated to the cool basement where the craft area is. I determined yesterday to finish a project, but first, the other night, I started and finished a very little project.

Early in the spring I purchased this little barn kit for the Toy Store from Dave Nelson at Colorado Doll and Bear Museum mini show. Some of you are meeting Dave and his wife Wendy as they travel across the country, participating in the miniatures shows.

The directions are easy to read. (I don't know the manufacture)

I covered my work table with butcher paper, wax side up then I laid down  a wide strip of double sided tape to which I lay my tiny pieces to paint them. I had watched a video on HBS on assembling a 1:48 scale house that gave the suggestion to
attach tiny pieces to the cellophane tap to hold them in place while being painted. The instructor used wax paper, but my butcher paper worked just as well.

The pieces dried quickly; to prevent over painting drying, I removed the pieces and cleaned  the excess paint before it dried in place. The pieces dried quickly, so I was able to repeat the process on the other side.

Instead of the cliche red barn, I wanted to do an old weathered barn. I am not an artist, so I don't know technique, I just went with my imagination. For the roof, I mixed a platinum acrylic craft paintthat has sparkles with the white, which I thought would be okay since some roof shingles have sparkle to them. Besides it was late at night and I didn't want to prolong the project.

I did the same with the platform, trying to make it look like a barnyard.

Once I had the barn painted with white paint that I added splashes of black to to get a non shiny paint, I added a layer of white then added streaks of back, more watered down white and after letting it dry, I sanded it to give it a weathered look.

The old red barn is now more legendary than reality. As we traveled the Midwest from Colorado to Michigan, we saw some of the most beautiful farms, most with the giant white barns and large white farm houses. 

I am pleased with my results.

It was meant for the Toy Store, but I have so many toys for the store, I think I'll leave it in the little boy's room in the Bellingham Farmhouse.

Making the Bed

If you search the blog for "Bed", you will find a number of posts on bed making, even making sheets. so here is my newest bed making project and I think my beds are improving. I tend to think very literally and tend to go about making little things as they would be in real life, like fitted sheets, but reality does not always work in small scale, so I have been learning and progressing as I make my own things.

I determined yesterday that I would dress the five beds that I have that need bedding, and here are my results. for the first three. (I have misplaced my fat quarters for the one bed. GRRR!)

First, I revisited Julie Warren's YouTube on how to make a 1:12 double bed (she also demonstrates how to make a single bed, too). She shows the process in two videos, the first one building the bed and the second one where she makes the bedding.  I sort of went rogue, taking short cuts.

Because she is British, I decided to measure my bed just in case the beds standards are different in England. Before I watched her video here's how decide how what size to make the bedding

• Standard Mattress size for a double bed: 54x75 inches = 4.5 feet or 4.5 inches Wide; 6. 25 feet or 6. 25 inches (61/4) long.  
• To double check, measure your purchased bed, as I did this one. 
• Decide the width of the bedspread by how close to the floor you want it. 

I cut two 7x61/2 pieces, adding and 1/4 inch for seam allowance and hand stitched the the two pieces together, right sides together. You can hand stitch your project, machine stitch, or even us fabric glue.

Once stitched, trim away the excess to reduce bulk once you turn the pieces right side out. A note on stitching: my first stitch begins about 2 inches from the the center of the top and continues around the bedspread to finish at the top, about two inches from the edge, leaving an opening to turn the bed spread right side out or to stuff it, which you can also add to make a puffy comforter.

I fold the top edge in about 1/4 inch. Ideally iron this top edge right side to the wrong side so that when it is time close the opening, you will have the edge pre turned. Again, hand stitch, machine stitch, or glue. I glued my edge. If it looks too rough, make this the bottom of your spread.

Next are matching pillow cases. You will note that I cut on the fold so that I cut one piece instead of two. My pillow pieces measure 2x3 inches.  

Stuff you pillow. I use quinoa, but on Facebook many are objecting to food based filling. I like the consistence of the tiny seeds. I can't cook the stuff to make it taste good, so it becomes a perfect filler. Objection inclued attracting mice, bugs, moisture or mildew in high humidity areas. Other suggestions include seed beads--could be expensive, or I think the filler that I am going to switch to at the suggestion of Carolyn at Cinderella Moments is candle sand.

Anyway: 3 teaspoons for each pillow.

Use a funnel to avoid a mess.

Glue or stitch closure.

I will add that Julie Warren's You Tube video has a better way for cutting the back of the pillow with the opening on the backside instead of the end, and I like her way.

Here is the finished bed. I had a top sheet already made that I used.

Julie glues her bedding in place, but I might want to change things up one day, so I used double sided Scotch tape to hold the bedding in place, wrapping both top sheet and bed spread tightly around the manufactured mattress.

I think that it is very cute in the bedroom.

Staying with the Roy Roger's theme. The rug came Green Gypsies on Etsy.

This is Lily's bed. She chose the fabric from my fat quarters collection--Fat quarters essentials for quilters, measure 1/4 yard and are perfect for small projects.

This spread has the sheet attached. I cut one piece of floral fabric and one of scrap--literally a skimpy pieces and sewed them this time with the sewing machine. I gave in and drug out the machine because I had cleaner seams and it was faster.

See What's in My Stash Post to see how I made this bed from wood scraps. Search for 'bed' and see other beds that I have made, some better than others. Some not so much. Or 'sheet' to see how I make bed sheets.

My favorite project is my hand crafted day bed. I used Carolyn's Cinderella Moments for the pattern then customized it. The post, "Lights Out" shows how I made this bed. I thought I wanted to go for the messy bed look, but I just couldn't quite pull it off, so I made a nicely made bed.

I do have a small sheet underneath, but I don't think I really needed it once I decided to with a lace heading. I have this great cousin who collects textiles. She is a quilter, and you know quilters--they cannot resist a good piece of fabric. When we visited her and her husband in April, she shared her vintage lace collection with me, so yellowed with age, this edging is perfect. I frayed the edge of the floral print, noticing now that I need to straighten it out. 

If you share your home with a cat then you understand how this cat who was napping on the front porch of the Bellingham Farmhouse to make this antique, hand crocheted afghan his little nest.

I think I have told you the story of where the afghan came from, my blogger friend from England who said that it is part of set of six coasters that her mother had crocheted. I love them and put them on my dollhouse beds for that extra touch of homeyness. 

Speaking of cats, there's Mo napping. That's about all he does.

Inside the attic bedroom, the cat will have nice place to nap and the teen girl will have a comfortable place hang.

To finish the room: crown molding, base board, and floor covering. 

Thanks so much for visiting. I give credit to Julie Warren who produces some great videos that are so easy to watch and follow and to Carolyn at Cinderella Moments for so generously sharing her secrets for building such amazing cottages.