Made in America

I've been especially enjoying the red, white, and blue for the 4th of July celebration this year. I don't decorate the big house so much. I put patriotic buntings on the fence at the driveway and patriotic barn stars on the brick entry way to the courtyard. It's enough. However, I have long wanted to decorate the Bellingham Farmhouse, so here are the projects that I've been working on.

Some time ago I purchased these wooden stars at Hobby Lobby. I don't know if they still have them or not, but they are fun to decorated with. I purchased two sizes, painting the largest one to look rusted. It was installed on the house before I finished the house, I liked it so much. Now the smaller star give the house that nostalgic, patriotic feeling.

I did the best I could painting the tiny points. When I finished it was too red and wished that I had give it a rusty, weathered look. 

So I mixed blends of paints to try to get the rust color that I wanted.

Well, things didn't go well with the rusted wash. Anyway. It is what is and looks weathered and worn with a bit of sanding, too. I may work on it some more, but I thought I'd quit while I was ahead. 

This next project went well, though. Quite simple. I found the patriotic bunting flags online, printed them, then cut them out leaving a top edge the I folded over toward the back, trimmed away the excess, applied some white glue and glued them to, of all things, left over round wired cut from an old plug end of a lamp.

I like the look.

Next, I set out to make some tiny pillows. OMG. What a tedious chore with such problems. I had two methods. The first was to use scrap muslin. I cut piece of waxed freezer wrap (kitchen waxed paper will work, too) 8.5 x 11 to fit in the printer and ironed with a HOT iron a piece of muslin cut the same size to the waxed size of the paper. 

I designed my pillow tops in my Cricut Maker Design Space

Create the pillow top: 2x2 inches

Use Shapes button to grab a square. 

Select it, change color from black to white

Import your images (green truck and first poppy)

Red, white, and blue truck: purchased .svg file from Etsy

To add text: select desired font and type phrase; I centered my phrase underneath the image, attached the two images the flattened them for print and cut. If you don't flatten the image, even though the text is printed, the machine will cut it out, even the text. So make sure not forget to flatten image and text. The svg truck has layers so if it isn't flattened, the layers will be distributed on different mats to be cut, so make sure to flatten the images and the text. I found it easier to attach the image and text and flatten before I place it on the pillow top where I attach it.

Because I wanted the Cricut to cut the backs, too, I duplicated a plain top to make 6 backs of the pillows. 

Group your images and attach them so that when they appear on the cut screen they stay the way you organized them.Tricky. 

The second method is much simpler: printable fabric, mostly used by quilters who want to make photo album type quilts. 

The butcher paper adheres to the fabric nicely with a bond strong enough to run through a printer, but not strong enough to run through the Cricut. Print the images on the bonded fabric then remove the fabric from the freezer paper and place it on the pink Cricut mat to cut the images. To cut the fabric, choose the cotton setting which require the rotary blade.

The muslin accepts the ink nicely. Just make sure to let the ink dry before you place it on the pink mat for cutting fabric.

I created my pillows in Cricut Design Space making the images "print and cut." The images are sourced through a number places, including Design Space images. The blank space indicated where the pillow backs are placed. 

Remove the muslin from the waxed paper and place it on the pink mat for cutting. Use the Cotton setting and the rotary blade.

 

The results were mixed. The Cricut cut the fabric nicely, but the fabric edges fray pretty badly, but more disappointing were the images on the pillow tops were not centered. What a bummer. They looked centered in Design Space. I used the center align tool to make sure they were, so I'm not sure what why the graphics aren't centered.

 

But I decided to sew them up anyway.

I sewed one side seam first, pressed it open, then folded what would be the top hem to close the pillow after the stuffing is added and ironed it down for easy folding.

With the sides seamed, I was ready to stuff the pillows. For some I used quinoa to fill some and wool fiber fill for others.

I wasn't happy with fraying fabric and because the images weren't centered, I decided not work with the first batch.

So I re-designed the pillow tops in Design Space and printed them the printable fabric, with very nice results. Use the Printable Fabric with the fine point blade.  Leave the fabric attached to the backing. The machine will not cut through it. I used Hobby Lobby's store brand mat that is reallllly sticky. 

 

Very nice results. No fraying. Clean, nicely printed images.

I followed the same procedure to assembling.

Except! While the first batch pillows were 2x2 inch squares, which would yield a 1.5 inch pillow,  I thought the image was too small, so this batch was 2.5x2.5 making them too large and out of scale. 

Darn it. They looked so nice.

But there is a down side to this fabric: it is very stiff. I didn't like the stiffness and I don't have the vintage look that I wanted, so I made these pillows anyway. Maybe Barbie would like them.

  

They look great, but not what I want.

I really like the muslin pillows for the old, vintage look.

I decided to make another batch. And that was a near disaster. I figured that if left the paper backing on the commercial paper, I could leave it on the muslin. Bad idea. With out going into details, the fabric separated from the wax paper and go caught in the blade and jammed the machine. I feared I had ruined my machine because I couldn't unload the mat because the of the waded up fabric. I did finally get the mat and fabric removed. Whew. I was able to still use the fabric and didn't have to reprint. I smoothed out the wrinkles, relocated it on the pink mat and began the cutting process again. There was smudge ink and some damaged threads, but that only enhanced the "used" look. Since the muslin wadded up before it was cut, I was able to salvage this set of pillow tops.

Because the muslin frays so badly, before I removed it from the pink mat, I applied Fray Stop to the edges and let it dry. Worked great, but when I cleaned my mat with Dawn and hot water, the Fray Stop didn't wash off. The mat isn't totally ruined--I don't think.

 

While the Cricut handles fabric nicely, I've found that when fabrics fray so badly you are left with a very messy mat.To remove threads that have frayed off and stuck to the mat, I used wide masking tape to remove the threads--sort of like getting eyebrows waxed. Then I washed it with Dawn and scrubbed with kitchen sponge and let dry.

The newly cleaned mat shows wear and tear, but I think it's still usable. 

While I was at it, I had a corner of printable fabric left that I taped to computer paper and printed the two rugs from a Word document.

I filled the larger pillows (gray --another blooper) with wool stuffing. They are the 2.5x2.5 designs, so I cut down the edges to make smaller pillow, so my bloopers won't go to waste. The muslin pillows were filled quinoa (because I don't how to cook the stuff) so that they sit more naturally. I glued the seam shut with fabric glue.

The rejects.

These are my leftover messes. 

I love this new rug that I ordered of Green Gypsies on Etsy. Love her mini items.

I left the backing on my rugs to give them some body.

The swing is a Hobby Lobby Fairy Garden item, which fits on the Bellingham balcony nicely.

The balcony is a nice spot sit on a hot summer evening with glass of sweet tea, don't you think?

The buntings came for Green Gypsies on Etsy, too. They were my inspiration for my pillow project. Two of the best pillows are on the bench. 

I love this house; my interpretation of a modern Texas Farm House all decked out to celebrate Independence Day. 

Some final notes: 

Printing on fabric is pretty easy. Choose nice, neutral colored cotton or muslin that also comes in white if you don't like the tan.  

You can design your images in your favorite computer program, which is sometimes easier than Design Space. I use Microsoft Word, but Pages, Adobe, and other design programs can be used. 

For printing rugs, the printable fabric is prefect because it is has a stiffness and you don't have to remove the backing for firmer rug. I printed mine from Word and used scissors to cut rugs out. 

Using the Cricut Design Space does take some experimenting, which can be costly, if nothing else. Even after redesigning my pillow tops, they still didn't print correctly. I think rather than fooling with it, I'll make simple images in Word and hand cut them once printed on the fabric--that is if I make throw pillows again.

I leave this project with renewed respect for my favorite venders on Etsy who offer beautiful handmade fabric items that are perfectly made. 

To my American Friends:

Good Bless America

And bless the men and women who serve and protect.

Thanks for visiting. 

Have a great week.

Stealing a Moment Here and There

There will be two new posts for you to enjoy today, so when you finish with this one, the second new post follows. 

 The summer heat is on, so gardening will take place early in the morning in the coolest part of the day, while the mini making will wait until afternoon.

We had a lot going on besides having our grandson here, but we did go see Top Gun Maverick.  I bought Top Gun on DVD because I wanted Nathan to see that one first. He was amazed. He loved both movies. Going to the theatre is a rare experience, but this one is a must see on the big screen. We always go to the movies, and generally I let him choose, but I wanted him to see what will be a classic. 

So.

By stealing a moment here and there, I have made some progress on the Manchester wallpaper project. Right now I am focused on finishing the living room and dining room, and installing the crown moulding along the the back wall of the main part of the first floor so that I can install the stairs, but there are still plenty of tasks to finish to get all of that done, like painting wood trim that I did this afternoon.

The living room is all but done. I need to install the moulding around the door and add curtain hangers for the curtain rod and it is finished.

You know my process for doing wallpaper:

√ Apply Grandmother's Wallpaper Past to the back side.

√ Place the paper on the wall and use a gift card or perhaps your Cricut scrapper to smooth out the paper and remove any bubbles under the surface of the paper. 

√ Cut the paper wide enough for this wall to wrap it around the corner to create a smooth corner seam when the side wall is papered.

√ Use wide craft stick to apply the glue to the back of the paper. A bit messy; that's why I use the kitchen paper that be discarded and a new one used for the next piece, and keep a damp cloth handy to keep my fingers clean.

 √ To keep the paper from scooting around I've taped it in place to keep it from moving across excess glue on the kitchen wrap.

√ Once amply covered with glue, slide the stick across it to remove excess that I return to the jar.

The side piece will slide right into place, easily, but will it fit? Did I make an accurate template?

I had a really hard time cutting this opening correctly. Sometimes even with templates I can't get it right. In this case, it's really not a problem.

In this situation, the door trim will cover the little mistake. I don't mind these little miscalculations when the mistake can be covered up. We have a very satisfying fit. Besides wallpaper covered with trim doesn't have to go clear to the edge of the opening only far enough so that the trim covers the raw edges.

The window is another example of miscalculation and then not correcting early in making the template. 

I should have fit the template again with the window frame in place because on the left side the glued paper lapped over the window edge--just a smidge, but enough to make a difference extend beyond the frame. 

Lesson learned--one that I seam to have to learn more than once: The cured glue on the paper won't cut. I looked at the window from the outside and I could see the paper sticking out beyond the window sill, so I knew that I had to trim it. The window frame wouldn't cover up this mistake.

I hacked away at the tiny excess as it just wouldn't cut with the Xacto blade. When I thought that I had enough in scrapped away, I glued in the window. I think next I'll dampen it since the glue is water soluble and see if I can soften it and get it smoothed out.

I'll do better on the remaining windows.

The stair surround nears completion as I most excitedly applied the blue plaid to the wall for the coffee  bar. 

Now both sides are papered and ready for trim.

Took me quite a while to get the trim pieces figured out. The tops of both side walls are such odd shapes with odd angles an required more thought on how to trim them.

I use 1/4 inch corner moulding to cover the corners, even though I was please with the results without the corner trim, but it dresses up the corners, but they won't be seen since they will face that back wall and only visible through the open front door or its window.

Wallpaper Sources: 

• Living room:

Dark green Hobby Lobby open card stock, textured. A nice heavy paper that holds its shape.

William Morris Floral Garden Print found on Raw Pixel. Free download. Printed on mat photo paper 8.5 x 11inches. 

• Dining room: 

Back wall Water Color Roses: Jessica Cloe download printable on Etsy. She also offers a pre pasted paper. I printed on 8.5 x 11inch mat photo paper because it is heavy paper, making it sturdy. You don't have to worry about rips or wrinkles. I also use Krylon Sealer to give it a protective coating. 

 Peach paper: Double sided card stock purchased at a local scrapbook store. I'll use it in the bedroom, too. The two different papers are not the quite same shade. Also heavy enough that it won't tear or wrinkle. A bit stiff to fold for that corner wrap around, but I use a scoring board (Martha Stewart) with her bone folder to crease the paper to make it easier to fold. 

• Kitchen: 

Blue Plaid:I found the original image in a Pinterest search and found it here a houzz.com and grabbed the image. Since I am not going to use the image to make a profit or on anything that I might sell, it should be okay to use the image privately. Full credit:

York Wallcoverings KI0532 A Perfect World Polka Dot Plaid Wallpaper

By York Wallcoverings 
Scrapbook paper and card stock:Gray card stock from my supply. Lighter in weight, but still heavy enough to hold its shape and not tear or wrinkle.
Thoughts on scrapbook papers and printable wallpaper:

• Affordable and easy to source with an unending selection of colors, patterns, and textures. I always buy more than what I need. Two papers cover the Manchester rooms, but if you mis measure? Always buy extra.
• Always consider scale. Is the image too large or too small for the scale of the structure? Not much advice here except to let you eye decide. The images that I used for this house follow the current wallpaper trend of big, bold, colorful floral prints as opposed to the Victorian delicate, tiny prints.
• Sturdy since it is heavier paper
• One notable disadvantage, Size:  the sheets are 8.5 inches wide, so if the room has a high ceiling 9 inches (or 9 ft.) you will have to print two sheets and have a seam or use wider crown moulding or floorboards. I don't like seams, especially if the pattern needs to be matched. Same goes for the depth of the room since the paper is 11 inches long, again limiting the wall coverage of large room. 

Printable Wallpaper:

• Affordable. I print on mat photo paper since I have a good supply of it and get good results. Same advantages and problems as with plain card stock. Etsy venders have great selections to choose from.

My favorite source for good quality dollhouse wallpaper is Itsy Bitsy Mini who I have used for years. They a comprehensive collections of coordinated papers printed on fine quality, heavy paper with a glossy finish that holds up so well to the heavy wallpaper paste. Most importantly when dealing with an online source, the company has great customer service--even when the mistake is theirs. 

As dollhouse beginners search the Web for tutorials and "how tos", they will find a plethora of ideas and techniques ranging from gluing in the wallpaper to a card stock template and adhering that with tape to the dollhouse wall or using hot glue (ugh) or Modge Podge--which I don't have such good luck with because it tends leave brush strokes.

I understand the concept of not wanting to make some things permanent in a dollhouse--I have that same fear of making a commitment when I permanently attach something to the dollhouse--what if I don't like it or change my mind or make a mistake? That's why I use this water soluble made for dollhouse wallpapering paste--glue--adhesive-- because it can be easily removed with a damp cloth or a thin spray of warm water that will penetrate the paper.

In the end, with experience, miniaturists find their own techniques that work best for them and that will fit within their skill set (with grows with each project), their free time, and their pocketbook. 

Thanks for visiting today; now go make something pretty.