Not in Vane

 Around here, we call this Heather Weather, for our oldest daughter was born on March 27th on the heals of the worst blizzard in 40 years. Forty eight years ago we lived on the farm about 13 miles from the hospital. During a routine visit past my due date, my obgyn told me to go home, get some lunch then check into the hospital. My husband and mother-in-law spent the night in the hospital with me as the blizzard raged outside, forcing road closures, so bad snow storms happen in Northern Colorado in March. No big deal.

While this storm, one of Mother Nature's milder temper tantrums rather a a full-on rage, the bad weather offered ample opportunity to work on the weather vane for the Manchester Country Home. Perhaps you'd like to make one, too. 

This project is not my first weather vane. You can visit this two posts on the first two that I assembled: Meeting A Challenge, the unicorn weathervane that I made for Lily's House 

The second weather vane project appears in Hamilton Finds a Home. You will enjoy that post about a mouse in the chicken house--a true story.

Inspired by our weather vane installed by a previous owner, I set about last week to create another one, a better designed one than my previous attempts.

I began by searching Cricut Design Space Images for a weather rooster, finding only two: this black one and the same image in red. This screen shows how to create the shapes for the cupola, arrange them, and  attach them so that Design Space does not rearrange them in Make.

This simple preparation will save wood, but more importantly allows you to cut pieces according the direct of the wood grain. Here I am using Cricut's 1/16" basswood that measures 6x12". I cut it with the grain length wise down the mat rather than with the grain running across the mat because I would have to cut off 1". When cutting wood, the wood cannot be wider than 11" because when the blade passes over the at the 12" edge, the blade will break. 

Here are the measurements in inches for the pieces. 

BUT before you cut, you must get the angle for the body of the cupola correct so that it will rest in place. My husband, a machinist by profession, gave me this handy protractor to measure angles that are not visibly 45 or 90 degree angles. 

Once I have calculated the angle, I trace it out on paper then fold the paper in half and cut the angle to insure an evenly centered slice. I have not figure this out in Design Space--how to get angles accurate. Perhaps Inkscape might be helpful, so I traced my pattern on the cupola sides and cut them with a X-acto. 

Essentially these are the pieces that you need. Be creative, dig in your bead and wood stash to see what you can come up. Google "weather vanes" to see the possibilities besides roosters--like mermaids, witches on their brooms, or pigs flying. 

I also cut--but not enough--the tips off the tops of the triangles to fit the vane poll/

The top of the cupola has to be flat for the foundation to sit firmly and evenly on the roof of the cupola. I had to sand it to make the top level.

Not everything has to be perfect, especially if it gets covered up.

Before I got to this stage, I went through a lot of trial and error. The first on the left was my very first attempt to design the chicken house weather vane see at the end--minus to box-- that I need to rebuilt t so that it fits on the chick house roof better. I also experimented with creating a copper weather vane by using a paint pen that now sells for nearly $7 at Hobby Lobby--with good results and the $.189 acrylic metallic copper paint with decent results. However I decided to use with a black rooster.

While the supporting pole general attaches directly to the cupola or the roof, I had to use some sort of foundation to hold my toothpick pole steady. With more work, I might figure out how to mount the vane pole with out the square block, but for now here's how I assembled it.

For the tooth pick vane pole I used a 7/65" drill bit then had to work it a little more so that the eyelet fit then using a hammer to get the eye fully pushed in.

The holes for the directional tooth picks used a 5/64" bit and the tooth picks fit snugly.

The toothpicks are now glued in place. I cut the direction letters off the vane and used a wooden bead to secure the rooster.

These are all the tools and supplies that I used. I especially recommend using an old kitchen cutting board as a base for drilling so that you drill your work top. The shape wood and remove a lot of excess I use course sandpaper, but be careful to take off too much. An emory board is just about right for fine sanding.

I purchase most of these little wooden pieces at Hobby Lobby. Most of them are used in furniture making, but work great for pieces and parts in miniature building.

At one time I tried my hand at jewelry making, so I had a bead stash, but now I search the beading section for supplies for mini making. 

I cut several sizes from card stock, with the final cut from Cricut's Kraft Board, a heaving product that cuts nicely, using the purple mat and the knife blade.

As you can see, my copper vinyl cut didn't go well. I prefer the paint because you can create a more realistic patina and aging for the outdoor vane.

While not finished, the weather vane fits and looks like I imagined. I like it.

The letters are cut from the mat board glued place--delicate, yes; sturdy? Not really, but they will work.

WE keep hoping that the weather will warm up, for there is plenty of garden work to do and I'm itching to get outside. The Manchester has one more big project and that's the roof. Stay tuned.

 I you are new to the blog, say "hi." I don't sell anything, I don't promote anything; it's just me. 

Thanks for visiting.

Day Sleepin'

 The interior of the Manchester is pretty much finished. I've filled cracks and crevices with painter's white caulking, cut most of the trim to finish hiding rough edges, yet to be glued place, and done most of the touch-up painting. Major tasks left to do: glue the balcony back into place; attach the exterior trim, and the roof. I've considered Greenleaf's Speed Shingles that I used on the Bellingham; the faux asphalt strip shingles that could be costly, single shingles in my lumber stash, or a faux metal roof that would require only paint and strips of wood, glued in place. 

But I can't make up my mind, so the exterior sits in limbo.

Just when I decided that I would not build another large house, I found a shell of the older Real Good Toys Newport on Facebook Market Place located near daughter Heather in Denver for $100. So tempted. It was missing the tower that sits on the mansard the roof, so I emailed RGT to see if they could provide replacement pieces--and they can, along with all the trim, windows, doors, interior walls, etc. I calculated the cost.  Then went to eBay to see what I could see.

Another older Newport kit (now redesigned and renamed the New Haven). The eBay house is $175 with $110 shipping. A bit of calculation reveals that it would be a tad more expensive to get this kit with all the pieces included. I made an offer. It was rejected. So I decided that I just don't need another large house. Do I?

As I mull over the Newport, a Victorian Empire style that would be so much fun to make, I began working on the Manchester attic by making a day bed. Inspired by Carolyn's tutorial on how she makes her little daybeds at Cinderella Moments, I made my first daybed for the Bellingham and loved how easy it was to make and how great it turned out. You can see it here: DayBed, along with the full tutorial. 

The bed is cut from 1/16" basswood, an easy hand-cut project; however, this time I used the Cricut Maker.

With new projects, I always cut a prototype out of thin cardboard--like a cereal box or even computer paper. My cardboard cutout is a GO.

First, writing a Cricut tutorial is tricky because, especially if you are brand new to your machine and want to dive in to make mini furniture making, you have learn how to use certain tools, so I suggest that you search for Youtube Tutorials to learn how to use the tools listed at the top of Design Space work space, along both sides, and the ones in the bottom right hand corner. 

PLEASE before you attempt this bed and if you are new to your machine, learn how to cut basswood by taking a Youtube tutorial. There are many good ones. In addition, you can use craft board or chipboard instead of wood.

Tools to cut wood: Purple Mat, knife blade, painter's tape

This tutorial will demonstrate how to use the Shapes collection on the left and the Slice tool to create custom shapes, and the Attach tool. For this day bed I used a square sized to 5"x7"; used an oval to create the notched corners. Once I had one corner sliced, I used the Flip tool to flip the newly created triangle to move to the opposite side to make an exactly matched notch. You have to play around and use trial error to get the slices perfect. Use Command Z to quickly undo mistakes.

Next I created the sides: 2"x7, the bed of the bed slightly narrower, and the front brace. 

This bed will have a tufted headboard, so I created my template for the tufting, which will be either print and cut or I can use a pen to mark the tufts. Carolyn's tutorial shows how to make a tufted headboard.

With the pieces created, I am ready to cut my wood. I can group my pieces in Design Space after creating them, but when I click Make and see the Make screen I see that Cricut has rearranged the pieces on my wood, waisting precious wood and disregarding the grain of the wood, so there is an easy solution.

For this project I used Circut's basswood--worth the price. It is 6"x12". I create a template of the wood then position my pieces on the template as the wood will be placed on the mat--the grain horizontal or parallel to the left side of the mat. With the pieces in position, I carefully side (drag) the wood template to the side and the pieces stay in place. Next I select all the pieces, not disturbing or moving them and Attach them, holding them in place. Remember command Z to immediately undo a mistake or incorrect move.

Now you can see that all of the pieces are in place and ready to cut. 1/16" basswood takes about 9 of 14 programmed passes, but I am thinking that Cricut has reprogramed the machine to stop cutting at  7 or 8 and I have discovered that the across grain cuts don't go all the way through, so I have to use my X-acto blade to finish the cut. 

The cut results:

I used Gorilla Wood glue to adhere the pieces.

 

With a large fabric stash, including fabric pieces and scraps for mini-making, I found bed sheets that I had hemmed at one time. Not in the mood to do any sewing this time around, I used the sheets for this bed. 

There are a number of materials that can be used for a mattress. I keep mine simple and use what I have on hand. I cut the mattress from 1/2" foam core board, slightly smaller 1/4" or so all the way around to allow room for bedding. Here, I am using wool batting left over from stuffing cloth dolls. 

 

While my sheets have finished stitched edges, they don't have to be finished; in fact, the sewed edges create more bulk, so it's better not have finished edges.

Simple wrap bedsheet fabric around the mattress and glue in place. 

I've not decided on the color pallet for the attic, but since I had scraps of the stripe and just wrapped it around and really like it. I had sewed the striped pillow and the other one came from the mini stash--for the moment.

While the bed isn't finished, it does seem to be turning out nicely. A comfortable place for some day sleepin'. 

To finish dressing the bed, I added a dust skirt it a piece of eyelet edging from the lace stash. I taped most the fabric in place, and once I am satisfied with the how the bedding looks, I'll glue it all in place.

 I made pillows--very simple: cut a rectangle twice the size of the finished pillow, fold it in half. I pressed the top edge to the inside to create an even hem once the stuffing is added. 

Next I folded the fabric in half then I hand sewed around two edges. After turning the pillow right side out, I added a bit of stuffing and carefully glued the hem edge closed. 

And there you have it: a cozy spot with a comfy bed to do some day sleepin'.

I'm so glad you dropped by. I'd love know what you are up.

Have a great week. 

Ann