Sew, Just Sew

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 Lots of things to do this summer, but mostly I've been procrastinating the roof on the Manchester. Finally yesterday I put my mind to beginning the glueing process. I'm doing a faux metal roof, a popular alternative to asphalt shingles here in Northern Colorado because the amount of hail we receive. Now more and more these metal roofs styles are showing up on dollhouses, probably because such a roof creates a sleek, modern look that complements the modern interior that is so popular. 

Actually in reality, such a roof seems a great alternative to placing hundreds of shingles. Still I've been nervous, making me abandon the house for a time. 

So yesterday I dug in, gluing in the place the ridge cap, but I'm going to save this for another post, for another hang-up has been the 3rd floor--what to do with it. I've thought of the possibilities: a craft room, reading room, another bedroom, or maybe even a laundry. It seems that I've settled on a sewing room.

But there is a problem with that, too, because I'be already done  sewing room, so how do I make this one unique and new? My first house, a major strip down to the bare wood renovation that you can see here----has a fairly outdated sewing room. The house has a lot inconsistencies and mistakes and gaffes, so sometimes I think about a re-do on that house. NO WAY for a couple of reasons: I love the house just the way it is and more so because all the mistakes demonstrate how far I've come in miniature building---from knowing 0 to knowing a lot more. It's even still decorated for Christmas. Dusty, too. Still I love it.

I image a granny seamstress with a barely begun dress on the sewing machine and stack of fabric for the next project. 

I have grown quite tired of the stairway that divides a house, but I think in many old farmhouses that was the standard floor plan. The nice thing about this house is that the stair way has a roomy space, unlike the more modern farm houses, like Real Good Toys very popular Vermont Jr. and my current project the Manchester. 

This thread display shows scale. I don't remember where I got these tiny spools, but they are more accurate to scale than what we might sub in, the wood working spools in the wood section at Hobby Lobby--the are even too large for Barbie, 1/6 scale.

I picked up this cabinet a long time ago, somewhere and I think that it might be half scale, but it works in this space for me. Back then I didn't know any better. Today I do and I don't care.

Fuzzy as the photo is, you can see the comparison.

Love the sewing machine, too. 

Now for the new: I've been so undecided on the the attic--or third floor. I love My Miniature Emporium miniatures and have contemplated buying her fully equipped laundry room, but seriously who has a laundry room on the third floor? We left my favorite house because the bedrooms were on the second floor where all the laundry came from and the laundry was on the bottom level with a lot stairs in between, so I'll not be putting a 3rd floor floor laundry in even a doll's house. 

I'll build a new house. (You DID NOT just read that statement!!!)

So another sewing room.

I learned how to sew very young. My mother made all of our clothes and even when I went off to college I sewed my own skirts--way back then girls did not wear pants, even in the winter. We had to ask the dean of women for special permission to wear jeans underneath our skirts in really, really snowy, bad weather. 

So I sewed most of my clothing. But I didn't quilt.

Lately, though, I have been with quilting friends, so that's what has inspired me to set up shop in the Manchester. Here's my list of Etsy purchases:

Blue Iron: Bitsy Nest

Ironing Board and white iron Miniature Crush

Patterns and Cutting Mat Download PDFS: Luma Littles

Sewing Machine: Still in the Woods

Fabric, scissors, buttons thread: Mini Treasure Shop

Shelf with fabric and boxes and more: Miniatyrmama

From my own stash: the book cases, an old Hobby Lobby set that came with a cabinet. While they are 1:12 scale, they really are too small small to hold much, even books. 

The table is a popular set and my even still be available. It come with two chairs. 

And why the treadle sewing machine, you ask? Oh for a couple of reasons. First, I cannot fine a modern sewing machine that looks realistic. And because my mother-in-law used to sew a variety of things for craft shows to earn extra income and all she had was her grandmother's treadle machine. Finally she saved up enough money to buy an electric machine. We knew she was failing when she had to call us to see why  the machine wouldn't work. There was screw or something missing, she'd complain, when in reality she had forgotten how to thread the machine. 

I found a variety of treadle machines for sale on Etsy, selecting this one because it was threaded. I didn't like the tread box on the treadle, so I removed. 

Some quilters do use what they refer to as a Feather Weight treadle machine because of its precise stitching.

While not a elegantly painted as the machine in the Pink Farmhouse, with disappointed me a bit when I opened the packaging, I'm growing quite fond of this 19th century relic.

My favorite and inspirational piece for this room comes from Miniatyrmama, who I have followed for a long time. I purchased other items from her Etsy Shop shipped all the way from Sweden. 

The irons came from two different shops. I had them both in my cart with the intention of going back and choosing one, but I hit "Buy" without thinking. No matter. I have three irons. Who uses irons these days? Always in sewing; laundry not so much anymore. The white and blue iron is actually one from Town Square, purchased from the Miniature Crush Etsy Store.

I've order another cutting mat that will come with rulers and a rotary cutter from the wallpaper shop, Itsy Bitty Minis. Can't wait to get it. This one is a down load PDF. I enlarged it by 25% in the print window to print it at 125% to get a larger mat. I cut a piece of card to glue in the center to give it more body. 

So here is the sewing room project, a little more modern than the Pink farmhouse room. When I find a suitable modern sewing machine, I'll add it and I'll fill the shelves with more fabric, stash more suited to a  a proper quilter. 

It's almost apple picking time and the peaches are in. Here we buy them from shipped from the Western Slope, but these little peaches came from last year's crop on our little backyard peach tree, while this Barbie's garden has been productive; looks rhubarb pie will be next.

                

And the lights are on. Sometimes that bedroom light doesn't work. Have not figured that one out. The third level doesn't have lighting yet. And while the inside is pretty much done, the roof is a PROJECT.

There is still a lot of construction going on. I did some research to see how real metal roofs look. In miniature using raw materials, I can only get close, but it will be good for me.

On this side I decided to add a gutter and instead of angle cuts on the end to fit the curve of roof line, I decided to do a straight edge based on some of the photos I saw because I can't get the angles to line up and look great.

On the other side, you can see the angle cuts and how are it is to get the lined up. I do like look of the V but I can't get clean cuts the match. We will see what I finally come up with.

I almost forgot. I've taken Ann's Dollhouse Dreams to Instagram--no Facebook. Look for me there: annsdollhousedreams

Hopefully the next post will feature a completed roof. I tell you, it has been challenging, but I think today I got it figured out. 

While I've never been to Maui, I keep the residents there in my thoughts as I remember the horrible fires that have scorched Colorado in year past. It's most difficult times for them and those in our Pacific Northwest battling wildfires.