Finally - An Update!

I do hope everyone had a very happy Christmas! Ours was very nice, but I have to say that having another week off after this one is very welcome.


I have found some time to work on Rosehill Cottage, although since it's been three and a half months since I last posted about it I am sure it doesn't look like I've accomplished much. I've been working on the bay window in the back of the living room, and trying to figure out how to do windows with mullions. I would love to use individual panes of glass, but just don't have the skill for it. This example is plastic with the mullions painted on - cream on the inside and green on the outside. This was just my prototype, and my final ones will be much neater.



Here's a view through the bay window to the front door.




The item I am most excited about is the blue velvet ottoman I made. Actual velvet or velveteen would be too much texture for the scale, so I used some dark blue quilting cotton and "colorized" it with Prisma pencils. I was going for the shade of aqua blue on the one from the film, so I used a combination of turquoise, royal blue, aqua green and white to give it the uneven texture of velvet. The cushion itself is made from balsa wood covered in thin batting. After covering the base with the blue cotton I pushed tiny steel pins with painted heads to match the fabric through the cushion to resemble buttons, and clipped off the excess with a wire cutter. The underside was then covered with a thin panel of stained balsa wood. The legs on the film version were turned wood, but after an attempt to carve a dowel with my Dremel (and a small flesh wound) I resorted to black glass beads glued onto a pin and pushed into the balsa center of the cushion. I think they do a good job posing as ebonized wood!


It is apparent to me that I enjoy making accessories much more than the actual structure, and you can tell from the patchy look of the unfinished sections that I have no idea what I am doing. Thank goodness for balsa wood - so easy to cut through and fix. You will never know when I am done and the surfaces are covered in Paperclay how spotty my construction is.


Here's to a very wonderful 2012 for all of you!

Comments

  1. I am so glad you are making this cottage. I adored the movie for the cottage. When I watched it a second time I tried to figure out a sensible floor plan for the up stairs but never managed it. The downstairs was so easy. There are so many GREAT pictures of the inside of the set online. Which has to be so helpful as you recreate it. Are you going to try to make that sitting room library? That was a wonderful room. I LOVED the bathroom with the stone behind the tub. It was such a GREAT shaped tub too.

    Sorry... I am starting to babble here. This house was just something I loved from the first moment I saw it.

    Your ottoman is a perfect copy! :-) You are doing a magnificent job building this house. I am so happy to see you are working on it again.

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  2. Thanks, Catherine! I've not meant to have it be so long, but I've got two girls and their school schedule just knocks me out (we have to drive them), and I work 3 days per week. As much as I want to work on miniatures full time I just get so tired.

    The upstairs layout is as follows: The bed is over the front door. The bathroom is over the kitchen. On the outside of the house the windows on either side are swapped with the inside layout (the covered window should be behind the closet, the open one in the bathroom) but nobody else would notice that.

    Yes I am making the library - we didn't see enough of it in the movie. The interior set photo shows the door to the outside opposite to the placement of the exterior door on the house shell, but once again nobody would know that based on the movie. Opposite the door is a window, so the lighting would be about the same.

    Thank you for your encouragement! I am SO enjoying this project.

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  3. Totally mind blowing, as usual. :)

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  4. Thank you for explaining the floor plan to the up stairs. I am LOVING watching you build it. I understand that having children and a job ties up most of your time. I have been wondering how the project was going. I look forward to every new step you post. It is just so wonderful to watch.

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  5. You are doing such wonderful work! It doesn't matter if it takes years, you will really have achieved something very special with this house. Keep in mind that your house will always be there to work on but one day your girls will be young women and ready to spread their wings. :)

    I prefer making accessories too and can totally relate to balancing work, family, dolls housing and blogging! Be easy on yourself.

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  6. This your project is beautiful!
    Have a wonderful 2012!
    Hugs

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  7. The ottoman looks fantastic! Great job, Allie!

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  8. Hi Alessandra - thanks for leaving your comment on my blog. I'm desperate to start this project but there's always something that crops up to delay it! After browsing through your blog last night I settled down to watch some TV and you'll never guess which film came on! It was The Holiday and as soon as we saw inside the cottage I was scrabbling for my phone to recheck your blog, how spooky is that? Hope to see more of your work and if you think I'm taking too long with 'Annfield' just chide me along a little. Wishing you a happy and peaceful 2012, Allison x

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  9. Allison-
    Thank you for your comments! I am so looking forward to seeing progress on Annfield. I have found that my blogger friends are very encouraging, and give me a sense of accountability to get something accomplished. I'll chide you if you chide me!

    Also, I am so jealous that you get to live in Scotland! I hope to someday visit there.

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  10. I am amazed at the beautiful work you have done on your ottoman. It's perfect. I just kept looking and looking at it. I love how you made the legs. You do such beautiful work. You were so fortunate to get photos of that cottage. I wish there was some way I could get photos of a cottage that I have always loved. It's called Rose Cottage from the television winning series Road to Avonlea. I have searched and searched but to no avail.

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  11. Lucille, thank you for your comments on the ottoman! It was fun to make.

    I found this on Rose Cottage:

    http://themarginalian.blogspot.com/2011/01/house-love-avonleas-rose-cottage.html

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  12. This room is incredible. I have always wanted to make this room as well. Your room looks great! I cant wait to see more. Please keep posting. The blue ottoman looks beautiful.
    Have fun,
    Carey

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  13. Your ottoman is simply brilliant -- stunning and looks perfectly in scale. I really love it!

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  14. Fantastic works! I like your blog
    hugs
    Magda

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  15. Thanks everyone for your encouraging words!

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