Miniature shows

We had our annual Miniature Show in Johannesburg this weekend and I bought this lovely full scale furniture plan book, I am sure you will see some mini furniture from it in the future :-)



I couldn't decide which of the two Toby jugs I liked the most, so I bought both, they were from somebodies private collection. The silver egg cups are from Balgove Miniatures and the little mice are from a South African artist.



This little doily I bought from a different kind of show, an online show arranged by Shelley Norris, I am not sure when the next show will be but it sure is fun. The doily was made by Ludwina an IGMA artisan that crochets the most amazing fine and delicate items and she makes truly magnificent hand knotted miniature rugs.

Elga

Biblical Berlin Wool Work

I started this embroidery more than a year ago and finally finished it. It will hang in the top hallway of my Victorian dollhouse, well that floor hasn't been built yet, so it will take a while before it actually hangs on a wall. I stitched it with DMC on 48 count silk, the finished size is 5" by 4". It depicts the story of Jacob waiting for Esau and Jacob is not sure if Esau is coming in peace or not after all the years which explains the wary expressions on their faces. The chart is available from Roland Designs.

Elga

Queen Anne Chairs finally at Home

Before I move on to new projects I just wanted to show you the French Knot rug, Queen Anne chairs and the tilt-top candle stand in their permanent home in the dining room of my Victorian dollhouse.



The doors will lead to a conservatory one day that still needs to be built. I made the curtains years ago and the wallpaper is full size paper that my middle brother gave me years ago. I need to still make a dining table and six chairs for the dining room somewhere in the near future.

 Elga

I am Back Home!!!!!!!!

I arrived back in South Africa on Saturday. Guild school was just fantastic and I learned so much from my two instructors Carol Hardy and Bill Robertson, as soon as I finish the Tall Clock I will show it to you with self made hinges, after the hinges class I don't think I will ever buy hinges again. I am planning on going again next year. Some of the classes were held right down at the waterfront this year because of renovations and I took this photo of the town while walking down there.



The Lobster and Live Auction night was a lot of fun, I don't eat seafood and had a lovely tender piece of steak while most people was cracking open their lobster to get to the edible parts. The screen that I made and donated to the auction sold for a whopping $1050, WOW!!!!!



I think we only had two sunny days in Castine, the rest of the time it was rainy and rather cold, this photo was taken on the last night of Guild School.



After Guild School I spent a day in Boston to visit the Museum of Fine Arts, they have a magnificent collection of antique American furniture and to my immense delight I found the original Queen Anne chair that my miniature ones are based on, on display. It sure is one of the most elegant chairs that I have ever seen.



Next I went to Holum in Norway to spend 10 days with my brother and his family, I met his two children for the first time, the new baby was five days old when I arrived there.



Norway must be one of the most beautiful countries in the world.



I hopped over from Norway to Amsterdam in the Netherlands to meet up with Elly a fellow blogger and PetitPointer, we had a lovely visit and she showed me a little bit of Amsterdam.



My brother and I took the Ferry from Kristiansand to Hirtshals in Denmark and we went to Birthe Knuth's Miniseum, she has an amazing display of Dollhouses and miniatures as well as a shop, if you ever find yourself in Denmark do go, you will enjoy it .



A Viking grave in Denmark, I had a wonderful trip and look forward to my next one.

Elga

Off to Castine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here are a few photos of all that is going with to Castine, I finished a tilt-top candlestand yesterday that I started a few weeks ago and I quickly built a roombox yesterday and this morning to display the furniture in.



Casey, this one is specially for you, the seats were needle pointed.



The fire screen is also finished.



The screen can slide up and down and stay in position.



The back of the screen.

I am off to the airport in 3 hours, I don't know when I will have internet access again, thanks everybody who send me good wishes for Castine, I appreciate that so much!!!!!!!!!!!

Elga

Queen Anne Chairs and French Knot Rug Finished!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, can you believe it, the two chairs and the french knot rug are finally finished, I am so glad about that!!!!!
Elga

American Fire Screen: Almost Done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, my fire screen is almost finished, it just needs a final sanding, stain and a finish. Two of the corners of the frame will only be glued once the stain and finish has been put on if you are wondering about the gap.



I am quite pleased that the frame can slide up and down and stay in position, I was worried that it would want to fall down to the bottom.



Well, the drawers what can I say, except that it was quite a job, the drawes are only 3/32" (2,4mm) high. I am really happy at how it turned out. Only 4 days left till I leave for Castine!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PS: I really need some photographing lessons!!!!

Elga

American 18th Century Fire Screen: Sliding Frame

Yesterday I cut and grooved all the parts for the sliding frame, the embroidery part will be able to slide up and down in the side posts.



The straight sides were cut from 1/8" square stock, the curved parts are 1/8" thick and 3/32" wide, so it was rather a challenge cutting 1/16" grooves in the delicate pieces. The straight edges will stil get a rebate cut in them so that they will fit into the groove in the side posts.

Elga

Guild School Auction

As I mentioned in my last post I am busy making a furniture piece for IGMA's Guild School auction. Well, I finished the stitching this morning, the chart comes from the book Berlin Work Samplers & Embroidery by Raffaella Serena. I stitched it on 60 count silk gauze with Pipers Silk using cross stitch. I had to finish the stitching first before I start with the woodwork as I needed to know the exact finished dimensions.



The embroidery was made for this fire screen, here is a photo of the original, it is from the 18th century. I am using a pattern from the book Construction of American Furniture Treasures by Lestor Margon, when the book was published in 1949 it was in the Metropolitan museum of art but my search of their data base was fruitless so I guess that after 60 years they might not have it anymore. Of course this is a late 18th century screen while the embroidery dates from a 100 years later, so the story is that the silk fabric disintegrated after a 100 years and that the new owner who loves embroidery replaced it with the newest craze in the Victorian era, who said miniatures can't have a history too!!!!!

Off to work now as I only have 15 days left before I fly out from here, I sure hope the vulcano in Iceland doesn't cause any air traffic disruptions like last year.

Elga

Queen Anne Chair: Update

At last I have two chairs, I spent the last month building the second chair and taking the finish that I didn't like off the first chair. I went with my instincts this time and diluted the stain and put on two thin layers instead of one thick one, it is actually a bit darker than what the photos show. By the way, eye shadow applicators work wonderful for putting on stain.



Hope you like them, I started a tilt-top candle stand that will stand between the two chairs. I am working like crazy at the moment, I have only 3 weeks until I fly out to Castine, Maine for IGMA's Guild School. As a Scholarship student I was asked to donate a piece for IGMA's auction and am hard at work on a special piece for the auction which I will show to you as soon as it is finished.

Elga