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

Antique Fair

It is a month since I posted, Wow, where did the time go, my second chair is almost finished, so I will show them to you soon. Today we had a public holiday here and for me that usually mean that there is an antique fair somewhere close to me. Sometimes I find nothing, but today was a good day for the mini people.



The little jug measures just 1 1/4" high, I took the picture in my doll house parlor.
The trinket box measures 3/4" across the widest part and is Limoge from France, it is going to be perfect for a French bedroom that I have in mind.



Here is the trinket box with its lid lying next to it on a walnut desk that I made some time ago.

Elga