Muriel Posted May 3, 2021 Author Share Posted May 3, 2021 Good idea Jeannine! I'd thought about painting stripes or dots on curtains, but of course it'd work for yarn too! Hadn't thought of that Then I can also make sure it changes colour quick enough for little work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muriel Posted May 3, 2021 Author Share Posted May 3, 2021 I made some blinds for the sitting room. I think they're cute! The rods need some beads on the ends and in the middle, and I will probably make the blinds a bit shorter before I glue them in. I had hoped to continue with the curtains tonight, but can't find my longer skewers anywhere! Grumble grumble. So I'll have to shop tomorrow before I can continue. I am debating some gingham blinds for the kitchen. I think ribbon would be good to make them, and it is the smallest check pattern I can find so far, just need to order some. The checks work out about 6.5mm (~2.5 inches) square in RL, so quite big, but think it'll do. The kitchen blinds would be recessed in to the window frame rather than over the top. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted May 3, 2021 Share Posted May 3, 2021 Muriel, what about round toothpicks instead of skewers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muriel Posted May 3, 2021 Author Share Posted May 3, 2021 1 hour ago, havanaholly said: Muriel, what about round toothpicks instead of skewers? I used toothpicks for the blinds, but I want the curtain to reach across both windows, and they're not long enough for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muriel Posted May 4, 2021 Author Share Posted May 4, 2021 4 shops later, finally found skewers. Apparently squared off skewers are now the in thing. I get why that would be helpful to stop food twisting on them while you're trying to turn them on the bbq, but not useful for curtain rails! I got 100, and they'll be hidden in my supplies so no one can pinch them to cook with! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted May 4, 2021 Share Posted May 4, 2021 1 hour ago, Muriel said: squared off skewers are now the in thing Those could have a lot of applications in mini. Do keep them hidden!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muriel Posted May 4, 2021 Author Share Posted May 4, 2021 My post wasn't clear, I got round ones in the 4th shop, shops 1 & 3 had square ones. The square ones look very good for furniture legs and balustrade/railing posts! I'm hiding the round ones, square seem easy to come by (though should probably hide them too, just in case!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muriel Posted May 6, 2021 Author Share Posted May 6, 2021 Well it seems tiny, but it is doable and not taking as infinitely long as I feared! Making it up as I go along rather than following a pattern, but I'm sure the mistakes will be tiny enough not to be seen! lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muriel Posted May 16, 2021 Author Share Posted May 16, 2021 Continuing with my window dressing. Every night I try and get another little bit done. I am undecided on the dining room curtains, so kinda at a pausing point shortly. I made a little tree out of some card making bits. And I think these kitchen windows are done and cute and I had to share! While I think about dining room colours/theme I'm going to work on the stairs. Thought that just meant adding the treads and banisters, but now I've come up with another more complicated idea to decorate the risers. I'll give it a go and then share :-p 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monah Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 (edited) Love those kitchen windows! AND the tree was a great idea 😉 Is the crocheted red-with-white-stripe the window dresing you mentioned? It looks so dainty. I am fairly new to crocheting. Does using a smaller thread and hook make it look like a 1:12 scale knit blanket/curtain? Edited May 17, 2021 by Monah Added question Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 (edited) Martha, if you want to knit or crochet in mini then you do, indeed, need small needles/ pins and hooks. A single strand of embroidery floss works well for 1:12 4-ply worsted and a size 10 or twelve steel crochet hook will give you lovely 1:12 scale results: For 1:24 I use regular sewing thread and a #16 hook: Edited May 17, 2021 by havanaholly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muriel Posted May 17, 2021 Author Share Posted May 17, 2021 6 hours ago, Monah said: Is the crocheted red-with-white-stripe the window dresing you mentioned? It looks so dainty. I am fairly new to crocheting. Does using a smaller thread and hook make it look like a 1:12 scale knit blanket/curtain? By window dressing I meant making curtains/blinds. Yes, tiny needles/hooks and thread make tiny 12th/24th scale blankets. I'm doing the red and white one as a blanket for the sofa. Follow Holly's suggested sizes, I am just playing and seeing how it goes, rather than knowing! I think 24th was supposed to be sewing thread, but I couldn't bare to do that thin, so it's a chunky blanket with thinner embroidery thread ;) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 Sort of like this? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muriel Posted May 17, 2021 Author Share Posted May 17, 2021 4 minutes ago, havanaholly said: Sort of like this? :-D like that! (Ok, maybe not quite, but nearly ;) ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muriel Posted May 23, 2021 Author Share Posted May 23, 2021 I have a bit of a problem. I painted the outside of my house 10 years ago or so, but can't remember with what. Suspect I spray painted them and can't see any brush marks, which supports that thought. But now I am trying to spackle joins and can't match the finish! I have matched the paint colour, but it is much more matt than the original. I had some gloss varnish around, which I thought would be too shiny, and it is. So today bought some some satin varnish, but it is still too shiny. Matt varnish is next to try, anyone got any experience with it, is it less matt than matt paint? As both varnish and paint are water based, what'd happen if I mixed matt paint with satin varnish?? Hmmmmm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muriel Posted May 23, 2021 Author Share Posted May 23, 2021 I've been working on my stairs. I loved the idea of altering the shape/course of them as suggested by Emily, but have decided that'll have to wait for anther house. What I wanted to do won't work so well with different direction facing risers. Those are the downstairs stairs, you will only be able to glimpse them through the door, but will hopefully then get an idea of what all the steps say. I just absolutely love rainbows. So again, a bit harder to do this in my real life house, so into my dollhouse it goes! Again will only catch a glimpse of it through the tower window, but I'll know it is there! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted May 23, 2021 Share Posted May 23, 2021 Interesting treatments on the risers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muriel Posted May 25, 2021 Author Share Posted May 25, 2021 On 5/23/2021 at 10:02 PM, Muriel said: Again will only catch a glimpse of it through the tower window, but I'll know it is there! Did a dry fit, can't see the colours through the organza curtain - it's doing what it was supposed to in real life and adding privacy! So going to try and open the curtain or will otherwise need to remove it 😛 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted May 25, 2021 Share Posted May 25, 2021 How does lace work for the curtains? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted May 25, 2021 Share Posted May 25, 2021 5 hours ago, Muriel said: Did a dry fit, can't see the colours through the organza curtain - it's doing what it was supposed to in real life and adding privacy! Don't you hate it when real life messes with our mini plans? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muriel Posted May 25, 2021 Author Share Posted May 25, 2021 11 hours ago, havanaholly said: How does lace work for the curtains? It isn't entirely in scale, but works fine I think I've used organza ribbon for the full length curtains - don't have to do a hem on the sides at least then! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muriel Posted May 25, 2021 Author Share Posted May 25, 2021 Ooops! I thought I'd paid attention to where I was hanging the curtain rails so they wouldn't be too high... Obviously got distracted from doing that when hanging this one, the floor doesn't slot in. Fixable, just annoying! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monah Posted May 25, 2021 Share Posted May 25, 2021 I like those curtains a lot! Ribbon was a great idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pasnon Posted May 25, 2021 Share Posted May 25, 2021 On 4/2/2021 at 10:43 AM, havanaholly said: Kyrie, since you asked (I built two of them, one of them inside out, to be halves of a single house): I just joined this site, so excited to find it! And so excited to see that someone did what I was thinking, a front and back dollhouse. What do you mean when you say you did it inside out? I'm trying to work out how to do this myself. I was at an estate sale (I got there 4 hours early after seeing the photos online a week earlier, mind) and saw a big old victorian that opened up like this. Not into the $400 pricetag, empty (at an estate sale even!) and I'd rather build it myself anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fov Posted May 26, 2021 Share Posted May 26, 2021 On 5/23/2021 at 1:30 PM, Muriel said: I have a bit of a problem. I painted the outside of my house 10 years ago or so, but can't remember with what. Suspect I spray painted them and can't see any brush marks, which supports that thought. But now I am trying to spackle joins and can't match the finish! I have matched the paint colour, but it is much more matt than the original. I had some gloss varnish around, which I thought would be too shiny, and it is. So today bought some some satin varnish, but it is still too shiny. Matt varnish is next to try, anyone got any experience with it, is it less matt than matt paint? As both varnish and paint are water based, what'd happen if I mixed matt paint with satin varnish?? Hmmmmm Have you tried taking the house (or a piece) to the paint counter at a hardware store to ask for their help? In addition to matching the color they might be able to tell you what the finish is. Are the joints you're spackling all at the corners? If yes you could use corner trim over them instead. Another idea would be to use the paint with the finish that doesn't quite match, and then go over the whole house with a satin or matte varnish to (hopefully) make the finish consistent. I don't know if that would work, so it would be worth testing with scrap pieces first. 2 hours ago, pasnon said: What do you mean when you say you did it inside out? I'm not Holly, but I'll take a stab at explaining this! When you build a kit, each piece has a "right side" (meaning the correct side) and a "wrong side". The right side is typically the side that will be more visible. In die cut houses, the right side usually has a smoother finish and more prominent cut lines for the pieces that get punched out. You can also tell because pieces that aren't symmetrical won't fit together properly if you try to use some facing the right way and some facing the wrong way. When you build a house with all the pieces facing the right way, it looks like the picture on the box. When you build a house "inside out," you turn all of the pieces the wrong way to assemble them. This results in a house that's a mirror image of the picture on the box. Different house, but here are two Victoriannas I combined into one house. The one on the left is built with the pieces facing right side out, and the one on the right is built inside out. (The two kits are also two different types of wood, so don't be fooled by that!) You can see in the mirror image house that window cutouts are very faint -- that's because you're looking at the wrong side of the wood. (I hope that makes sense! The fact that "right" can either mean right/left or right/wrong makes this a confusing discussion.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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