Sofa Cushions

I'm trying to make some boxed edge cushions for my sofa. I like this white fabric and think the crochet thread might make a nice trim?

Weekend Designer tutorial.

Hopefully, I will have something to show you later? Have a great day!

Question

I dusted off my 40 year old sewing machine this morning and made a little comforter. As you can see it is much too stiff. I could just tuck it in under the mattress but I'd like to be able to have it folded nicely on top of the bed.

I used a soft,thin piece of flannel for the inside. I also have some quilt batting, mattress padding and some white t-shirt material. What do you think would make a nice lofty comforter? Like this.


Thanks to the Calvin Klein shirt, I discovered that a collar stay is perfect for making square corners. I've tried a needle, crochet hook, toothpicks and pointy scissors but this worked SO much better! I started to throw them away but now I'm glad I kept them. Maybe I'll be able to make some pillows now? :D

If you have any suggestions I would really appreciate them. I haven't made dollhouse bedding before so I need all the help I can get!

Thanks so much for all of your wonderful comments about the new bed! Hope you have a lovely day!

My New Bed

I finished building my new bed today. It will eventually go in the Flamingo Inn.

I still need to make some linens. For now, I just used the mattress from my other bed and a pretty crocheted afghan I purchased a while ago. I think I'll make all white bedding?

I found a white men's shirt at the Mission thrift store today. It's a Calvin Klein shirt, 100% cotton and has a soft white stripe in it. I think it will make pretty sheets and pillow cases. It was only $1.50 and I can make an entire wardrobe full of linens with it! Thanks Calvin!

Here is what the bed looks like without the mattress. I used square wooden dowels for the frame and Star Buck's sticks for the slats. The rest of the bed is thick card stock covered with linen cross stitch fabric. The trim is braided leather.


You are NOT going to believe this, but I made the legs out of BALSA wood!

I think it looks a lot like my inspiration bed, don't you?

Clamps?

I really should buy some clamps!

Micromark











Which one would you buy?
What do you use??

Have You Seen Her Shoes?

I've been following Loten nukkekotipaivakirja for a long time. I can't read a word of her blog but she makes the most amazing little shoes! Just how adorable are these Birkies!


If you haven't visited Lotte, you need to go! After you've seen her shoes, scroll down to see all of the other wonderful things this talented lady makes!

I have been so very impressed by other Finnish miniaturists too. Click here to see a list of them! I could spend a week just walking around these blogs and enjoying the sites!


Minna has a great list of links. I can't begin to name my favorites, but you can probably guess who they are! :D

I'll bet you have some friends from Finland too!

Making The Bed

I've been making my little bed. I used heavy card stock and covered it with my linen cross stitch fabric. Spray adhesive worked great.

This is just one layer. The second is waiting for the glue to dry under my handy HomeDepot 1-2-3 book. I'll cut the same shapes and then glue the two together back to back.

I found some beautiful braided leather trim for the edges. Hopefully, when I'm finished it will look something like this?


Once again, I have to go off to work. I need money to continue my dollhouse projects!

This Is Strange!

Casey has given me the Strange Men in Pinstripe Suits Blog Award. It does say, "or in certain cases a Strange Woman" so I guess I must accept it. Strangeness does run in my family and I am just one of many!

The award originated with Cate Gardner who is celebrating the pre-release of her book of the same title. Here's her blog link. http://www.strangemeninpinstripesuits.com/ She has a contest and prize give away over there too.

To accept this award, you have to do some "strange" things. That shouldn't be very difficult. :D

You are to "Go forth and celebrate the strangeness of friends or strangers by nominating seven blogs run by strange folks."

To take part, these are the rules and also how to enter the competition.

1. Add the logo of the award to your blog post. Check!

2. Add the link to the person who awarded it to you. Thanks Casey!

3.Nominate seven other blogs telling us why you think the recipient is strange enough to deserve the award.

4. Leave a message for those nominated on their blogs.

5. If you e mail catephoenix@gmail.com and tell her you've received the award for your strangeness, she'll enter you in the Strange Men competition. Details at the above link.

Okay. Now for my seven nominations! In no particular order of strangeness.

1. Rosanna at La Stanza di guiggiola. Nominated for her strange fear of going to the SIMP fair with her gorgeous tea cozies and pillows! There is nothing strange about Rosanna's beautiful stitching, only that she is able to see well enough to make such tiny things!

2. Deborah at Deborah's Daily Dish. Deborah has a strange (?) addiction to fabrics and all things crafty. Have you seen all of the darling little outfits she has made for her dolls? Not a strange one in the bunch! They are all gorgeous!

3. Monika at PuNo's Minis 1:12. Monika has the same strange little grandpa doll that I do! Check out her man posing with the great bags she has made. He is not wearing pinstripes but black and white checks! I think that counts, doesn't it? :D

4. Oese at Rum fur Raum. Oese has the most wonderful way of seeing the world in miniature! Her photography is amazing. She can take the strangest things and make them in something beautiful! I love her swimming pool and little doll!

5. De at De-Lightful Minis. If you haven't seen De's tavern you really need to go take a look!
There are some really strange characters there!

6. ModernMC at Mini Modern because she is drowning in miniature fun! Lucky girl just got the Brinca Dada Emerson dollhouse! I wonder if she is drowning in my drooling? LOL Can't wait to see her build this!

Last but NOT least -

7. Lize at Lizelund. Lize's last post was four months ago! Where is she? Where has she been?
How strange that she just seems to have disappeared!? Where are you Lize? We miss you!!!

Now it's time for all of you to award your strange friends! Have fun!

I Do Declare!

Balsa wood will now and forever be BANNED from my house! I have found no use for it. It splinters. It breaks. It warps. It's GONE!

From now on, I will use basswood or card stock or cardboard for everything I make!

Balsa is just TOO frustrating. The only thing I've ever seen made out of it are little airplanes.


I have no use for those either! Even they break!

Box Cutting

I've been working on my little bed this morning. I finally got the paper bed pattern to scale. Here you can see the bed frame I cut from a cardboard box. So far, so good?

I found more of my linen cross stitch fabric so I can cover the cardboard with that. There may be some tape involved to hold the bed together. I hope I can score the headboard and foot board without them falling apart?

If this one turns out nice I may try making one out of wood? I think the cardboard will be just fine though. My mini people aren't overweight so I won't have to worry about the bed falling apart. :D

Plus, I've got LOTS of cardboard boxes so I can always make another one if this doesn't work.

Sofa and Shopping

Sandy is very tired after going with me on a "quick" trip to Michael's. The first thing she did when we got home was kick off her sandals and stretch out on the new sofa. :D

I still need to find the right feet to finish it off. Maybe something more square? I would also like to make a boxed edge cushion. I've made them before, but never in miniature.

I went to Michael's to get more oatmeal 14ct Aida cloth to make a chair to match the sofa. Sadly, they didn't have what I was looking for. I guess I will have to order some online?

Of course, I couldn't go to Michael's without buying something! Plus, I had a 40% off coupon!


I've been wanting one of these spinning desk top organizers for a long time! I decided that today was the day to get it. :D

It will really help clean up my work area. I've been organizing that a little bit this weekend. I finally have things in the bins I bought weeks ago, but I still have lots to do!

The metal spray paint was 50% off and the beach house roof needs a touch up. I got some wood and one of the last little $1 hutches to bash for my kitchen. I also bought more fabric, pink for the Flamingo Inn. I also found a cute flamingo rubber stamp. :D

I got three bottles of fabric paint too. I'm going to try to make some pillows like this?

Image found online

I read somewhere that you can use bleach on fabric to make designs. I might try that too?

By The Sea Decor

I'm really not good at making miniature pillows! For some reason they look all wonky when I turn them inside out? I clip the corners but still can't seem to get them to look right! Maybe I'll have better luck this time? LOL

Better get back to work before I end up like Sandy, on my big sofa! Shopping is so tiring! I wonder if there is anything good on HGTV this afternoon?

Paper Bed

I know I promised to show you my new sofa, but this bed distracted me. I made one from card stock paper to see if I could make one in miniature.

I really don't think it will be very difficult? I'll need to get more of my linen fabric to cover the frame once it's built.

Back to the sofa. I just have to put the feet on and I'll post a photo later. I really like how it turned out. :D

Hope you have a great day!

Sweet Dreams!

Photo from Room at the Beach

Price $3,987

Isn't this real bed gorgeous?! I'm thinking it would make another great mini cross stitch fabric project?

I'm happy to tell you that my sofa survived the coffee splash! It's almost finished! I'll let the glue dry overnight and show you tomorrow. :D

Sweet dreams!

Arrrrgh!

I just spilled coffee on my sofa!



I rinsed it off. Sure hope it doesn't stain or fall apart!!!!!!!

Sofa So Far

Here's the frame of my new sofa. I covered the cardboard with Aida cloth. (Thanks Casey!) There is no padding on this part and I just used glue on the edges. I didn't want any glue to soak through the fabric where it could be seen.

The next challenge is to figure out how to cover the top of the arms of the sofa. I thought maybe these little strips of paper covered with the fabric might work?

I want them to look finished with no edges showing. Hope I can do this? :D

Cross Stitch Fabric

I decided the linen fabric I had planned to use for the sofa was too dark. All of my other furniture is white so I thought I would try something else. I thought I had enough of this cross stitch fabric to finish my sofa and make a chair.



Sadly, I have barely enough for the sofa. I need to get more fabric but I can't remember what kind it is!

I'm pretty sure the color is oatmeal. It is 14 count. It might be hardanger, it might be fiddler's cloth or it might be Charles Craft Aida?

I guess I'll have to make a trip to Michael's before I can continue.

Oh darn. :D

Idea In Progress

I spent some time this morning designing my new sofa. I'm using the basics of Mary's tutorial and just changing it up a bit.


I used a corrugated cardboard box to make the frame. The base is three layers of cardboard and the back and arms are two layers.

The hardest part was determining the size of the pieces. The base is 5" x 2 1/4". The back is 5" x 2 1/4". The arms are 2 1/2" x 2" tall. It's nice to have a little helper as you go along. :D


I plan to cover the frame with my linen cross stitch fabric. I don't have very much of that so I'll have to be careful! For now, I just folded my paisley fabric over three layers of mattress padding for the cushion. I'll add wooden beads for the feet.

I think the arms are a little bit too rounded so I'll probably change them? If you check out my previous post you'll see the look I am going for. I'll be making a chair too if this idea works?

Hope you have a happy day!

Just An Idea

I went digging in my craft room closet this morning. I finally found this linen cross stitch fabric that I knew was in there somewhere!

I'm going to try to make furniture that looks like this?

I'll make the cushions with my pretty paisley fabric. I think it will be perfect for the beach house?

So far this is just an idea. Don't you hate it when you come up with a great idea and then can't proceed because you have to go do something else?!

I'm going to work now. Wish I could stay home and make minis!

Hope you have a lovely day!

Beautiful Gifts From Finland!

Will you just LOOK at all of the beautiful gifts I received today from Ira at Merry Jingle Crafts!
Ira sent me an email about one week ago and said she had a little gift for me. This is NOT a "little gift!" This is a whole big lot of little gifts!!!

Ira said she made the pink centerpiece flower arrangement for my Flaming Inn. Isn't it beautiful?! She sent me MORE flowers too! Daisies and peonies! All perfectly made!

I'm so thrilled with all of these wonderful things! I wish I could have taken a better photo but my hands were shaking because I was so excited! Here is Ira's photo of my flower arrangement, oysters on the half shell and perfume bottle.


There are REAL roses in this arrangement! They can't be paper, they look so real! They will find the perfect place of prominence in the Flamingo Inn for sure!

The oysters look good enough to eat, if you eat oysters! I'll just leave them on the plate!

I love the little printies she made for me too. They are seed packets and gardening book covers. So cute! They will be fun to make too.

Ira made a little calendar and included a sailboat, a sea gull and a bottle of teeny tiny shells. I had mentioned that I liked her little bird on a stand and she sent me one of those too!

Ira you have spoiled me rotten! I can't get over your kindness and generosity!

I'll find a place for those cute buttons too. Love the crab! He looks so surprised like I was! :D

I can't begin to tell you how happy I am with my "little gift!" Thank you SO much Ira!

I'm Already Distracted

I went to WalMart yesterday to get my wooden dowel. This particular WalMart also has fabric. You know I HAD to look!

I know you're going to ask what I'm going to make with this fabric? I don't know! I just thought they were pretty! LOL

I might try making some beach towels with the striped one. Others will be great for doll clothes. The one at the top is my favorite. I love paisley fabric and the colors are beautiful!

Then I saw this furniture at Russell & MacKenna. I wish they made miniatures! :D


My little sofa and unfinished chair look a bit shabby and NOT in a good way!

I think I'll try making new furniture with this fabric? The print is a bit large but I think it might work?

So you see, I'm already distracted from working on the stairs. I did get the wooden dowel I needed for the handrails. I should finish those before I start on anything else!