Дворянское Гнездо - Day 1

Last weekend I examined the house that I recently purchased from Craigslist. As you know Vanessa expropriated that house for her little simple needs and is ready for the renovations.

Many many years ago I came up with a thought that it is always easy to start the project from the beginning then to re-do something that has been already started by somebody. However, the fact that I didn't put any labor in building this house and a nice thought it cost me only $30 gives me a crazy idea to do whatever I want with it, any experiment and without any regrets.

After close look I found out that I am not impressed with the floor on the first level and I can't do anything about it - it is heavily covered with Shellak. If I try to remove the floor completely I, probably, will destroy the house.

These 2 stairs that came along with the house take a lot of space. Thanks heavens they are not attached, just like the walls on both levels. I love space and it gives me a chance to play with it.

I never liked these kind of bay windows. I have them in my real house and they irritate the heck out of me, I feel like I am in prison. I might want to do something with them (both, in mini and real size too, :)))

These windows should go away.

On a bright side, not everything is so negative! I am in love with the color of the shingles - light gold, the pictures don't give justice! But guess what, I will change it too.

The house is already electrified, I just need to add more tape in some rooms. The floor on the second level is not finished. I love hard wood!

I still love this house and want to turn it into the place where Vanessa can spend the rest of her life sharing her memories with us.

will be continued...


Natalia

Vanessa Bought an Estate - Дворянское Гнездо

I picked up this dollhouse from craigslist.com for only thirty dollars. It's not that I don't have enough projects to work on but how could I resist? Would you?

More than that Vanessa's room box is too small for her. We will consider she bought an estate that requires a lot of work. She is happy!

I believe this house is called Southern Colonial?

Happy mining!

Natalia

Night Light for my Little Princess

Tonight my 7 year old daughter Nataly and I are having Proper Ladies's Tea Party. It is our new game we invented in our busy life to hang out and having Mom-Daughter time (by the way, boys are not allowed). There are a couple of rules, for instance, cookies, cupcakes or whatever we are serving for a Tea party should be handmade. The same rule applies to the gifts we are going to exchange. I know that she has been working on something but I am patient enough to wait till tonight.

As for me, I worked on a little surprise for her while she was at the school this week. I made a nightlight from the kit that Victoria Lane offers. I've been impressed and fascinated by Egg Art for a long time and finally I found time to put my hands on it and started with the kit.

The base of this doll is is an emu egg that has been cut and glittered by Victoria Lane. I dressed the doll and egg with beautiful fabric and trimmed it, wigged the doll and decorated her hair.

I put some pink feather inside the egg. In one hand the Lady holds a bouquet of flowers and there is a little Koala (I LOVE KOALAS) Fairy on her other hand (koala bear fairy is made by a miniature artist Cheryl Brown and not included in the kit).

After that I put the doll on the Turntable light and I think it looks magnificent.

Do you think Nataly will like it?

Have a great weekend!

Natalia

P.S.: I think I will add a Koala Bear Fairy Land scene inside the egg later...

Weaving in Miniature

My experiments with weaving are continuing. Without practicing in real size I jumped to fine weaving right the way. What to wait for, true?

Last weekend I was "sampling" different weaving designs in miniature. Since they are still on the loom and rolling over, I can't show them yet, but be patient! I tried so far different ways of twills, stripes, Monk's belt, overshot, lace. I played with different colors as well as with different threads (linen, cotton, silk) trying to figure out what is more suitable. I think this one will make a pretty nice upholstery for chairs and couches and it reminds me Bargello in needlepoint. I wonder how it will look like if I use different shadows of the same color?

I love it! I love it! I love it!

What do you think?

Happy mining,
Natalia

My new toy - Weaving Loom

I can't recall where my interest to weaving started growing up, but I've been collecting and reading information on it for 2 last years. Finally I decided to make up a step forward and purchased this 4-harness loom last July. I promised myself it would be my last expensive toy I bought!

This scarf was finished with 2 cheap and thick wool yarns of contrast colors with a purpose to practice. It consists of 15 samples of different designs and took me 2 days to finish it. AS you can see somewhere below the middle of the scarf there is a change in the width. I left it in purpose to see how each pattern is effected after washing the finished scarf and what is the percentage of shrinkage.

So, for now this scarf-sample serves as an example and memory of my first weaving experience,

and gave me a good start to move on my next project, and guess what it will be? You are absolutely correct, I want to try to weave something in miniature size! I know, it is a fast transition from real size to mini size, but believe me that was the whole purpose and I don't want to wait more.

I wish the best weekend to all of you!

Happy mining, stitching, polymer claying, building, doodling!

Natalia

Chair Seat Cover in French Style - New project

A couple days ago I started stitching a new project - chair seat cover based on my own design that I finished somewhere at the beginning of this year.

I am using 49 count silk gauze, DMC. The pattern will be available for sale after I am done experimenting with the colors.

Happy Weekend!

Natalia

Dollhouse Transylvania Rug in 1/12 scale - Update

Another summer passed by. The days have become cooler and today early in the morning we even had frost on the ground. No more light clothes, swimming in the lake, less hiking... On a bright side, less bugs, less wild fires, more time for miniatures (kids are at the school!) and what excites me most - the Good Sam Show in San Jose, CA is approaching! But later about it...

Today I want to show you the update on OOAK dollhouse Transylvania rug that I finished a while ago but due to some circumstances have an opportunity to show you only now. The rug has been blocked and has fringes already but I want you to see this picture first

More about research on it, a picture of a completely completed rug, and answering all your questions will come later in a separate post,:)))...

How did you spend your summer?

Natalia

SILK GAUZE ON SALE! BARGAIN!

Hi everyone!

I would like to offer a Fall Silk Gauze Bargain SALE! It is time to stash silk gauze for long winter nights! LOW PRICES EVER!


Framed silk gauze, 40 count, 2” x 2” - $6/each - 12 available
Framed silk gauze, 49 count 2” 2” - $6/each - 9 available
Framed silk gauze, 40 count 4” x 4” - $8/each - 1 available
Framed silk gauze, 35 count 5” x 7” - $10/each - 4 available

35 count 3,5” x 12” - $8.00

40 count 3,5” x 36” - $12.00
40 count 3 ¼” x 12” - $8.00
40 count 5” x 3” - $5.00
40 count 2,5” x 9” - $6.00
40 count 4” x 7” - $6.00
40 count 12” x 12” - $15.00


49 count 3,5” x 36” - $12.00
49 count 3” x 36” - $11.00
49 count 2,5” x 18,5” - $10.00
49 count 5” x 12 ¼” - $12.00
49 count 8” x 6 ¼” - $8.00


60 count 3 ¼” x 36” - $12.00
60 count 4” x 6” - $6.00
60 count 3” x 18” - $10.00

72 count 12” x 12” - $15.00

84 count 1 ¼” x 10” - $8.00
84 count 4” 6” - $6.00

90 count 8 ¾” x 7” - $9.00
90 count 3” x 5 ½” - $6.00

+ $1.99 for domestic shipping
International shipping charges will be calculated depending on the location.


Please, contact me personally at scarletsails@live.com

Thank you,
Natalia

Dollhouse Transylvania rug in 1/12 scale - Work in Progress

I finished the center of the rug and will start working on the borders today.

More information on the rug later...

Have a great weekend!

Natalia

Dollhouse Transylvania Rug in 1/12 scale - Work in Progress

Here is a little update on stitching the dollhouse Transylvania rug in 1/12 scale based on the painting "The Chess Players" by Cornelis de Man, c 1670.

More coming...

Natalia

Pepperwood Farm

It was years, I mean years ago, even before I opened my blog, I wanted to build a dollhouse for my daughter and didn't know where to start with, at the same time didn't want to buy a kit. I found a booklet "Pepperwood Farm" Doll house
construction plans.

My Sweetheart and I bought wood and we cut main pieces in one day. We put shell together, also built a stand on the wheels for this dollhouse, and... put it in the garage. Nataly was 5 months at that time. Today she is 7. The same is the house. I never intended to get rid of it hoping that one day I would start working on it. Since we moved to the new house that we bought last April, Nataly couldn't stop bugging me to finish it and give it to her and her friends to play. Here I am, bounded with a promise given to my daughter to finish the Pepperwood House as fast as possible.

The house has 8 rooms on 2 levels and 2 rooms in the attic, total 10 rooms. It opens at front, back and right roof. The size of the house is 38"H x 33" deep x 26" wide. And it is soooo heavy!

It would be not me if I didn't decide to search the information about the dollhouse Pepperwood Farm. The booklet stays that the Pepperwood Farm house is an original design of Jacqueline Kerr Deiber and published in 1976 by Craft Publications Inc.

Then I found very interesting information on (guess where?) Ebay.com in the listing "1979 Doll House" (http://www.ebay.com/itm/190710572093?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649). The listing stays that it is "an original photo from 1979 featuring Frank and Esther Hand and the miniature Pepperwood Farms house they designed and built. This photo originates from the archives of the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Daily News, Detroit News, and Sport Magazine."

So, I am a little bit confused now and don't know to whom to give credits. Probably, all of them. You might ask me why it does matter. I like accuracy. I did consider to buy that original photo. I couldn't find on-line any other Pepperwood Farm dollhouse that were built. May be I am mistaken, may be you know more. Then share what you know!

Have a great weekend!

Natalia

New Commission

A couple of months ago I got a very irresistible offer that made it hard to refuse. I've been commissioned to reproduce, chart and petit point an antique rug that is depicted on the painting "The Chess Players" by Cornelis de Man, c 1670.

Cornelis de Man (1621-1706) was a Dutch Golden Age painter. In 1670, he painted “The Chess Players.” It is a painting of a man and a woman playing chess. The painting hangs in the Museum of Fine Arts (Szepmuveszeti Muzeum) in Budapest, Hungary. The story of the rug is unknown and this is what makes this project fun and challenge! Research, research, research!

I will tell more about this project later. For now I would like to show you the progress of stitching this rug that has been started last week. So far about 1,600 tiny stitches have been made, 45,000 to go. I chose 40 count silk gauze and Gloriana silk.

Cute smile of Mickey Mouse keep me positive!

have a great weekend!

Natalia

Issues with Facebook

We came home after a long vacation and I found out that can't access Facebook. Does anyone else who use Facebook has the similar issues? Any advises?

Natalia

Dollhouse Miniature Antique Heriz Serapi rug is Completed.

Dollhouse Miniature Heriz Serapi rug in 1/12 scale is completed. It took me 378 total hours to finish the rug.

Heriz Serapi in 1/12 scale available for sale at my Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/listing/156678571/dollhouse-miniature-rug-heriz-serapi-112?

I want to say a BIG THANK to all of you who read my updating posts on the stitching process and left comments. Your support and nice words motivated me a lot and let me finish the rug in a short time of period (it could took more months actually). I appreciate all your time and all your private messages! Thank you very much!

Just to remind you, Heriz Serapi is stitched on 40 count silk gauze with fine Gloriana silk. It measures 5 3/4" x 8 1/4.

I've been thinking how to sign he rug. Since the edges are finished delicately and without any access of silk gauze, there is no way I can sign there. I decided to leave my initials in the top right corner NF (that stays for Natalia Frank). may be next time I will find better way to immortalize my name in my work.

And here are more pictures to enjoy. Please, don't forget to click on them to enlarge the image.

This is the front side of the rug

and this is the back side of the rug

The edges of the rug finished on the back side

Front side border

If you find the price of the rug is something that you can't afford at this moment, you always can stitch it by yourself and make it one of a kind by choosing different silk to work with. The design of this rug is available in pattern or kit at my new website www.dollhouseneedlepoint.com but it is absolutely different story, I mean a website, :)))

Have a great week!

Natalia

Dollhouse Miniature Kazak Rug - Work in Progress

Little update on my stitching Dollhouse Miniature KAZAK Area Rug in 1/12th scale. I am almost done with the main border and at the same time trying to work on the bottom of the rug. Don't forget it is 49 count silk gauze and the process of stitching is slowing down: I want my stitches to lay down smoothly and even, no knots, no tails behind, :)))))

Natalia

Reproduction of "Le Chiffre D'Armour" by Fragonard in 1/12th scale

I thought I would share the picture of the Dollhouse Miniature Firescreen in 1/12th scale. This is a reproduction of "Le Chiffre D'Armour" by Fragonard in miniature.

The stitched design measures 1 1/2" x 2". I charted and petite pointed the firescreen on 60 count silk gauze with the Silk Mill silk using 38 colors total.

The chart can be purchased by request.

Natalia