Back in Action!

Sometimes life just goes crazy and you feel like you're chasing your tail - that's what the last three weeks have been like!

BUT, I do have a couple of miniature matters to share now that things have settled down a bit:

Firstly, I want to show you these little silk cushions.  You might remember that I posted a photo of this Westacre sofa recently and mentioned that it would originally have had a little silk cushion at each end. Well, my lovely friend, Edel, very kindly volunteered to make these for me.

I sent her a little swatch of "100% silk fabric satin backed crepe" in a lovely, aged pink colour called "Vintage Rose" (bought on eBay for 99p with free P&P!) and she transformed it into these perfect little cushions with the tiniest, neatest stitches!

 

And, as there was a little bit of fabric left over, Edel made a gorgeous little 'bonus' quilt for my Elgin cradle.  It's amazing how different the colour looks between the cushion photo and these - in reality I think it's somewhere in between the two.

When I gave Edel the measurements, I originally envisaged the quilt tucking into the sides of the cradle, but now I'm thinking it looks better laid on top like this because you can see the lovely detailing better.

Again, the stitches are fabulously tiny and neat!  Thank you, Edel, you are so clever and I will treasure these! xx

Next up - plates!



I've had a go at making some 'china' plates. The results are a bit varied but, overall, I'm pleased. I think the four on the right are the better ones.

I copied an idea that I saw somewhere recently (Facebook maybe?) and it was very easy to do.  I bought paper plates from eBay - 25 of them for £1.49 plus 95p postage (then I remembered that a friend actually gave me some a while back!!!)  I then found photographs of plates I liked on Google Images and printed them out.

The tricky bit is to get the printed plate exactly the right size, preferably not overlapping the edge of the plate and no smaller than the plate - so pretty precise - and to cut them out neatly.  I did a lot of grey-scale printing until I got it right. Or nearly right - the four plates on the left in the photo had printouts which were a smidge too big and their edges are a bit rough as a result.

The next step is to put tacky glue onto the plates and stick on the printed plates, smoothing them down carefully - no wrinkles allowed!

Once dry, you just coat them with several layers of varnish (back and front). I used clear nail varnish as it is quite thick and after a few coats, it gave the plates a bit of bulk.

The final step, if you choose, is to put lining around the outside edge with a gold pen. I found that this neatened them up a bit.

Here are some photos of them in situ in Agar Hall:

Until next time,

Zoe

Sassy Teenage Grecon - Follow Up

You might recall my recent post about this sassy teenage Grecon:

 

When she arrived, I wasn't sure if her pale-blue fishnet tights were original or not but decided that, on balance, they probably were.

Well, now I know for definite because I was leafing through one of my favourite books this morning, 'Dollhouse and Miniature Dolls 1840-1990' by Marcie & Bob Tubbs, when I spotted a this photo:



Lo and behold, there was a similarly-dressed teenager, wearing the same pale-blue fishnets! I love it when pieces of the jigsaw fall into place like this.

   

My teenager definitely looks more sassy than the one in the book and I think that's down to the length of her dress which is, let's be honest, quite immodest!

I notice that the Tubbs book teenager has a longer dress and that her legs are nicely bound under her tights. Whereas, Little Miss Sass' legs are only bound half-way up under her tights - so I'm wondering if her dress was originally a little longer.

Perhaps her fashion-conscious young 'Human Bean' decided that she should lead the fashion for ever-shorter dresses as the 60s progressed and took the scissors to her.

On the other hand, the seams of her dress are properly finished and don't show signs of being re-stitched, so maybe it was down to a daring streak in the out-worker who originally dressed her - who knows?

The other thing I picked up from the photograph in the Tubbs book was that the Grecons in the photo are described as a "set" dating from the late 1950s, early 1960s and, apart from being pleased that my dating of her was in line with this, I realised that I had this contemporary young man waiting in the wings to keep her company.

Given that all my other Grecon teenagers look rather prissy when compared to Little Miss Sass, I'm very pleased that she'll have this young man to knock about with.  He has slightly different feet (longer and flatter) and might be a touch earlier, but they seem reasonably well-suited and we'll just have to see how it works out for them...

Until next time,
Zoe

[You can see my original post about my Sassy Teenage Grecon here.]

Westacre Settee and Chair

This week I became the proud owner of two lovely pieces of Westacre furniture.

Westacre furniture was hand-made in Norfolk, England in the 1920s and 30s.

Firstly, there is this black lacquered settee which would originally have had two little bead-trimmed cushions, one at either end, most likely made from a fine silk, in a colour to match the Liberty lawn seat cushion.

And secondly, there is this black lacquered chair.

I would have liked to have identified the Liberty print, which looks like William Morris to me, but I can't find it anywhere on the internet!

The lacquered back of the settee has a finely-painted figure on it.

And the chair back shows a typical oriental scene of weeping willow, a pagoda and a figure carrying a water yoke.

The furniture was made with a wire frame, covered in papier mâché. Card was added to represent seats and seat backs and then the whole piece is lacquered before being finely painted with gold detailing.

Stiffened pillow lace (lace made by hand using a lace pillow) has been used to represent 'canework' on the back of the settee and the seat of the chair.

On the settee, the pillow lace is wrapped around the frame at the back and, I think, sewn on to it.

Despite the distinctly hand-made look of Westacre furniture, the quality and detailing are excellent. 

This photo shows the raised 'carving' at the top of the chair back.

I love information and so I love this label!

Liza Antrim's excellent book, 'Family Dolls' Houses of the 18th and 19th Centuries' [from which I obtained most of my information for this post], tells us that Westacre furniture was sold by Morrell's toy shop in the Burlington Arcade, London and this label would indicate that it was also sold by Liberty & Co, London.

Liza's book contains a photograph of a wholesale price list for the furniture and this "Lacquered Settee" is listed as costing 45 shillings for one dozen, so 3 shillings and 9 pence for one of them.  I don't know the exact date of either the wholesale price list or this label but it does look as if the retail mark-up was around 100%.

According to an on-line calculator I found (Concertina.com), the Liberty & Co retail price of 6 shillings and 11 pence in 1930 would equate to around £49, and whilst these calculators aren't completely reliable, it would seem that the furniture was pretty pricey!

I understand that Wesacre furniture comes in several different sizes, but my two new pieces are both of the smaller size - roughly 1:16 and here is the settee looking slightly diminutive in my 1:12 scale Triang 81.  The settee is 9.5 cm wide (or, just a pinch under 4 inches).

Though still looking small, it definitely looks better suited to this more 1:16 scale room in my G&J Lines No. 5.

I like it here and it's English like the house, so it makes sense to be there - but who knows if it will stay?!

Until next time,

Zoe

Kinky Boots!

🎵Everybody's going for those kinky boots,

kinky boots, (boop, boop).

Kinky boots.🎵

Trendy Wendy's leg surgery has been successful and she's now sporting a smart pair of knee-length blue boots to match her coat and the peak of her hat.  She looks so much smarter than she did before.

Despite her having one thin ankle and boots of slightly different lengths (!), this is the best leg re-wrap I've ever done. Usually, my patients end up looking like they've got varicose veins!

BUT, I think I've discovered the secret to a good wrap - rotate the patient's limb around and not the thread (or wool).  Rotating the limb means that you can lay the thread exactly where you want it and without any gaps. Previously I've wrapped the thread around and then, when finished, turned the patient over only to find that I've left gaps in the wrapping at the back. I'll let you know if my new theory holds up.

Here's Wendy doing a photo shoot with two chilled-out looking boxer dogs I found in a charity shop yesterday, only £1 for the pair - just look at the healthy, glossy sheen on those coats!

Until next time,

Zoe

Hooray for a Hat!

This week, Grecondale's flourishing population was further increased by the arrival of this mixed trio, which came as a little job lot:

 

Despite the Granny being in the best condition, it was actually the two ladies on the the left who interested me most.

   

This very eccentric-looking lady was wearing a hat that was clearly never intended for her head! 

I was hoping it wouldn't be too well-glued to her hair but no, someone had made a very thorough job of sticking it on and she will definitely need a visit to Curl Up and Dye hair salon to sort her out.

She also needs a bit of attention around the knee area as she's looking very 'Nora Batty' at the moment.

   

But hoorah! This poor gluey headed bald man has been hanging around waiting for me to make him a hat for many months now and now he has one!

He doesn't even have to suffer the ignominy of wearing whatever effort I would have produced with my limited sewing skills, and this one is navy blue; toning nicely with his lighter blue overcoat.

And then we come to this Trendy Wendy.  Despite her scruffy legs and general grubbiness, I love her for her fabulous outfit.

A bit like the sassy teenager from a few weeks ago, this young lady has a bit of a 1960s mod look about her (though maybe from a couple of years earlier), with that fabulous peaked bubble hat, monochrome scarf and short A-line coat.

I doubt she will ever forgive me for this photo, but I wanted to show that her coat is actually lined, however, beneath it, and most unusually for a Grecon, she is as naked as the day she was sewn!

Given the grubby condition of her, I like to think she's been the most handled and therefore probably the most loved of these the three ladies. So loved that her long, skinny legs need major surgery and her hands are almost bare wire!

And finally, here is Granny. Her dress is a lovely soft silk and she's in good, clean condition. Unloved? I hope not, but just in case, I will have make sure her future is bright - maybe a loving Grecon Grandpa and a large extended family.

All three of the new arrivals have tiny feet and have the 'GRECON MADE IN ENGLAND' label sewn to the back of their outfits.  

Looking closely at their mouths, I think it's possible that all three of them started life with just a dot of a mouth and were later given a purplish red smile.

Maybe they were drawn discontented but had such a great life with their 'Human Bean' that they demanded smiles - I'd like to think so!

Until next time,

Zoe

New Furniture!

I've taken delivery of two exciting pieces of dolls' house furniture in the last couple of weeks. Here is the first:

It's a sideboard from the Chippendale Dining-Room Suite which was part of the 'Triang Period Doll Furniture' range.

It was made by Elgin of Enfield for Triang and sold by them from 1921 to 1922. Because it was made for Triang to retail under its own brand, it doesn't bear the Elgin mark.

It's in great condition and I find it quite remarkable that the brass rail is still present and undamaged after 95 years!  I've never come across one for sale before so I was thrilled to get this one.

The second exciting piece only arrived today:

It's a Tudor cradle made by Elgin of Enfield and sold under the Elgin Label. Elgin produced furniture between approximately 1919 and 1925/26.  

The only other Elgin cradle that I've seen is on the CD accompanying Marion Osborne's 'The Book of Tri-Ang Furniture' [from which I obtained all of my information for this post] and again, I'm thrilled to have it.

The example on Marion's CD doesn't have this family crest on the foot-board so it may well be an addition but I think it's a lovely touch.

It appears to be hand-drawn onto a piece of paper that has been pasted to the wood.

Because this piece was sold under the Elgin label, it has the Elgin mark on the base.

So there they are - my two new treasures. The sideboard has gone into Agar Hall - it being the poshest residence in Grecondale. The cradle has yet to be placed because, of course, a cradle needs a baby and decisions about who the stork will deliver that to can't be rushed! 

Until next time,

Zoe

House Number Three - Branston, Brampton or Marmite House!

The third and last of the Dolls' Houses I've bought this week is a Triang DH/D.

(I really hope I will never be uttering the first part of that sentence ever again, unless I have acquired a Tardis!)

I'm not adding to my collection with this one because I already have a DH/D and I've found a good home for that to go to, so this is a switch. I've had to reassure my husband of this fact several times.

This model of the DH/D was produced between 1924 and 1930 but the kitchen range (see below) dates this particular house more precisely to between 1924 and 1926.

I've already discovered that this is a 'Marmite' house, with the re-painted roof being the main bone of contention - one of my friends hates it, whereas I think it's utterly charming!

The repaint obviously took place many decades ago, I would guess at the 1950s, and I love the old-fashioned colours and the naive tile-pattern.   My slightly later DH/D has grey cardboard tiles which are original, but this earlier one would have had the zig-zaggedy Triang roof paper.

The lovely, chunky chimney is original and is sporting wonderfully whacky TV aerial - it reminds me of those 'Buzz Wire' games you used to see at fairs (or at least there was one at our school fair each year).

The paintwork on the front door looks more recent and not terribly well done - I will have to tidy it up, particularly around the letter box which is original. 

I have ordered a lion's head door knocker to replace the one that is missing from the top of the door.

There appears to be a word scratched or pencilled into the paintwork above the front door but I can't make it out. 

My best guess was ERAMPTON which didn't make any sense! However, BRANSTON has been suggested and is much better, or maybe BRAMPTON, which is a popular place name around the country.  

I'll have to decide what to settle on otherwise the poor mite is destined to become forever known as Marmite House!

The inside has had a makeover at some point in the past too, but again, it has a nice old-fashioned look to it so I doubt if I'll be restoring it.

The original 'Dolly's Kitchen Range' has, happily, remained with the house, though it's lost its doors. I might have to have a go at making new ones - I like a challenge.

Marion Osborne thinks that this range was introduced around 1921-1923 and was in use until about 1925-1926 [The Book of Tri-Ang Dolls' Houses 1919 to 1971, p.248].

The original brick floor-paper downstairs and the parquet floor-paper upstairs have been over-painted  - I can just see the them where the paint is thin. 

The downstairs wallpaper, which is also on the opening front, isn't original. You can see the original peeping out from underneath it in this photo. I think the original one is the one that Marion Osborne refers to as 'Grape'.  The top paper obviously has some age and has a nice vintage look so I will probably leave it as it is.

The upstairs paper is original and is one that Marion Osborne calls 'Anemone'.

The cartoon stickers on the walls both upstairs and downstairs are very sweet, evoking a previous small owner titivating her (or possibly his) beloved dolls' house. 

BUT, if I leave them I know they will bug me once I've got my furniture in, so I'll be carefully removing them. I'll either make them into pictures for a child's room or, if I don't make a child's room, I'll paste them to the back of the house.

The original fireplace is present upstairs but has had a couple of make-overs. It will be easy enough to pop a piece of reproduction Triang brick paper on the front to restore it to how it was originally.

I think this little robin picture is charming and it will be staying in the house.

The house wouldn't have been wired originally but some enterprising person (I think we can blame Heath Robinson for it!) has added it at some point. I'm told that this type of corded wire hasn't been in use since the early 1950s.  

The huge Bakelite switch under the front canopy makes me laugh but it it's definitely an eye-sore and will have to go - along with the rest of the wiring! 

There was obviously brick paper on the back but it's been over-painted in the same red as was used on the roof.   

The curtains in the downstairs bay are very nicely made and, best of all, I won't have to make any myself - yay!

The green paint below the curtains has been very messily applied and I'll tidy it up at the bottom and hope that some furniture will hide the horrible paint drips on the walls.

The upstairs front curtains are lovely too and could be original although they would probably have started life on a wire rather than string and I wonder if half the pelmet is missing. 

The curtains at the upstairs side window are on a wire which goes into a little hole in the wood at the top of the window recess.  These could well be original too.

Isn't it incredible to think that in just a few years time this little house will be a hundred years old? It's likely to have provided pleasure to thee generations of children; first in the 20s, then maybe the 40s/50 and possibly again in the 70s/80s. And now it's my turn!

Until next time,
Zoe