Monday, February 25, 2013

The Things We Keep





Tiny Scraps.... Or Dressing the Bed....

Even though there are still unfinished parts of the painted murals in the Chinoiserie Bedroom, Dear Readers, I could not find the right mood to continue the painting this past weekend. Rather than ruin what had already been accomplished by painting when not in the mood, I did what I often do when Indecision strikes... I worked on something else entirely unrelated (or so I thought) to this Project! I have been planning to make the bed for the Folly Bedroom simply by adding a mattress to the platform under the Gable at the front of the room. And I have known FOREVER the exact fabric I would use to make this mattress..... because I knew the first moment I saw the scrap ... oh years and Years ago.... that it was Perfect for dollhouse mattress ticking!! Here you can see my scrap... a lovely striped cotton seersucker fabric! It is not large... enough for two or maybe three dollhouse mattresses if carefully pieced....


 Here below, you can see the mattress already mostly finished...
I forgot to take pictures.... 
it is entirely stitched with my antique Singer sewing machine....

And I added the tufting with embroidery floss.....

And tried it in the Bed Nook....

Where it looks So PERFECT.... 
it nearly takes my Breath away!!!
Of course, the mattress will not be visible when the bedding is completed... 
and since I want to look at the mattress... 
I will not be making the rest of the bedding for a while!!!
And then it occurred to me .... that while I am making Mattresses.... 
I might as well make the one for the Tree House Bed...
And see what the ticking looks like at that scale...
Here you can see the beginnings... not yet turned right side out... 
stitching across the corners so they will have a vertical corner shape...

And here you can see it being tested on the bed....

And then I thought it really Should have some tufting added....

Oh I think it is Perfect!!!
But I couldn't stop there, Dear Readers.... 
and the irony is that you will never see this perfect mattress again...
Because I had to cover it with lovely old Linen sheets....

And then I got carried away with Dressing this bed.....
(and forgot to take pictures..)
The top sheet had to have a border of delicate lace edging....
which is really the edge cut off another larger scrap of lace... 
because nothing else was small enough...

And the blanket is a scrap of green velveteen ...... 
scraps left from a dress I wore as a flower girl... 
in my Uncle's wedding when I was eight years old.... 
(and I still have a few tiny pieces)
I LOVE that cloth....!!!

And then the pillows...!

The pillows themselves are really plain... 
but the Pillow cases I stitched from a piece of cloth that has 
a few Tiny hand embroidered flowers scattered on it.... 
(poke the picture for a closer view!)
and I added a piece of tiny trim to the edge..... from a scrap I have...

And I made two...

And then I thought of the Bed Curtains....!
Made from the most Incredibly fine Gossamer piece of lace....
That I have only a Tiny scrap of....

 That is Exactly the right height.... for curtains on this bed!!!
I added a piece of edging to trim the side of the curtains...
First one curtain...
 
And then the other....

Isn't it just Amazing how these scraps I have saved for Years and Years 
are so Perfect for this little Bed????

And I suppose you want to see it in the Tree House....
(Well, I Do!!)

Of course... it is Really difficult to photograph this well....

I don't know about you, Dear Readers, but I LOVE those Tiny scraps!
And I LOVE finding the perfect place to use them....
And Knowing there is a Reason for the Things we Keep!!!

32 comments:

  1. Of course, we completely understand your need to make the perfect mattress with the tufting that nobody will ever see. Totally! :) Do we sound like fellow sufferers endorsing each other's compulsions :)? We need an AA (Attentiontotoomuchdetail Annonymous) meeting!

    BUT I totally can see the difference the tufting makes. It now looks like a bed and not a cushion. Your bed and the lace pillowcases and the wonderful sheer curtain are delightful.

    I love all the scraps you have kept, Bets.Needless to say, I am as guilty as you are about scraps.

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    1. Dear Sans! I am afraid that if I joined such a meeting... I would fall off "the wagon" all the Time!!! I get too much pleasure from all those little details (and scraps) to ever give it up! LOL! But I confess that making the perfect mattress that needs to be hidden by bedding... just makes me want to build a scene where the mattress is left bare... a run down old Hippy Pad...? An abandoned house...? A Junk shop....? the possibilities are tempting....!!!

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  2. very cute! your scraps were perfect for it and look amazing!

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  3. It is always great to find the perfect project for that piece of lace or fabric, especially if you have fond memories attached to it. The bed is stunning and I love that lovely fine lace.

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    1. Thank you, Sharee! I have been hoarding those tiny pieces of velveteen and lace for a Long time! It is wonderful to use them in such a fun project!

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  4. We LOVE these tiny scraps too! Specially when they are finding their places like in/on your Stunning Bed!!!! Love two mattress and the tufting!
    The Bed Nook looks better and better too! It's actually quite a pity the mattress there won't be seen...;)

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    1. Hi Ewa! It might just take me another couple of Years to get the bedding made for the bed nook!!! Lol!! Meanwhile I can look at it until I am tired of seeing that ol' mattress!! I am really enjoying building this tiny bed... it isn't quite done yet...!!!

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  5. The way you dressed the bed is in perfect harmony with the rest of the room in the Tree House. Beautiful! And guess what...such a coincidence; I have been working on a matrass as well this weekend :-)

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    1. Hi Liduina! Thank you for commenting! Now I am waiting eagerly to see the mattress you are working on!!!

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  6. Oh Betsy, you are like other miniaturists: storing all those tiny scraps of a lot of things: you never know ;)!! These matrasses look wonderfully, so soft! Oh how I would love to shrink in 1:48scale and to sleep in that beautiful bed, dreaming of all kind things in an other world, surrounded by the chinoiserie room :D!! The bed curtains and the bedding are wonderful too.
    Hugs, Ilona

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    1. Thank you Ilona! I wish I could shrink myself too! And I LOVE using my scraps!!!

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  7. Making a perfect and very lovely mattress and then covering it completely with other beautiful bed dressings is like wearing exquisite lingerie under a beautiful dress. You know it's there. I love your stunning quarter scale canopy bed.
    Hugs, Drora

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    1. Oh, Thank you, Drora!!! That is the PERFECT analogy!!! I will remember that.... it makes it so much easier to cover it up!

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  8. What just kills me is that underneath all your beautiful, intricate, delicate embroidered bedding is a handcrafted mattress that looks exactly like a tiny version of a hand ticked mattress I watched being crafted on an episode of Martha Stewart living. I thought, only Martha would have access to such a dream-weaving foundation for sleep. Now I think it would be better to shrink down small and sleep in the Chinoise bed. That's a bed for dreams and renewal.

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    1. Hi Amy! I can imagine Martha Stewart creating these in Perfect style!! But I have to confess that when I was growing up I thought ALL mattresses looked just like this! I only learned later that it was just that my family had old worn out beds!!! LOL! Now I know better... but I still think all mattresses Should look like this!!!
      Oh, if we could just shrink down into our tiny worlds.....

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  9. The bedding and the bed curtains are wonderful. An elegant bed.
    Bye Faby

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  10. What a wonderful way to use those little treasured scraps of fabric! The little bed looks beautiful! And the mattress is fantastic, such a shame to cover it, but well...you will know it's there :-)

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    1. Thank you, Margriet! Yes, I will dream of that little mattress...

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  11. Hi Betsy, love the mattresses both big and small! and what fun to go through all your scraps and use them up, sounds like you had lots of fun doing it, and recalled some happy memories along the way!

    the little bed looks great, a real tiny treasure.

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    1. Thanks, Andy! It is amazing how strong some of those memories from childhood are! I Love seeing that velvet on the bed!

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  12. Guilty in the first degree... this nasty demon whispering "but you can still use it sometime for something" always likes to visit me... (LOL). So good your personal one did a good job, see, it was very clever to keep all that scraps until they could find their perfect destination. Fantastic work on the bed... and just another lovely case of "but I know it's there"!

    Greetings
    Birgit

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    1. Hi Birgit! That Demon is always whispering to me! LOL! And I have to listen to him because he is Always right!!! That pile of scraps on my worktable is the lumberyard.... and the bookstore ... and the hardware store... all in one place!!! Lol!!!

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  13. Hello from Spain: nice job. Your creations are awesome. Keep in touch

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  14. Hi Betsy, the mattresses are fab! I must admitte i started saving scraps of paper&fabric since i started making minatures... i am going to end like one of those crazy hoarders. A house filled with scraps haha ;) I love the whole vibe and look of your treehouse, it seems like such a FUN and creative project! Hug AM

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    1. Thanks, AM! I am having a ton of fun with this project!!! It has me obsessed with the tiny scale!!! Haha... that would make a good mini project too... a Hoarder's house revealed...!

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  15. Oh Betsy, it's a mini marvel! You are so talented, and those mattresses are divine - or should that be divan!!
    Its amazing how the dark wood of the bed helps bring out the colour in the wall panels.
    Well done on a truly wonderful job.
    xx

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  16. I was just thinking, "you'll always know it's there." It's true, it's almost a shame to hide those marvelous little mattresses. And I agree with one of your other commenters, using up little scraps brings back memories. Like the little green velveeen pieces. And the idea that making the perfect mattress beneath the perfect linen sheets & velveteen blanket (not to mention the amazing lace curtains!) is like wearing perfect underwear underneath a perfect dress.
    You've outdone yourself.
    Lots of love,
    Mom

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  17. Thanks, Mom! I still have some of the velveteen... I wonder how many places I'll be able to use it!

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