Monday, September 10, 2012

Pull Up A Chair




More Beginnings....

The Weather is getting cooler, Dear Readers, and the Nights are getting longer.... it feels like Time to pull a chair up close to the fire and lose oneself in a good book.... in other words... the Season of the Library has arrived! But Alas, my Library is Far from ready.... hardly any books on the shelves... no lights to make reading possible... and the only Chair is a not-yet-finished heavy wooden frame with no upholstery to cushion the seat.
I wanted to make a Jacobean-style chair.... the sort with a dark wooden rectangular frame and tapestry sort of cushion for the seat and the tall back. You can see below the humble beginnings of this chair.....


I have used some of the trimmed sides from the "woodsies" I used for the books as stock for the legs and glued them into a notched seat cut from a scrap of the basswood that is being used for the walls. The back is a piece of 1/4 inch stock trim. For the arms I decided to get a little bit fancy and carved the curved profile and rounded end out of slightly wider pieces of "woodsies".

Of course, it is so small that it is a little bit hard to see the swoop in the arms.... 
so I thought I had better point it out...!
I also took a tiny file and "carved" some grooves into the front legs....
these will bracket the front cross rail.....
but again.... they are so fine that they are almost invisible...!

But then I decided to get Really Daring 
and tried my hand at "carving" the front rail to resemble barleytwist turned wood.....


Using just my mini file and a tiny round wooden dowel.... 
about 5/64ths of an inch (says the pkg)

Here, you can see it closer....
I have never done this before....
and my spacings are not even....
and the grooves should be rounder....
But it is so tiny that maybe it isn't too noticeable when it is cut and fit....


And maybe it looks better standing up.....


Well, sort of... it is amazing how Brutal the camera close-ups are...!
I added the remaining cross rails and stained it a lovely Walnut......

And the dark color seems to Swallow so much of the details.... 
especially when placed in the dark Library.....

You would hardly know it is there! 
This will improve, I hope, when I find the right upholstery material! 
And so far, this has eluded me! 
Most of the ones I try are too thick a fabric 
to work on such a small scale... 
And I am searching for something with a small pattern as well.... 
I am trying all sorts of tiny pieces from my "archives"!
So it is not done yet.....

Meanwhile I have also made a start on the decoration of the walls. 
 I was not certain whether I wanted to keep with the Very Dark Tudor style 
and just make paneling for the upper portions of the walls... 
or whether I wanted to try to bring in some color and light with a painted finish. 
Or even be as non-traditional as to use Wallpaper if I could find a small enough design. 
And then I remembered some paper I had bought many years ago in a Museum gift shop.... 
a Gold paper with a delicate fern-like pattern in Glitter... meant to be used for gift wrapping... 
but I had always thought it would make Wonderful wallpaper for a Fairy house.... 
or a fancy Victorian Dollhouse..... 
or.....

 
Perhaps it would be just Perfect for the Library of a Tiny Tree House?
So I carefully cut tiny sections and tried them out....
Oh, I do like the way it looks!
So then I had to make tiny window trim moldings out of cardboard stained to match the cabinets...

And more molding trims for around the doors... to the stairs going up....

As well as the ones going down at the back of the room.
And you can see that the cabinet doors are all done and have their knobs as well... 
but the books are still in the works....
Just Look at the sparkly walls!!
(I am Such a Sucker for Glitter...!!!)

But I have not finished because on the fourth wall I have added a little window...
High up... next to the chimney...


Or rather, I have added the Opening for the window...... and all the rest....
The shutters, the diamond panes.... the niche and framing .... 
all still need to be built... before I can paper that wall....
I have a long way to go!
I have even made a Start on the framing for the overhead arches on the ceiling....


You can see pieces taped in place for fitting....
still so crude.....
And all the walls shift and fall down at every chance they get because nothing is finished.... 
so nothing is glued down...... but it is a start!

I have even started to paint some "gilded" frames for artwork on the walls....
 

But they are not yet finished... 
so I cannot show you the art in place.....
But I hope you will be patient with me while I get the details worked out!

But for now.....

I hope you will join me....

As dusk falls and the room grows dim......


Pull up a Chair.....!

27 comments:

  1. What is it about the Fall that makes you want to pull up a chair to the fire? Read a book? Your room, Betsy, is so evocative of all those feelings.

    Autumn hugs,
    John

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  2. Love the paper! I hope you have the perfect fabric for the chair cushion, I am blown away with how you can build this tiny stuff.

    Big Hugs,
    Victoria

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    1. Thanks, Victoria! I am Determined to find the "right" fabric! I am finding this small scale oddly satisfying.... it feels like I'm building on the same scale I usually do my drawing for my paintings and Christmas cards... so it's really Familiar in a funny way!

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  3. so much work on that litle chair!! fully worth it! i think it turned out absolutely wonderful!
    now the house is turning into more "magical" ...i love it (again!!!) :)

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  4. It is amazing how you work so tiny with these effects of realism, Betsy. Everything looks so great! I wish you luck to find the right fabric for this awesome chair.
    Greetings, Ilona

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    1. Thanks, Ilona! I really hope I find fabric that works!

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  5. The chair is Awesome! And it is good you show the scale of it while making, Betsy. I reall am sometimes forgetting how small your new house is...;)Yes, I would love to sit there by fire and read.

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    1. Thanks, Ewa! I am always amazed at how small it is... but when I am working on it... somehow it doesn't feel as small! I guess it's Magical!

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  6. Your room is enchanting, I love the contrast of the dark wood and the bewitching wall treatment. Bravo!

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    1. Thanks, Philip! I am glad I remembered this paper.. I think it adds just the right amount of color and light!

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  7. Hello Betsy,
    Okay, so when can I come over to spend the day! The library is stunning...just stunning! The chair is absolutely beautiful and so incredibly detailed for such a small scale. You are really ve4ry talented and clever at figuring out how to gewt things done. You always impress me.
    I love the wallcovering. It adds such a touch of...well..magic!
    I love every detail and every choice you made in this room. It is absolutley spectacular.
    Big hug my friend,
    Giac

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    1. Thank you, Giac! (You leave such Wonderful comments!) I am enjoying where this room is going... I wasn't too sure how to make it magical And Mysterious And Old but Not Creepy... Dark but not too dark... We'll see how the rest comes together! And the door is Always open... come on over any time! Lol!

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  8. I love this so much! Well done, the chair looks wonderful and the room has such a great atmosphere. The walls work well too and I love the sparle!
    best wishes xx

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    1. Thanks, Simon! Every time I make a chair... I want more and more of the really tiny details.... Hmmm... wonder what chair I will try next? Lol! I need to Finish this one first! I am So glad I tried this paper... I think it really adds to the mood of the room!

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  9. What a lovely room. If he or she can't find a book to read, perhaps he/she can knit or stitch. (And though your chair is beautiful, I sure am glad I have something more comfortable to sit by the fire in - if I had a fire.)
    Love the glitter paper!
    I'm looking forward to an item in your other blog about your little office...
    Love,
    Mom

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    1. Thanks Mom! Once I get this chair done... the Next chair will be a Comfy one... I Promise!
      And I will try to do that other post soon...!

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  10. The chair is amazing. I like the paper.
    Kiss Faby

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  11. Love the chair and the wallpaper is beautiful!!! This is such a wonderful project to follow, I hope it will not be finished for a long time ;-)

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    1. Thanks, Margriet! It is being fun to Make too! (I have been feeling that I want to get it Done.... but aware that it is going to take me a Long Time to finish...! I am so absorbed by this scale... but I worry about the "Other" projects left partly done when I fell into this one!)It is definitely an Adventure! I am Happy to have you come along!

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  12. You never stop to amaze me... this chair is awesome. Okay, at this time, when the room is dark, he seems to practise mimikry for professionals (LOL), but I hope you'll find the perfect fabric soon. The wallpaper was a very good choice and the pictures of the whole room are simply beautiful, what a lovely atmosphere, perfect for taking seat and reading a good book.

    Greetings
    Birgit

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    1. Thank you, Birgit! Hee Hee, you make me laugh about the disappearing nature of the chair...! I am Determined to find the "Right" fabric... and then the chair's "true nature" will be revealed!!! I am glad you like the atmosphere.... I am enjoying seeing how it develops with each new part I add.... and there is still a Lot to add!

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  13. I can't figure out how to comment on your horses, but I had to! They are truly dream horses. Straight from your soul!
    Beautiful.
    Love,
    Mom

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  14. You have created a beautiful room, like something from a fairytale. Your little chair turned out so well.

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  15. Betsy, it is raining now where I am as i am reading this wonderful post. And to all the other people here, that chair is mine tonight! :)

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