Great Hall Windows....

 

The Hard Part...

I Have Been pondering for Ages, Dear Readers, the process necessary to create the larger, lower windows in the Great Hall. They differ from the other windows in that they have the stationary upper section of glass panes as well as opening panes on the lower section. The upper part would be made just like the previous upper windows of the Great Hall, but would need to include the lower window structure as part of one single window frame for structural strength. This makes a kind of hybrid frame because the upper section will be all one pane of glass behind the divider, while the two lower windows will need to function separately in their openings on either side of the central divider. The key is that the central divider needs to go from the top to the bottom in one piece, at least as far as the outer frames are concerned. I know, I have you all confused already. But in the above picture you can see the starting of the window frames on the left and the already cut out inner and outer frames just visible to the right.

They do make an oddly shaped frame to start with.

Here you can see I have begun the process of creating the "cross pieces" 

that form the support for the upper window glass pane.

This is the inner frame with the added cross-piece

 to hold the window glass...

Here you can see the beginning of making the smaller lower window frame.

  It is the same method as used on the Tower windows that open...

 an inner and an outer frame with the glass sandwiched between...

And here you can see both lower windows inner and outer frames.

The inner ones have the glass support pieces glued on... 

they will be trimmed once the window frame is assembled.

Meanwhile I have cut the glass panes

 and drawn on the "leading" with the faux glass lead paint.

Here the outer frames have been stained a grayish color...

 (weathered wood in my imagination) 

and the leading has been trimmed to clean up the blobs.

Also the main window pane has been "leaded" and trimmed.

And here I am gluing together the inner and outer frames

(one window at a time so as not to get confused).

But the really hard part, Dear Readers, 

is carving the rabbet to inset the hinge plates

 into the side of the window frame!

If you have been following me for a while,

 you will know I started building this Castle Dollhouse

 a Long time ago. In 2010 to be precise.

The plywood has grown old and tough! 

I did not know this would happen...

and could not have foreseen how long it would be

 before I was finishing these windows,

 let alone know how I would accomplish it.

I used my saws, my exacto knives (several blade shapes)

 and eventually pulled out some chisels

 and finally succeeded in carving away

 the space for the hinges to attach.

Next challenge was drilling the holes for the screws... 

used my hand drill with tiny bits....

Sorry the picture is a bit blurry... dark weather again....

but I got the hinges attached!

On both the lower window frames!

And the window glass fits into the frame.... "like a glove"...

And here it is in the window opening.... 

but the frame will need to be trimmed

 before it will swing open

 past the central post of the window.

And here you can see the other lower window is in place... 

it will also need trimming.

So far none of the main frame pieces are glued in place.

This is so adjustments can still be made easily if needed.

And one more strengthening piece needed to be added to the central divider.... 

the inner piece that fills the gap that the glass fills in the upper portion.

I have glued it and the inner frame piece into the window opening. 

It makes a sturdier window frame between the opening window sections.

And the window frames have been trimmed... 

(I needed to screw and unscrew them 

countless times to get the fit just right)

I just need to paint those grout lines before I glue the outer frame in place!

And then I need to do the same all over again for the Other big window....

Oh My, Dear Readers, 

Just look at all those windows!

The Hard part of the Great Hall windows

 Is nearly done!

Filling The Holes....

 

 Stitches And Stones.....

It Has been a While, Dear Readers, since I showed you a stitching update. This is not because I have done no stitching.... on the contrary, because the evening light lasts so long at this time of year, I have been getting in a Lot of stitching on the Chinese Dragon Carpet. This is the one done on 40 count silk mesh, which is fine enough that I need a magnifying glass and very good lighting in order to stitch. Early mornings are my favorite time, but I have been grabbing moments any time of day up to sunset! Above you can see that the dragons in the center are done, and their background mostly so. I decided that the cream color of the carpet background needed to "intrude" into the central motif in the form of "clouds" around the edges. I was starting to feel that the sharp cut-off of the light blue sky at the gold border would be too abrupt. I have not finished the "clouds" but the blue sky portion is done. There is a hint of gilding at the edges of the clouds as if the sun is reflecting light. And since my "addition" to the design is now well defined... I needed to get the rest of the carpet kit design underway so I could see how it all fits together. I counted VERY carefully out from the center of the carpet to determine exactly where on the original design my design overlapped to determine exactly where to begin stitching the kit designs. The carpet is strewn all over with very ornate leaves and vines..... grapes, I think... and having found a starting point I began stitching the pattern on one side out to where the border pattern begins.

Here I have placed the stitching on top of the kit picture 

(which is just about exactly full size)

so you can see how the overall pattern fits my addition.

I had to adjust the placement of the first leaves along the side.

 But I really wanted to see how they would fit

 where the border pattern begins.

And then I wanted to duplicate the changes

 on the opposite edge,

 so I would not overlook something

 that I had made different from the kit design.

And here you can see it again, overlaying the kit design picture.

I am pretty sure I will be making more changes to the kit design!

But that is as far as I have gotten for now.

 

 

And while I am showing you the stitching updates,

 here is the William Morris design from quite a while back.

I have not stitched on it as much because 

I have been taking advantage of the long days lighting

 to work on the Dragon Carpet.

I did buy a slightly larger frame in the hopes that

 I could stitch the entire carpet without

 having to roll the stitched part too far. 

This said the stitching area would be 9'',

 but really it is about 8 and 1/2 inches... 

so I gained about a half an inch!

Still, it does make a difference.

And what about the "stones" I promised you,

 I hear you asking...?

Well, Dear Readers, the window holes in the Castle facade

 are filled with window frames that are

 supposed to be stone, as is most of the Castle.

All those wooden frames I carefully cut to fit the windows

 need to be painted ... inside and out.... to resemble "stone".

There will be more trim added to the windows

 so this is just the base coats. 

The grout painting will happen last.

And meanwhile, I have been carefully cutting

 the glass panes to fit the window holes...

 and painting the lead lines on them 

with faux "lead line" paint.

The paint goes on sort of blobby. 

I let it dry for 24 hours and then

 trim the lines with an exacto knife.

The left window lines have been trimmed....

the right are not yet finished trimming.

Here I am testing how it fits in the window hole...

There are still several steps before I glue the frames in place.

First, I paint around the outside of the panes with black paint.

 This is so where the edges don't meet the frame exactly

 (all over the place!) 

the light will not shine through and ruin the illusion!

And second, I am adding a tiny hint of colored glass...

 to the quatre-foil windows in particular,

 and also a little bit of yellow and lavender to random panes

 to look like old faded glass.

(I did this with the first windows on the back of The Great Hall ages ago!)

Here you can see the painted glass better....

And in the window frame.

 The glass will be lifted a tiny bit when installed permanently

 so the design better aligns with the window openings...

 but this is just testing the effect of the painting.

Each step needs to be done on each window....

Here three windows are at various stages of completion....

And the fourth window just trimmed today!

Still not painted....

But just look at those glass windows filling those holes!

One step at a time, Dear Readers,

I am filling those little holes... 

whether they be with stitches or stones,

I am making Great Progress!

More Of The Same....

 

Castle Lord's Bed Chamber Construction...

I Hope you will Not be surprised, Dear Readers, to find that I spent my entire vacation week working on the Lord's Bed Chamber construction! I was so eager to find out if my ideas could be made to work, in particular, fitting the stairs into the back corner and still having a window (with shutters) beside the fireplace. You can see from the above picture (thanks to the flash it is very bright!) the basic layout of the elements I want to include. The stairs will have a door at the bottom and the windows beside the hearth will have seats beneath them. The seats are positioned with a gap for your legs so you sit sideways to the window, allowing for the best use of light for reading. The bed will be against the right wall, and the wall enclosing the stairs going down to the Council Chamber (on the left and not in place in this picture) will have a door too. This way the Lord can have his privacy if he desires! The back left corner will be a nook  with the window seat and possibly room for a servant to sleep. The task that had to be completed before anything else was making the windows and shutters. It would be far too difficult to work on them once the stairs or side walls were installed.

If you have been following this blog,

 you will know I have been making my own windows 

using real glass and faux lead glass paint.

I started using this method way back in the beginning of this build

 before I knew anything about other possible methods.

Because the window openings are all irregularly shaped,

 there are no ready-made windows to use anyway.

Above you can see the basic elements I use.

A window frame made from 1/8 inch plywood,

 shaped to fit the window opening as closely as possible,

(you need two for each window, inner and outer frames)

and the glass cut to fit in the opening

 which is "painted" in the design you want.

The lead glass paint goes on in a very uneven blobby way.

But I discovered that once it has cured for 24 hours, 

it can be shaped to a more delicate design using an exacto knife. 

The one on the right has been "cleaned up"

 while the one on the left is still curing.

Here it is being tested in place to see if it looks okay.

This is the window that had been partially filled in from the original design,

 which is why the shape is so irregular on the right side. 

 

Here is the other window also being tested.

 It needs some adjusting in the frame.

(Sorry about the dark pictures... 

I get busy and forget to get good shots!)

Oh what a difference a sunny morning makes!

The windows are just being tested for fit here.

 They will need to be held in place in the openings

 before gluing the frames to the Castle.

With the flash on, you can see the "sticks"

 on either side of the glass pane, 

which keep it from sliding sideways 

once the inner and outer frames are glued in.

Here you can see both glass panes are in place!

Now for the shutters....

 which requires that we add the "rock "trim first...

 

(with the stairs out of the way...)

 

And starting to fit the shutters!

(Just look at all those hinges!)

 

Because they will be split in half.

And we need to test them under the stairs...

The added thickness of the shutter

 makes the top one not open all the way.

But it is the best I can manage, so I am going with it!

This way you can have only half the shutter

 open on really cold and stormy days...

Here I am using the flash...

it is night and I have not even begun the other shutter!

And I haven't yet added the shutter "hinge straps" either.

But morning light gives it a wonderful feeling!

I am adding more stones around the windows,

 fitting them to the shutters and the stairs.

And here you can see the shutters mostly completed... 

with hinge straps made from sculpey.

And the stones are carefully fitted under the stairs.

And a closer view of the back corner with the seats beside the hearth

(not as they will be exactly, but to show the idea)

And in the morning light with the side wall in place,

 separating the room from the stairs below.

It makes a nook in the back corner beneath the second window.

And a little closer.

There is still so much to accomplish, Dear Readers,

but the windows and shutters are now finished!

It might look and feel like I hardly accomplished

 anything at all on my Vacation...

and even though it is just More of the same old Castle Building... 

I am loving this Lord's Bed Chamber construction!