More Windows....

Giving It a Try....

I am Sure that Most of you, Dear Readers, will Not remember that I had boldly added a window to the bathroom of the Willowcrest all those years ago when I was about to glue the walls in place. I could not be happy with a room that had no window at all, and so at the last  minute I added one by cutting a hole in the wall. I chose an arched shape similar to the arched windows in the attic, but really it was a home made design. I also added an outer window frame once the walls were attached and the trim was being added....

And I had even constructed the window itself..... 

 (but couldn't find a picture of that in the unfinished state)

Because it languished unfinished and unattached for years and years!

Why? you might ask...

Well, because I wanted it to be "stained glass" 

like the upper portion of all the other windows in this house.....

But all those windows had been "finished" years ago...

And I would have to do the "leaded glass" paint....

So it languished.

But then last week when I was cleaning out the attic

 and dithering with the fireplace.... 

my eye fell on that window frame.... still waiting....

 and hadn't I just used the lead paint a few days ago...?

Wouldn't it be easy to add the lead to this window now?

It really didn't take me very long!

(Of course, this is plastic and not real glass)

Once the leaded lines had dried.... several days later, 

I needed to add the lead tape to the exterior side.

All the windows on Hardwick Hall have this lead tape

applied to the design on the exterior side of the windows.

It takes a little longer, but the effort is really worth it.

Next I painted the "Stained glass" colors...

Using nail polish... first a rosy red....

Then a lovely lilac....

 this goes only on the side with the painted lead lines.

And then glue it in the window opening...!

And from the exterior...!

Finally! All the windows in this house are done!

 

And I have to confess Dear Readers, 

all of that was really me dithering some more...

Because I couldn't decide how to construct 

the next window for the Lord's Council Chamber!

Didn't you Just make one? I hear you ask?

Yes... But, I wanted to try to make one that opened....

Just the lower portion, you understand.... 

because you wouldn't want to have no fresh air...!

And this would require hinges..! (A good thing..!)

And complicated framing... (not quite such a good thing...)

And me trying something I wasn't sure would work....

And then I realized that I would never know unless I tried! (Duh!)

So I got started!

I drew the pattern of the opening...

(Have I mentioned that this Self-built dollhouse

 has really uneven window openings?)

(See previous posts for disclaimers about the "builders"!)

This frame would need to be built in two sections.

I started with the lower part where I wanted the window to open.

 

It is built on the same theory as the rest of these windows

 (basically a glass sandwich)

But the frame needed inner panels that would 

keep the glass positioned when the frame swung open.

These are not necessary for the fixed windows, 

because the glass is held in place by the walls.

And the frame needed to be large enough and sturdy enough 

to take the weight of the glass, and the hinges

 needed to be able to be screwed on without hitting the glass.

I made the sides just a little wider than the previous window, 

3/8ths inch instead of 1/4 inch.

Imagine my Joy when I went to my glass scrap box 

and found two pieces already cut exactly the right size!

 

Here I am testing the frame "sandwich" in the window opening....

And seen from the exterior (where the light is better!)

Still a long way to go... but I'm encouraged!

Here the upper frames are cut and fitted too... 

and testing that they all fit together...

There will be lots of trimming still!

And with the cross bar sections added to the frames...

And drawing the leading on the glass... 

alas, my lines are still really blobby!

But I know I can trim them up later.

Painting the upper frame to resemble stone.... 

like the other windows in the Castle.

But then I realized the lower portion that hinges would never be stone... 

but I didn't want to paint it dark wood colored..... 

(still might change my mind...)

 

I stained it a blue-gray that I used on the Conservatory... 

I'm going to call it "weathered wood"

I will probably try to make it look more like weathered wood...

 but here I am still testing for fit!

And as the leading was getting dry

 I had to try to see how well it fit the frame....

But it was late and I was running out of time.

I couldn't wait to see how they would look in daylight....

Today was my day to go in to the Office... 

but I tried to grab a couple of shots...

Blobby paint and all!

I didn't even get as far as the hinges.... 

so I have no idea how they will work!

But I had to give it a Try, Dear Readers....!

'Cause how else would I ever find out?

(And now I have adding the hinges to look forward to....!)

And More Windows too!

Whither Shall We Wander....

On This Fine Summer's Morn....

I had a week of Vacation, Dear Readers, which seemed an endless stream of hot sunny Summer Mornings with possibilities at every turn.... and was gone before I could catch my breath and focus on any of my many projects for any meaningful length of time. What with the Holiday in the middle of the week and several time-consuming appointments on the other days.... my Time was consumed with getting there and back again and trying to stay cool in the Record breaking heat! But in retrospect I did manage to accomplish a few things... none of which were on the immediate "to do" list! The most satisfying one was the completion of the exterior wooden trim on the remaining windows of Hardwick Hall. Above you can see a picture of the attic window without the trim.... the printed crossbars on the acetate windows always bother me as being too one dimensional! I had even painted the pieces of trim ages ago... and after completing the porch trim, I decided to tackle the windows too!

The parlor bay windows also were still in need of their trim... 

making a total of eight windows needing trim.

I started with the attic ones... and then remembered

 that there was a reason I hadn't finished them....

 I still needed to paint more of the extra thin trim

 I used to make the illusion that the windows are

 double-hung and could possibly be opened!

Here you can see what I mean... 

the window on the right has been completed, 

and the trim for the lower half is much less deep....

 hopefully creating the illusion that the lower half of the window

  sits beside the upper  and could slide past it when being opened.

And the window on the left is one of the ones needing to be finished...

So I trimmed down some very narrow wooden

 coffee stirrers and painted them the silver of the trims.

This requires four coats of paint!

Then I cut and fitted them to the attic windows....

 these windows are tiny!

But you can see the lower half of the window

 is "set back" from the upper half.

(Or at least I hope it appears to be set back!)

And then I started on the Parlor Bay windows... 

and when I got to the lower portion,

 I realized the sill was poorly fitted

 and there were big gaps at the bottom 

of the window panes!

So I cut and painted slivers of trim to fill the gaps.....

The one on the left has been filled... the right has not.

Here they have both been filled....

And the trims added.....

I know.... the lighting is awkward... 

(I was keeping my blinds closed!)

Here is a better shot... a bit glaring even... 

but it shows the different depth of the window trims.
It took an entire day to complete!
And with the exception of the bathroom window,
which I added to the design...
 the windows are done!

Another day I spent a lovely morning sewing by an open window

 with the breezes wafting in...

slowly filling in the background around the blossoms.... 

before the heat of the day became over-whelming.

 

And I thought I would get to painting on the Castle Great Hall ceiling....

(Isn't it high time I finished those Patient Saints?) 

Again, it is dark in here!

I wanted to get a better look at the way

 the ceiling would connect with the walls...

 

Here it is lit with the flash

which shows the colors beautifully,

 but erases the cracks at the edges of the ceiling

 which will need to be covered with trim.... 

an added layer of "rock" buttressing the ceiling.

And as I pulled out the wood and began to prepare the trim, 

I realized that I would not be able to attach it in the right spot

 without knowing exactly where the ceiling would sit... 

and with the whole structure of the Castle still somewhat half finished.... 

I would need to do some of that structural work first!

Ah, Dear Readers, this is how I end up

 going down the Rabbit Hole and into

 I-Wonder-Where I-am-Land!

 

Because in order to do any of that larger work on the Castle, 

I would need to clear it out....

(I am shocked to admit that I have no idea

 how many years it has been since I did that!)

All (or rather Most of) the Little People 

went off on Vacations for the Summer.... 

and I packed up boxes full of furnishings 

and partially done project pieces...

 trying to keep it all organized so I could find the pieces again....

 and I really only cleared away half of the rooms....

 

Figuring I would at least finish the structure of the Lord's Tower...

 (the plywood panels are becoming warped

 since the top walls have never been fastened in place....)

 

the unfinished Council Chamber....

 

And what will be the Lord's Bed Chamber at the top of the Tower.

And each room has the front wall framework to add too....

the "Proscenium" I call it.

Here I have drilled and screwed the 

Great Hall "Proscenium" temporarily in place.

And I have been struggling since Forever with the question

 of whether or not to add Doors to the fronts of all the rooms

(To Door or Not Tudor ... that is the Question!)

And as I Dream of getting the basic framework

 all drilled and screwed together at least temporarily....

Because if I am going to attach any Doors, 

the framework needs to be done first...

And then I look at the Base....

Where the Caves are located... 

(even though they are filled with stored materials)

And somehow it becomes important to start with them.....

 clean them out.... paint them.... attach the doors... 

all pieces of plywood that were cut out ages ago

 and are stacked up and waiting.... in the way, to tell the truth!)

 

The first cave ready for the primer....

 

And the primer done.....

 oooh that was a contortionists job!

 

And the door panels too!

 

And the next morning .... 

starting on the dark gray paint.... 

because they are dark rock caves!

 

Here is one with just the primer coat.... 

you can sort of see your way around in there!

 

But a Cave is supposed to feel vast and dark and Murky...!

So I painted them dark Gray.

You can get lost in there!

And then I started on the outside frame of the Base....

because it is supposed to be the "Rock" the Castle is built upon...

 

I will most likely add more paint and colors

 to add to the illusion that it is "rock"...

And the doors too...! 

And I started adding base colors

 to the front of the Castle itself....

And then I realized that until each room

 was completed and the front screwed in for good...

 I couldn't add the paint....

 because the screws would need to be

 puttied over first before painting! 

(And isn't that bringing me right back to where I was before....?)

Okay, so I can still temporarily drill and screw the

 framework together and worry about painting later!

 

And I can test the idea of doors in each room...

Temporarily....

Won't they get in the way?

 I will be wanting to leave them open

 all the Time so I can see in there....!

 

Oh yes, and I did complete the sixteenth Lilac Blossom!

 

Ah, Dear Readers, I don't know how I got here....

 or where I am going from here... 

But I do think it was Long Overdue!

 And that is Where I wandered 

through all my Vacation days!