Sunday, October 5, 2008

2008 Spokane Miniature Workshop

I went to Spokane yesterday to attend the Spokane Miniature Society's 2008 workshop. The project was an "Antique Bedroom Set with Dressed Canopy Bed". This is a 1/12th scale project. The main focus was to dress the bed.

Two prototype beds were mostly complete, and we were encouraged to dress our beds however we wanted, but we had guidance in using pleaters, doing embroidery, etc.


The kits for the workshop included 4 HOM kits, which were the bed, a chest, a lowboy, and a corner chair.


We were also provided a bag of kits for accessories.
These included kits for:
  • Binder clip Purse
  • Slippers
  • Nightgown
  • Fan
  • Lavender Potpourri bags
  • Perfume Tray
  • Perfume shelf
  • Tampons (to make the bed's bolster! Yes, miniaturists are resourceful)
At the workshop, I did get stuff done, although it didn't look like I got much done. I sanded my bed parts and started assembly. I did this first, since I needed to know the size of the canopy before I could dress it. The workshop flyer had said there would be forms for the canopy to work with, but there were not. Even the alignment patterns in the bed's directions were not accurate.
I have done enough projects like this to not trust someone else's meaurements, but to measure things myself!


Anyway, after I got the canopy glued and drying in my gluing jig (where I could measure it), I could start working on the canopy. I got the ruffle started (not shown) and the top of the canopy glued to the canopy frame, and I started making some decorative swag thingies. My bed will be dressed kinda like the one in this drawing.


Many of the people at the workshop were using china silk for their beds. Real silk fabric is not something I can buy locally. I do have china silk in small pieces, and a large piece of white and a large piece of royal blue. I did not want to dress my bed in white or royal blue. So, I went to the the local quilt shop and looked for tiny prints and came home with 4 new fat quarters. I also chose perl cotton 'trim' to coordinate with the fabrics. I decided to go with a muted purple fabric and I paired it with some hunter green fabric I had in my stash. (Leftover from a full-sized quilt, that was on our bed.)

Bobbie Jo commented that my color choices of purple backed with green were "unusual". She is so polite. LOL If I do finish this bed and I am happy with it, I will take it for show-and-tell next year.

A couple of vendors were at the workshop, as usual. I avoided temptation at all but Becky's table. She brought cats.

I do not need any mini cats.

I have enough mini cats.


My weakness are mini cats. I was gonna buy 1 cat, but ended up with 5.

Becky had pairs of cats! Pairs of cats tug at my heartstrings.



I didn't have a cat looking backwards yet. Cute pose! The cat behind him is the one (yes, only 1) that I purchased from Becky last year.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great kit and cute mini cats
Cheers
May

Anonymous said...

Good work Alice. When you finish your swags I want to know how you did it. Paula