Something Old Something New

It all started with this sofa....  I was very lucky to buy a sofa and arm chair from Chris Compas of 1inchminis a number of years ago.  I'm very glad that I did, because she stopped making them soon after (though I think Chris still makes kits).  I have never seen a better made sofa.  

There was a problem though, I just couldn't find the 'right place' for it in Daviot House.  The blue parlour transformed slowly into a pink drawing room, and I didn't have space in another room for it.

I also had difficulty fitting in a lovely sewing table, and a painting I had made, so for a long while these pieces languished in storage.  But I knew I wanted them in Daviot House.

I haven't blogged in a while, because my creative process takes quite a long time, and I find computer time eats into my creative hours.  I mulled over this problem, even considering starting a new property...  until I had a bit of  eureka moment. 

 I realised that I needed to make a different breakfast room (more to come on that soon), and transform the old breakfast room into a nice, cosy sitting room, where I could display a lot of needlework and of course, find a place for my beautiful sofa...

None of the items in this room are new, but it has taken quite a while to make a room where they all fit in together, in harmony.  I repanelled the walls, and made a little corner fireplace. 

 I wanted to make this sitting room the sort of refuge from the cold, very private and personal compared to the grander rooms on the first floor.  This curved back arm chair is by Barry Norbury, and is upholstered in pale blue silk.  Sometimes I think of reupholstering it, but I think the colour goes very well with the darker walls.

Two little greyhounds perch either side of the fireplace.  I haven't found the 'right' fire grate yet, so we assume that although it is November, the fire in this room hasn't been lit just yet...

On the mantlepiece, in pride of place is a working Art Nouveau clock by Malcolm Hall.  I'm very glad I have finally found a home for it!

The painting of the lady was done be me a few years ago, and I think she is a good presence in this room.  I don't have dolls in my house, but I find that paintings and figurines of people definitely give a 'lived in' feel to a house.  

The geisha ornament by Veronique Cornish on the mantlepiece, though Japanese in style, reflects the lady in the portrait, as does the tiny articulated doll I made on the chair.

She is so very small, but her arms and legs really do move!  I'm pretty fond of her tiny black shoes peeking out from her dress...

I made her out of cold porcelain and wired her arms and legs with fine wire.  Her dress is made from an antique handkerchief.

I've had this Tarbena mirror above the sofa for a long time.  It used to be in the 'Dining Closet' when Daviot House consisted of just four rooms (instead of the 14 rooms of the current incarnation!)  I like the little sillhouettes I made, again it gives a feeling of presence.  

I want to give a special mention to one of the kindest miniature makers I've had the pleasure of ordering from.  Michael of MMMiniature Treasures was so kind to make a replica of my thread holder.  I have a collection of antique sewing tools and samplers, and I get a real burst of excitement when I can add a similar item to Daviot House.  That is ten-fold when it is a replica of something I own in big size!

So imagine my complete joy when Michael sent me this:

A lovely copy, complete with the tiny acorn.  It is just fabulous, thank you so much Michael!

 I made a couple of bone stilettos for the sewing table, I'll show you why in a moment...

Another sewing item that I don't think I have shared with you before is my tiny needlepoint 'work in progress'.  I sewed this on 72 count silk, which was pretty challenging!  I took the pattern from a RL size pattern, and I didn't have to modify it at all!  I wonder if it is going to be a cushion cover...

I've put on the lights - I know that this affects the picture quality, but it really is my favourite moment when I have completed a room and the lights add that certain kind of magic.  

I think the sofa has finally found a place worthy of it, and I am relieved to have a room finally for all these little treasures.  The sofa has already been colonised by a little kitten. 

 He's a little timid at the moment, because he has only recently been transformed from a Playmobil cat, and he is getting used to his much more comfortable surroundings! (He was in a large plastic box of playmobil, but shhh! don't tell the children!)  I just need to name him...

Here's why I made the bone stilettos... I made a whitework tablecloth.  White work is a beautiful embroidery method which uses white thread on white linen and a range of stitches.  The stilettos are used to poke holes in the cloth in a way that means they don't fray, and the holes are then filled with needle lace stitches.  This table cloth is a smaller version of the larger one in the the Breakfast Room.

(Please ignore the gravity-defying lamp that decided to drop off the mantlepiece just as I was taking this photo...)

Here's a close-up, but it is quite difficult to photograph the details.  I love making miniature whitework, it only needs fine handkerchief cotton or linen and antique cotton sewing thread.  Also a tiny needle and a stiletto (not the shoe ;) ), so it is a very transportable sewing project, good for holidays!

I have started painting a tea set that I bought from Elizabeth Causeret... who I recently found out lives quite close to me in Lyon, so I may have to plan a trip to her atelier in the New Year!

I really, REALLY hesitated to paint on her beautiful work, her pieces are just stunning, even in plain white.  But I was itching to have a Meissen-Style 18th century tea set, so I brought out my tiny, tiny brushes and had a go.  

It takes a lot of concentration, and I have only completed half the set at the moment, but it is enough for tea-for-one!

I need to fill the biscuit barrel with some biscuits soon...

To hide the lack of a cheery, warm fire grate, I put up a little firescreen.  It is made from a plant screen from Arjen Spinhoven, but I think it works quite well as a fire screen.  I also moved the pole screen from the breakfast room to the Sitting Room, and the floral painting by Andrew Nicolls moved from the Drawing Room.  I think it is happier here!

Time for a cup of tea after all that re-arranging!

A little bit of silver for some luxury, and a bunch of extremely early paperwhites... I imagine they smell delicious!

A little cluttered, perhaps, but defintely somewhere where I would like to sit and sew  quietly in the dark evenings of Autumn...

We really ought to name this little kitten!  Any ideas?

And last of all, nestling in a small corner of the room is the very first painting I made for Daviot House, back in 2010 when my twins were tiny babies and Daviot House was just a room box with hope...  

                                                     Jonquil