"All good things take time..." As we all know, all too well - that goes for small things too but I have finally managed to finish the rug for T. Tjørngren's living room. 

I hate to think how long it took me and after all that, you can hardly see it with the furniture in place.

Up until then, he had been borrowing a smaller rug that I embroidered years ago, but this one is a much better fit. 

I couldn't find a rug pattern I liked to the dimensions I needed so I made the pattern or chart using a free online program that I have now happily forgotten what was called.  

The next bit might not mean an awful lot for those of you who don't stitch, but I thought I would share it anyway. Rather than using silk gauze which is most often used for miniature needlepoint, I have worked this rug in full cross stitch onto calico (quilter's muslin). 1) I didn't have any silk gauze; 2) the calico I did have, had a weave similar to Aida cloth only very tiny, making it ideal for mini stitching; 3) by stitching on calico, I was able to make nicely fringed ends which is not really possible with gauze, I don't think. 

I almost regretted using this fabric halfway more than once while stitching it because working full cross stitch instead of petit point, means twice as many stitches - As if there wasn't enough already!

Here you can see it in all its mini glory. Now that it is done, I am so happy, I persevered. 

~ ~ Back in the Loft ~ ~ 

There was so much clutter on top of the chest of drawers, that I made Karl Johan a small shelf to hang above it. Not that he has a lot of stuff, but at least he can now put his toiletries a bit more out of the way.  

So what was the plan for the small drawers? As you can see, Karl Johan has pulled one out and just piled the contents into the empty hole.

Huibrecht was absolutely right when he guessed it had something to do with birds. You see, Karl Johan had found a nest with two tiny baby birds that had blown out of a tree...

He brought the nest home and the only thing suitable he could find to put the nest in was of course his top drawer. Very sensibly has has lined it with a bit of news paper.

To make sure the wee babies stay nice and warm, the drawer sits on the floor next to the stove. I am not sure what he intends to do once they get bigger and start to move about - for now it is ok, cause they are tiny....

... yes, very, very tiny. That big, fat finger is my pinkie. It was fiddley and fun to make. I wasn't even sure if I could pull it off. I haven't made nests.. or birds.. or any animal for that matter before... so what on earth was I thinking? 

My wee birds are fare from perfect. The beaks are wonky and they don't have any legs but overall it they worked out better than I had hoped. I guess sometimes you just have to dive in and give it a go and see what happens. That is what I love so much about making tiny things.

On that note; I have started something new... but I will start a fresh post for that.

Until then - take care and thanks for stopping by.

Anna X

Into the loft

I have been tinkering. 

In fact the loft room has been looking kind of finished for some time. As you would know, there are always little details that can be added, played with and changed, but overall it now looks and feels how I had imagined.

It is a basic room. Karl Johan who lives here is not home much. He is a bright lad and came to town to study, so is lodging in the attic room of T. Tjørngren - the thing is, Karl Johan would much rather be out bird watching than spend time studying and it looks like he was down in marsh again this morning before class because is old pants have been hung to dry in front of the stove.

At the back of room, under the rafters is the sleeping quarters. Karl Johan is quite untidy, and making the bed is not a priority, but I do wish he would stop just slinging his nightshirt onto the bed when getting dressed in the morning. 

Modeled on traditional Danish beds, the little bed is the first piece of furniture I made from scratch for this house. 

I didn't take any photos while making the bed or bedding. The bed itself is made mostly from card stocks, with bits of turned banister for the legs and a length of fine wooden molding for the trim one the side. 

the bedding is made from old hankies - the lightweigth, well-washed cotton lending itself perfectly to old linen. Not sure if I was slightly mad when  spending an evening stitching the pulled thread border on the quilt cover. 

To be able to shape the messy quilt, I knitted the inner in thick soft wool, mixed with a length of super fine beading wire. It seems to do the trick. 

The little chest at the end of the bed is a really special piece. It was made as a special gift for Karl Johan from his 'uncle' Sam (Samantha Burns of Blueprint Minis) to house his collection of eggs and feathers. 

At one side of the small room is the 'kitchen' quarters. The table is a super cheap from the dollar shop, aged and roughed up. The accessories still need a bit of work but amongst the stuff is a little golden cup and blue frying pan from my childhood.

The stove is a Chrysnbon kit that I had great fun aging and wiring up. It was my first attempt at this kind of work and I was so thankful to find Brea's great tutorials on Otterine. 

Anything electrical still scares me, so no need to tell you how excited I was when the flickering lights actually worked.

At the opposite side of the room, is a small chest of drawers. This side of the room still needs a bit of work; it needs a mirror, perhaps a small stool...  

The chest is built from scratch. I had another, really pretty chest that was the perfect size but fare to 'nice looking' for the loft and I soon realized that finding a smallish chest kit was not easy so I built this one based on the same measurements. I have plans for one of the small top drawers...

The latest and last addition to the loft room is outside the window.

As I mentioned, Karl Johan is an eager bird watcher so of course he will do anything to attract them to his humble abode. 

I have come the conclusion that as much as I love trying my hand at almost anything, I might leave any kind of food making to all of those amazingly talented miniature food artists out there. I felt terrible 'butchering' a beautiful apple made Maria of SolsCreationsAU and tasty looking slice of bread by Bella of belladOllas (both on Etsy) but I think it looks inviting enough so that, hopefully, a bird or two will find its way to the feeder.  

I hope you are all keeping well and safe, and thank you for stopping by. 

Anna X