May 20

For three years we have been in a state of disorganization and remodeling.  If anyone has moved and lived in the house during remodeling, you understand completely the stress and discombobulation that I describe. 

The house is nearly complete.  There are some smaller projects that need doing but for now, we are taking a building break.  Once the upstairs was “finished” I started opening boxes and putting things away.  Apparently, I need to purge some more.  I am so overwhelmed with the organizing at this point. 

I have followed along with Cas Aarsen of Clutterbug.  https://clutterbug.me/get-started

Purchasing her book has allowed me to read slower and digest her advice.  I have been an organizer from childhood practically and am trying desperately to drop excessive habits.  I am Cricket in her test, with some crossover bits of a ladybug.   I am trying desperately to be a patient Cricket, waiting for perfection by first macro-organizing.  Apparently, according to Cas and I identify with what she is suggesting, I am an overthinker and an over organizer…for now.  This process is difficult for me.  She has in her blog and videos suggested that I first MACRO organize.  In the middle of this wonderful exercise of using a big bin and putting everything in it for this one subject, for example, sewing machine accouterments.  , I find I am putting smaller boxes in that big box that is supposed to be for general organizing.  Stopping that micro-organizing is a bit of a challenge.  I sort into different categories.  Don’t let me get started on miniatures, paleez!    

When I first moved from the “big house “I downsized by half.  The first decision was to define what I actually wanted to do in hobbies as it was apparent, I was not going to continue down the road of doing everything I pleased.  (Anyone who is into doll making or costuming knows it is hard to give it all up as we use all those skills in this one pursuit.)  I pared down ruthlessly.  Not quite enough, though.  Getting my 30’ X 15’ hobby room to a 12’ X 12’ room was excruciating.  I wound up using a wall in the garage as well. 

Not long after that endeavor, we moved again.  The space is similar, but the rooms organized a different way.  Here we go again! I still have too much. 

Am working on divesting myself of dolls, miniatures, fabrics, tools, excess projects, it is a chore.  So, my friends, I have been overwhelmed with sorting, purging, donating, trashing (why did I save that piece of paper or that inch of fabric?  And no, it cannot become an inchie art piece!) 

Upstairs in this “new to us” home, there are three rooms.  One is a nice guestroom for us, the second is a similar in size third bedroom.  This to be my sewing room as it has a large picture window.  And finally, the bonus at the top of the stairs is a closet built into the rafters and finished off.  This is my stock room.  Well, it will be when I finish as right now the whole house feels like my stockroom. 

The bedroom is a sorting and stacking station for each “leg” of the organizing.  The stockroom is still sort of a hide it space, and I am working on it, box at a time.  I have a large organizing chest from a Paula Deen furniture collection, and now 6 Alex cabinets.  The taller 9 drawer ones.  They are currently in a state of reorganization, too.  The hope is when I am finished and labeled, that the cabinets will all be straightened out and everything centered, and pretty.  (I want pretty so badly!)

                This is the stacked-up guest room.  Thankfully, we have no visitors at this time.  

The Sewing or display room is being sorted more and more.  It is beginning to look like a real workroom and will have a pretty display on the bookshelves and the cabinet.  Another Paula Deen furniture piece called "The Bag Lady."

                        This will be a nice display and sewing machine corner when completed.  

                                        Currently in a holding pattern.  But a good workplace.  

    It's a start!  I hope this will be pretty, too.  I need to have some skilled doll ladies help me with the                                                                                 display.  

Frankly, the overwhelm has frozen me from doing the things I love.  I have pulled three unfinished projects and taken them downstairs.  Removed from the mess upstairs, I am working on those projects.  The break is greatly needed. 

And if you are unaware of Cas and the Clutterbug theories, you can click on the link above and watch her show Hot Mess House, https://www.hgtv.com/shows/hot-mess-house.  Or stream on Discovery Plus. 

The book I purchased was this one.  (no affiliate sponsor) The Clutter Connection.  

Can be found wherever you find your books.  

Have Fun! 

Kathi

Dior Room Complete

 

Last week we looked at a basic room box and basics to complete a fun vignette.  A simple box like that can be the jumping-off point for many a miniature collection.  And this was for us as well.  

Let’s jump right into the details.  After completing the room, we wanted to press home that it was a collector’s room, so we added some finishing details to the room.  Many things can be done with a basic box.  Our collector collected vintage clothing.  We borrowed a picture from the internet (picture was not sold) and made a frame for it.  Under that, a Demilune table of my design and added a (sold out) floral arrangement.  Debbie made a mirror to fit the vanity space, and a pouf was added for sitting.  A lady must have a place for her make-up and perfumes.  Plus, a beautiful box that comes in many colors is carried by Debbie at Minikitz.com to keep treasures locked away.  I chose black.  We had special shoes and hat boxes cut, as well as shopping bags.

The room with the basics is really starting to say something and we are getting a picture that this is really a closet or dressing room. 

Now all we need is to add the fancy things. 

Her we find our lady has saved her cake topper and shoes from her wedding.  I am sure there are other keepsakes inside the box.  As her veil tails along the top shelf she has added other special boxes and keepsakes.  Her shoes, hats and purses peek out on the shelves. 

What fancy and sparkly boxes and bags for mementos.  Wow those have to be special shoes to come in a shoe box that is glittered. 

 

Candy has received a box of roses.  What a special day!  And more shopping bags to be filled.  Lingerie, perhaps?

And finally, a completed room.  So much added.  Enjoy the details.  Click on the pictures and they enlarge.  Coco, the poodle, is as excited as Candy. 

I hope you have enjoyed this look at a long-term project.  It was so much fun bringing this idea to fruition. 

Have Fun!

Kathi

The Dior Project or Candy's Room

 

Late last year my friends Debbie Jones of Kitz! and Dana Burton and I got together on the MiniDollList forum and created a project for our group. 

https://groups.io/g/minidollLIST (Click to join the forum.)

https://www.danaburton.com/  Dana made the doll named Candy, there are no more kits available. She is our inhabitant.  Dressed for a special night on the town. 

https://www.minikitz.com/ Debbie sells many miniature kits at great prices for the DIY crowd.  Also, if you want a miniature doll she has contacts for some really talented miniature doll makers. 

It was great fun and wonderful confab! 

We started with the idea of a 50’s Closet, Dior, Chanel, and other designers of the 50s.  We wanted something that could be contemporary but perhaps a woman who collected period clothing and the ideas flowed freely from there.  We had a lot of fun doing it and our group participated in all the best ways, and like Japan month, everyone contributed. 

Each of us had our function; Dana created the doll and doll kits; I did the design and Debbie did everything else.  She did a lot! LOL!   

Today I am going to show you the room I designed, and Debbie’s husband Charles cut for us on a laser.  We spent some time on the design, fitting, and building of the closet.  building designing and building the closet.  We all decided on a black and white base theme as it was to be a closet or dressing room, and we wanted all our participants to be able to put their own personalities into them. 

The entire closet fits into an 8” X 10” picture frame and fits together using foam core board walls and floor.  The closet structure fits within the walls of the frame.  This closet is so expertly cut, it just slides into the space once it is assembled and painted.  The white color allows for all the accessories to pop. 

The Closet.

We looked for this closet to function as any real dressing area might, concentrating on display.  There is plenty of space for hanging clothes, a vanity, and cute little pouf for a tuffet (every girl needs one) finally drawers and shelves.  Filling and imagining what all will go into it is such fun! 

The Basics

We planned for the demilune table with a picture and accessories such as a perfume tray, nail polish, a floral display, or whatever someone wanted there.  Kitz! Got it all together in one place for people to pick and choose what they wanted.  No small feat!  The picture borrowed from the internet reinforced the display theme. (the picture was not sold it is a copyrighted item) however a set of frames were developed, and one could use anything available or their imagination.   

If you would like to take on this project, please see what is available here:

https://www.minikitz.com/ZenStoreP1/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=134_236

There are two pages.  Click through if you would like to make some of these items or have ideas of your own. 

In the next two weeks, we will look at more of the items prepared for this project, free tutorials, and some free patterns as well. 

Until more surprises next week,

Have Fun! 

Kathi

Christmas in August - Sort Of

 

Do you belong to a club?  Draw names?  Must make the gift yourself?  Need an idea? This was me a few years back.  I drew the name of a collector of beautiful things and maker par excellence!  She did not, she had said, I remembered, have much room left.  And I knew she liked the little ladies.  What to do, what to do? 

Here I am with a small gift and some easy instructions.  Not detailed mind, but if you make miniatures this could be easy. 

All you need is a 5” X 7” picture frame with a small mat, some scrap papers, a copier, some photo paper, and a half-scale doll.  The almost 3” size.

Create a small black box of a bottom dimension of 3” X 5”.  I made a box of black scrapbooking paper with a 1” side to it.  Borrow a picture of a pretty folding screen (outside) from the internet and print this onto shiny photo paper.  Scale it to fit inside the little black box.  (You can do this in any program now by squeezing to fit or dragging corners.) Cut this out with a scalpel.

This picture will allow you to see the size and scale of the project.  

Now copy a couple of dresses you like, size them, and print them on some cardstock.  Use bits of fabrics and ribbons to glue on the paper dresses for hanging on the screen.    And, dress your little dolly with small scraps by shaping and wrapping.  Embellish as you like.  Use a long glass head pin wrapped with ribbon as a parasol.  Add any other items you may have to spruce it up and bring your creation to life.   

This is a closer view.  Click to enlarge more.  

Put it all together.  Use some scrap paper to line the bottom of your little box representing wallpaper.  Using a ruler and ball stylus, score from the backside, the screen, and fold into thirds.  Sharpen up edges of the screen with scalpel and markers.  Then glue you pretend dresses as if they are thrown over or hanging on the screen. 

Glue the mat onto the box and allow to dry then frame it up with the glass holding it all together.  The frame stand should be free to sit on a desk or table or hang on the wall. 

This is a picture of the final presentation with the frame added.  

Have Fun, Kathi

 

Notes for Sewing Room Outside

 

I began with a box that had been created for us in a club situation.  One of our members Pate Steele’s husband created them for us.   I bought a few of them.  (Many mini and doll projects were calling.)

They looked like this:

I painted the box black and filled the interior with the Itsy Bitsy Mini wallpaper in fashion design.   I could not locate my specific pattern, but there are many from which to choose and personalize your room box. 

When that was complete, I decided to then paper the box, though I had already painted it.  So, I began to choose from some shelf papers in a French Toile pattern. 

After covering the lower portion of the box with the toile, I tried to think of something different for the top portion.  The box sat for a little while.  (I played with the interior a bit, to be honest.)   I thought and thought, and came upon the idea that this was a pattern box.  It was a sewing room or shop after all.  Placing a number of patterns in a basket, I took pictures from the top, bottom, right, left, back, and then printed, and cropped until I got the right picture for the top edges of the room box.  That was fun, however; it took a great deal more time than I thought. 

A little braid trim to hide the seam line and it was time for the fun stuff!!! 

And here is the fun stuff again! 

Use your imagination, and Have Fun!

Kathi

Sewing Box, Redefined!

Welcome to August. This week we look at a finished project.  I had a lovely box, a trifold box, just waiting for a doll and her wardrobe.  But for some reason, I wondered if this couldn’t be something else.  And look, it could!  

I wanted to do something with the myriad sewing supplies I had made and collected in miniature.  Some things were from round tables, Ann Vanture Paper Minis, baskets as gifts, small prizes won, door prizes, gift bags, and other collectibles from many artists.  They were all within the theme of sewing. 

(http://www.paperminis.com/gateway-to-dollhouse-scale.htm  Look for other scales as well.  A wonderful place to fill out just what you need and have a little craft time, too.)  

This week the finished project, and next week a few tricks of how I pulled it together as a “Sewing Box”.  

The overall finished box was a trifold box, finished with paper and latches. 

 The Center of the box, partially opened, contained the sewing room itself.  The Victorian Armoire with children’s dresses I had made, a crocheted purse by Lajuana Whitwell, a little porcelain pincushion.  The Wallpaper from Itty Bitty purchased at Miniature Cottage in Nashville, TN.  The gown created by Mary Carl Robertson.  All my friends from the Nashville Miniature Club.  Paper mini-posters and boxes and some of the all-around items by Ann Vanture.  Miscellaneous bits of ribbons and laces. 

(Miniature Cottage, Nashville, TN.  https://miniaturecottage.com/shop/  Be sure to stop in for all sorts of delights.) 

On the left side of “the room” are mannequins, books, more clothing, and hats.  A shelf made from a kit purchased at Suzanne Andres Miniature shop in Nashville.  (No longer there.) Bolts of fabrics and more sewing baskets.  A shoe as a bookend and an outsized pair of scissors.  Just fun stuff. 

 To the right is a cabinet with bolts of fabric, also Ann Vanture Paperminis, a little glass bird on more shelves, a lamp for the late nights meeting deadlines.  More books, more laces, more ribbons. 

 And finally, the whole box insides for a room box to delight.  How else to spread out and take up less room at the same time.  One can surely corral any number of disparate things to have a wonderful display. 

 I think next week I will tell you how I accomplished a few things with this project and perhaps one thing could inspire you to a new room, too!

Until next week.  

Have Fun!

Kathi 

Organizing in a Thoughtful Way

While I am waiting for the upstairs painter to arrive, I have been a little busy cleaning out the rooms, boxing, (rather reboxing), and moving things to a storage closet.  This makes me sore.  My mind doesn’t sore or tire quite so easily and I have been putting my mind to efforts of how to store and organize when I move back in.  I am too excited about a designated sewing and display room. 

While something is not on display how do I save it and make it look right?  And trust me, I can really overthink things.  And if you ever want to rationalize something you want to do, but have misgivings, give me a shout.  I am good at that, too. 

To that end, I have been playing with the Barbie Costume idea.  I have seen it many places as have you, package a set of clothes so you MUST have it.  I want things for the box these days as well.  I love boxes.  But I digress. 

To that end, I bought some boxes from a packaging company. I think I bought something like a 5’ x 6” and a 6” x 8”  Not really sure.  My excuse is they are packed up again and I cannot measure to be sure.  But your things might be different sizes and there is a lot from which to choose.    

https://www.papermart.com/p/clear-lid-view-top-boxes/11323

My plotting started with which doll fit the box, and which clothes went with her.  That settled the box sizes to buy.  I did not buy every size for every doll, as the 12” dolls will not fit into a box, but most of their clothes will.  That for another blog post.  (I am also a bit conservative with money. So mind your budget!) 

Here is a 6” Cathy Hansen Bru in a small box with her wardrobe.  Small wardrobe for now.  I have plans.  But then I questioned my decision, a doll with clothes or doll clothes with no doll. 

Let’s complicate this further as you see I drift as my mind works.  Don’t be appalled.  If I do the doll in this size box, I will only be able to fit the two dresses, the matching hats, and perhaps some other dolly, shoe, or purse accessories. What happens if I make more?  And how do I make it pretty if I want to compartmentalize?  Pretty scrapbook paper?  I cannot get the same paper as the bottom lining, so would I redo the bottom lining and do fancy folding to get compartments.  Can I make this any harder? 

I wanted to share is virtually the same, a sweet little Jumeau created by Sophie Pearson.  Doll with box, clothes only?  All the same little problems. 

All the time I am fiddling I am thinking about provenance.  Do I do a little card inside that says when it was made, who made it, and who designed it?  And notes about the inspiration?

I have more questions than answers and tons of inspiration.  Until I figure it out it is a nice place to store the items so they are not lost.  Bonus, they pack easily. Now you can be thinking about these things, too.  It would surely take a load off my mind. 

Have Fun!  Kathi