PC Barbie House

I only need to sew the front door in place and my daughter's bottom hallway to her plastic canvas dollhouse will be complete. I have had a blast making this for her. Each time she sees a new section complete her excitement is contagious. I want to start the kitchen next but I think I will make the foundation (again, last one was crushed during our move) that way when I do get the kitchen done maybe she can play with the first floor while I make the rest. I say maybe because I am seriously considering giving the complete house it to her either in her birthday or Christmas. We shall see if I can hold out that long. 

That is the front of the house where the door will be seen to cover the back of my stitching.

And that is Elora's favorite part, the stairs. It is amazing how sturdy this feels once it is all sewn together. You can see the  pattern book under this with it's pages all a mess. I haven't been rough with the book but all the pages I have finished have fallen out. The rest of the book is still held together. I did buy it used and the glue felt a bit brittle so I think that has more to do with it than me being destructive.

In a way I feel guilty about this project. My son watches me working on this, knowing it is for his sister. He oohs and ahs along with her over each new part and is excited to see it come together. The guilt part comes in that I have nothing to make him. When this is finished and I give it to her I would like to have something I can give to him that I made just for him. Any suggestions out there? I thought maybe a plastic canvas car carry case but I can't seem to find a pattern for one that I like and think he'd like. The one I did find hangs on the wall but I want one he can carry around with him. Or maybe something not plastic canvas, I'm not sure.

Moving in!

Beware a picture heavy post awaits! The first and second floor are finished, the attic walls are done and the templates laid for the flooring. At the moment that is as much as I can do to the attic until I get supplies but I have deemed the house move in ready. The kitchen will have a few more accessories later but essentially it is done. I have a tree I will be re-trimming and the quilt will be formed to the bed.

Second floor complete

I am really happy that I was able to complete the second story as well as the first this weekend. I trimmed the hallway, added two lights, framed out the bathroom doorway before adding the door so that the thinness of the new door would be covered, added the interior door trim to the hall door, installed te bathroom door and trim, as well as the light and trimmed the room. I was impatient to be finished and forgot to paint the bathroom ceiling untill after adding the crown moulding. It isn't as nice as the rest but I figure I will chalk it up to an old house and the humidity of the bathroom. ;) not too noticeable unless you get close and inspect it. 

That is the doorway before I added the door. This completely covers up the styrofoam edges.

Room for one more

I was able to get one more room finished tonight. The bedroom...

I ran out of shrink tubes so I can't plug the light in yet as the wires are too short, but I did test it before installation and it was working just fine. The hallway has been started, crown moulding installed and flooring tacked down. Maybe tomorrow I can finish the baseboards, install the door frame to the porch and glue the stairs in place. The bathroom doorway will be an issue, the door I bought is thinner than the one I used to test fit. I have some trim ideas that should fix it, or at least hide it.

First floor completed!

It is with great excitement I announce the first floor of the House of Memories is ready to move in to! First the living room...

On to the dining room...

Another view...

And now the kitchen...

The seam is as good as it is going to get but it is better than before.

Now I need to move to the second floor...

Lights!

Three lights to be exact. I installed the entry light and hooked up the two porch lamps. I love the look this gives to the house. I need to paint the ceilings of the other rooms before continuing. I thought of using sparkling for a rougher finish but to be honest I am beyond ready for this structure to be finished so I can start the decorating portion. So plain, smooth white ceilings will work fine for me.

(The light from the back window is in the kitchen, it was being tested)

The seam in the kitchen I thought I could live with but I just can't. Tonight I plan to fix the part that shows. The rest of the wall I can live with being gappy because there is no way to view it unless you pull out my cabinets...so don't, please. The light choices are proving problematic. 1) I don't like some of the ones that I have, 2) I am almost out of shrink tubes ( I ruined four by improperly heating them) and 3)I don't think I have enough to finish the house. I have some old fashioned type lamps I am thinking if I repaint them from black to enamel white or other color I could use two in the hallway and the two hallway lights I was going to use would look better in the kids room and laundry area. I have a light I can use in the kitchen but it involve a bit of light bashing for me to be happy with it. I have also made a list of the last things I must do for this structure to be finished. Landscaping will have to wait till I have money for the supplies I want. 

Seeing it like this I can really tell how close to done I am :)

Uh-oh, another mini project?

Last weekend I made a trip to the dollhouse shop in Tucson, Miniature Memories. I absolutely love this shop but seldom have a chance to go there. I picked up enough trim to finish the Holly Ann. I also bought my ceiling fan for the living room, the bathroom door, extra greenery for garlands, simple doorknobs and a new magazine. My dad went with me and bought me the cutest baby walker, the modern kind with moveable toys on it. My children had one very similar and they loved it, so this was a great accessory. On a side note I really dislike the name of this house and have been calling it the House of Memories, so it may be referred to it as such from here on out. I was able to finish off the trim an wall of the entry way. I just need to install the light, which I have because I stripped he lights from he Gloucester to repurpose them. I don't have room for both large houses and have decided to use as much of the supplies from the Glouceter to save a little bit of money.

Above: From the living room to the entry.

Below: through the frot door.

I made a decision not to trim the ceiling, or even to do the ceiling. No matter which angle I try to view it there is no way to see it. So, I saved some time and skipped that part. Even when he light is installed you won't see it.

So now that I have what I need to hopefully finish the structure that means my mind is off on another project and fun planning. For some reason I have the half scale Chantilly stuck in my head. Which is strange because it hasn't ever appealed to me before. It won't leave me alone! It is calling to be purchased and bashed. I keep seeing a Bavarian or Tudor style home. I would leave the porch off, brick the bottom half and exposed beams on the top. No fancy gingerbread trim but would make slate roofing tiles from air dry clay (a first for me). I also envision a large English inspired garden, lots of greenery and floweryplants.

The interior would be plastered walls and more beams. Inspiration from Tasha Tudor's kitchen and Pam Throope's fleece inn for a start. I have ideas for the decorating but can't place it. I have images of what I think is victorian country,  with Rosemaling details on furniture and trim. Lots of burnt reds, browns and greens. The upstairs I would add an extra wall on the right side by the stairs for a smallish bathroom. I have seen some amazing chantilly's where on the left room the attic had been removed and beams installed for a vaulted ceiling and I want that too. I would leave the tiny attic on the left for a storage space of sorts and make a false folding ladder. I can't but anything till next Friday. I am half hoping that by that time my mind has changed. I really don't need any more kits....