Another project...

Another set of projects I've been working on has been furniture. 

But not normal furniture, oh no, that would be far too... normal. 

No, I have been making special furniture for my dear friend Franklin Habit, for a project he's been working on. This is an amazing project by one of the most awesome and creative people I've ever met. So of course, I wanted to do my best to enable it. Because are you even a fiber artist if you don't enable your friends? 

It started with a simple, "Hey, you need anything? I have a tool that'd help and nothing going on at the moment" late last year. 

Franklin kindly provided a simple and well laid out diagram with measurements. Which resulted in a cardboard mockup...

 

And a plywood test run...

 

 

And then a full on wooden one. A kitchen shelf in a delightfully simple style reminiscent of Gebruders Schneegas work, in 1:16 scale. 

 

This was rapidly followed by a vanity/dressing table mockup

A slightly more complex design, as the Messrs' bedroom is obviously better furnished than the understairs. But straightforward in overall construction.

And, because I am me, I decided that the maker of such furnishings would of course include a note to the respected recipients. In both readable and scale sizes.

 

The vanity will have a mirror installed. These were so enjoyable to do, and Franklin gave such excellent diagrams and clear requests, I decided to do another...

 

This time a bookshelf, again simple but this time with a bit of extra ornamentation. 

And then the wheels began to turn. Because this was fun... so why not make it exceptionally challenging? Foxe and Boxe are fiber artists. So they needed a wheel. Being a rational person, Franklin asked for a basic wheel. No need for moving parts or anything, just something representational, right? Totally rational. It's 1:16 after all. Tiny!

Except, again, I'm me. So that just wasn't good enough. Foxe and Boxe deserved better! They needed better! They needed...

 

Well apparently they needed me to curse a lot, stab myself in the thumb a lot, and take forever. 

 

 

And get some new tools including saws to cut toothpick sized dowels

 

 

And drills to DRILL DOWN THE CENTER of toothpick sized dowels...

 

 

To make some truly awful and unstable things...

 

To come up with...

 

No, that's not it. Start again... And I need a Mother of All... which needs a bobbin...

 

 

 

Bugger, it's not even... ok let's take a break. We made some spare bobbins, right?

 

Petty pewter gods, more dowel drilling.

 

And straight pins. Who uses straight pins for furniture construction? Oh right. Me.

 

 

Ok, one side project down (this was entirely extra) now back to the project at hand...

 

Awesome, let's get a bit of finish on...

 

 

Hey, it actually looks like a spinning wheel! Now to get the footman/treadle set up and...

 

 

Weeeelll crap. Flipping your spinning wheel off the counter and across the room is not great for it's health. Back to the drawing board!

 

Reglue. Resand. Redrill

 

Ok, back to where we were... again... now to the footman... Positioning this suuucks. But we can do it, we can do it... 

 

Oh crap. The footman... how the heck am I going to attach the footman? It has to be able to move in multiple directions! Argh! Who's dumb idea was this? No, no don't answer that...

 

 

Ok, that might actually work. And you got the pieces on without snapping anything.

 

Now clean it up and finish it...

 

And just in case you need proof that it's not just glued on...

 

 

Holy mackerel I did it!

 

 

Then I just had to put together a quick fire grate and some fence pieces, which will be painted along with the oak bookshelf by Franklin...

 

And I was ready for another letter to the Messrs. This time more of a postcard, with a 1:16 scale postcard, of course.

 

And finally, the shippers were paid, the furniture boxed up, and everything set off for the journey from Brewer and Co. Fine Furnishings to 39 Eglantine Crescent, London SW1

 

I do hope that the boys don't drop the crates too many times. You never can tell... 

 

 

Oh, thank the stars. The crates arrived save and sound, and the Messrs. are pleased with their purchase. Whew. So... I guess I make dollhouse furniture now too? At least sometimes? For awesome people.  

And if you want to see more of the adventures of Messrs. Foxe and Boxe (and why wouldn't you, because they are amazing) you can follow their adventures at their hashtag on Facebook. And if you want to support their adventures, you can pitch in here! (And get other neat benefits like cool art from one of the most awesome people I know). 

 

 

That's all for now!

~The Gnome