New project, new decisions

A possible visit to the eighteenth century

Aims

1. To use as many/as much of the ‘in stock’ raw materials as appropriate
2. Not to buy in raw materials unless absolutely essential (eg glue)
3. Only to buy in set dressing items when can’t resist the possibilities
4. To try to learn some new skills and put them to use

Have a fancy for a bit of a tricorne hat, a flowery, long waistcoat and the odd wig on a wig-stand.  No, I do not watch TV so it’s not from whatsitsname-the-remake currently available in the UK.  Probably more to do with “The Tailor of Gloucester” plus William Hogarth and a distant memory of having to wear a side pannier gown and tall wig, than anything else.

Size matters when shelf space is tight

What sort of building to go for?  I rather fancied the multiple photos of the merchant’s house in Exeter, probably better known as “The House that Moved”, which I’ve seen used a few times as a model for a dolls house.

There’s a particular photo from 1922 on the “Exeter Memories” webpage, showing the building before it was stripped back down to its medieval and Tudor bones and truddled through the city.  I find the mix of building styles ‘pinned’ upon it over the decades of history since it was first built very appealing, and would like to use that as a base rather than the very beautiful rebuilt house in the later photos.

The building has four storeys, but I’ve chopped out the third one up.  The theory is that just the three layers should bring it to about twenty inches tall.  The shelf space problem plus Aim 1 combined dictates how big I’m hoping it will be.

The challenge of working out how to build the bay with suitable window frames and period glazing, might be fun.

Well, that was the thought but …

Fully planned and bad print of 1922 photo folded to exclude the third storey.
One of the last sections of 2nd hand room box left from back when first started mini-ing about 11 yrs ago.
Taped with bits leaning to get a feel of it.

Horrid – looks like a cross between a well glazed shed at the bottom of the garden and an Edwardian seaside hotel!

I dislike it so much that I’ve taken almost all of it down as it was totally lifeless.  On the ‘waste not want not principle’ all the scrap thus created has been used to build a much, much simpler shape.

Scraps and odd shapes left
after using pieces from the ‘destroyed’ build to go for something a little more like this eccentric one

Rather useful card fruit trays, torn up, dressed with eye makeup and a little pastel to make stonework

Working on with the stonework a bit at a time but as there won’t be enough in of the trays, the plan is to render most of the external walls with the odd section of stone showing here and there plus some brickwork used to fill in the wear and tear at corners or around the main window opening.  Using the ‘garden shed’ window cut down a little but don’t know if will go for Georgian paned or something older.  Decision seems to be made for an old house with possible new window and who ever lives there will be eighteenth century-ish.

Does buying extra fruit to get at the trays count as ‘essential materials’ do you think?

 

 

 

 

waiscoats galore  —