So today was my birthday
After breakfast pancakes at Nicola’s set to making a house.
I had seen this house by Ruth Levine at Robyn Kinsela’s recent exhibition and wanted to make one like it (because I like houses)
I ended up making this one (without reference to the original image, which in hindsight would have been smart).
I leartnt so much from just doing it (in the spirit of “everything is a maquette” which has been my watch word when making for several years now). When I tackle this again:
- maybe it neeeds an internal frame (i suspect Ruth may have used wire? the blanket stitching would have been reinforcing too – mine lists to one side a bit)
- create a pattern, so i can have the roof plate at either end of the roof be the same fabric as the house body itself. i can make a pattern on the cricut (technically i could even cut the fabric on the cricut if it’s smaller than 30×60)
- not sure choosing a fabric pattern with houses on it is was smart (her’s is printed on a print press canvas)
- i made a seam down each side (measuring 30cm per panel) but the measuring may have been wonky but the final side was too big – so a pattern would fix that
- i used some old fabric (from 2017 ish), which made things go fast, and some old pillows and feathers and a copy of Gray’s Anatomy to weigh it down
- i hadn’t realised quite how big a 30cm square base would be, this is too big for a doorstop. I’ll try it smaller next time, and maybe begin with a box (i have so many iphone boxes etc) which may give me variety in size and reduce the need to stuff it
What may happen next:
- smaller, starting with a box
- create a pattern
- reinforce the sides / roof with cardboard / thick paper?
- pick up a street library book i don’t care about to go inside / be the base
- use the blanket bits I have on the base again – what else am i going to do with that lovely old onkaparinga which i tried to dye and didn’t take the dye, proving it was probably not wool after all.
- add windows and doors to this design, just to see how it goes, but maybe not, maybe not sow’s purse / pigs ear it – this one was a great maquette, but i could plunder it for parts (mostly the stuffing), and do the second one better
Happy Birthday experiment. off to play with more dinner party scenes now!
