Fit For A Queen Continued...

By royal decree I have finished the final bed for the treehouse, my friends! Now Roz can call it a knight! 🤣 Yes, I often laugh at my own jokes... In all seriousness, it feels like real progress!

 When last I posted about Roz's bed, before I switched to the other treehouse occupants' beds, I left off showing you a photo of the white primer coat. It was pretty just like that, but it wasn't Roz.

So, the next step was to paint it a custom mixed lilac shade followed by a glazing with a darker shade of purple. Roz just loves how the glaze coat makes the detailing stand out. It is really easy to achieve: just mix a ratio of about 25% contrasting paint color with 75% satin glaze. Brush on and into the crevasses, then dab away any excess with paper towel. Stippling also creates a wonderful texture with the right piece, especially rusty things.

With the bed frame itself completed, I could finally explore the bed style ideas I've pondered for months. There were so many that I couldn't incorporate them all into one bed! Luckily, Roz's requirements narrowed them down for me. She said it had to be very feminine, very frilly, adorned with loads of flowers and yet be as plush as a cloud. Being as practical as she is magical, her final caveat was that it would also need to be very functional. After all, what good is a beautiful bed if you can't be comfortable in it? A Fairy Beary Godmother, whose job it is to grant wishes, should have her own wishes granted, when possible, don't you think? I set out to check off every detail.

First, I built a frame to support a fabric dust ruffle with an overlay of 5/8" lilac lace. This would attach under the bed frame and add stability, as well as look attractive. The fabric is glued onto a strip of cardstock, then glued to the basswood frame. Then the lace is glued on top of that.

I built a matching canopy frame and a canopy top made from fabric covered cardstock. I used DMC floss to blend the seam where the canopy frame met the cardstock canopy top. 

I'd say those elements went a long way in achieving the "feminine" and "frilly" parts for Roz!

Now for the "cloud" part! I found this video on how to make fitted crib sheets and thought I could adopt it for a mini bed. I cut the fabric for both the fitted and the top sheet from some nearly sheer quilting cotton. Thanks to the tip Shannon left in last post's comments, next time I sew fabric this thin I will try using tear away interfacing.

I won't bore you with many details of my process, and who am I to give a sewing tutorial, but the video was enough to help me make Roz's fitted sheet. It is basically just cutting the corners out and stitching them together. I took photos to share, though.

I actually bought 1/4" elastic to sew into the fitted sheet, but decided it would only add unnecessary bulk under the mattress (or maybe I just chickened out). Instead, I tacked the fitted sheet down with Tacky Wax. This leaves it removable if I ever want to make different sheets.

Viola! It fits!

And it looks nice on the bed! Yippee! I hope this counts towards the "loaded with flowers" part!

Here is the rest of the bedding I sewed: A top sheet (with wonky stitching thanks to it catching on the feeder feet (again need interfacing!), two bed pillows (using the same ticking fabric as the mattress), a pillowcase that matches the sheets, a pillowcase that matches the duvet, and a reversible duvet that I've lined with tin foil so that I can arrange the bedding if the story calls for it. The dark purple thread is one of two choices I had in my stash. Being a novice, it did not occur to me ahead of time to have other purple thread options. I should have made a different thread choice but... hindsight! I am satisfactorily happy with my efforts.

I didn't end up liking the bed with both pillows for the photos. Roz can decide how she likes it for her purposes. The little crochet pillow was an Etsy purchase. You'll see later that I added a homemade tassel to it and a couple to the canopy. The bed looks pretty comfy, so that takes care of the "cloud" part!

Now for the "adorned with loads of flowers" part.  I didn't have any more purple mulberry rose buds, so I decided to dye some white ones myself. Using a couple purple alcohol ink shades and blending solution, I mixed four varying shades of purple to dye the rose buds. I mixed the color in a plastic condiment cup, dipped a paintbrush in and then touched it to the flower. The bud drank it up and the ink dried quite nicely. I dyed and used 99 buds on the bedposts. For the leaves, I used a mini leaf punch and leftover paper from flower kits that I've saved up. I dyed them with a variety of shades of green alcohol ink. You can also use rice, silk or tissue paper. I don't know how many leaves I used, but it was A LOT! Because I was listening to The Covenant Of Water on audiobook and got lost in the tale, the time sailed by.

And here is the "adorned with loads of flowers" aspect that Roz asked for.

With the pillows...

And finally but most importantly, what does Roz think? Is it fit for a queen? Or better yet a Fairy Beary Godmother? Roz thinks it looks too perfect to pass up! She's taking her wonderful new Little Women book from Deborah's Etsy shop, climbing in and reading until she drifts off to sleep...

Sweet dreams, Roz!

But wait! Aren't I missing something on Roz's list? Yes! the "functional" part! Not to worry - Next week I hope to have Roz and Rozario's bedroom completely furnished and decorated. Then I'll share how things function. 

Until then, keep peace in your prayers, my friends!

xo xo,

Jodi

“I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it. People think pleasing God is all God cares about. But any fool living in the world can see it always trying to please us back.”
― Alice Walker, The Color Purple

A Nice Place To Dream...

Even a fairytale treehouse cannot become a home until you've dreamed there. That's why making beds for everyone, even before the place is finished, was so important. Dreams are important, And making them come true is one of life's sweetest feelings. Since the whole project started with my dream to create a lovely place for Goldie and Alice to grow up in, I started with their beds. 

These are the first fitted sheets I've ever sewn, and given my lousy sewing skills, I am really proud of how they turned out. Don't worry - they are totally removable if ever I want to see the pretty mattresses again. 😊

Since little girls are too busy for much bed making every morning, Goldie and Alice will have reversible duvet covers. It's as close to toss and go as you can get! They wanted similar fabric and trims, but not exact matches.

Delicate floral spray is nice...

Or jaunty stripes if it suits your mood!

And of course you've got to have GOBS of pillows!!! These below are my attempts at sewing them... I'm grading myself 'Passable But Still Needs Work'. 😐

But luckily I also hedged my bets with these lovely Etsy purchases from much more talented seamstresses and crocheters (trust me, it is a word).

Goldie's sleeping nook...

She can't wait until bedtime for a change!!! Usually we have to send out a search party at sunset to find her!

And Alice's sleeping nook...

She's doing her Happy Dance!

Now they're Happy Dancing together! This is the reaction I was hoping for!!! Story time tonight is going to be SO MUCH FUN!!!

The only thing missing are the bolster pillows. I'm still working on those but the girls don't seem to mind!

Next we'll take a look at Rozario's pet bed. He's got a removable fitted sheet, too. Plus a reversible duvet cover, a couple bolsters and a dragon scale pillow made by me. These were custom printed fabrics especially for him. The ultra fancy regal pillows were also purchased by an expert pillow maker on Esty. They seem to have been made especially for Rozario, too!

Whooooo! Fancy!!! He's even got a dragon rug to play on! 

Roz said she couldn't have done a better job if she'd waved her magic wand! I have to say... That kind of sentiment makes my eyes leak a little! 😊

Next up is Wayne's bed. He's a bit of a minimalist, so he didn't want "a bunch of frilly, fancy stuff". Roger, Wayne! Just plain old Egyptian cotton comfort for you! In manly blue. He's got a fitted sheet, a top sheet, a pillowcase, a pillow and a very soft comforter. Oh! And my first ever handmade tassels. Don't point those out to him, though, okay?

I really enjoyed sewing Wayne's things, and my sewing machine really liked the thicker material. Okay, so maybe it's not ALL my fault. I just need higher quality fabrics?

He looks a little um... un-thrilled? But trust me...

He couldn't wait to climb in!

I am still working on Roz's bed. Though hers is a lot more complicated, I am really having fun with the challenge and I can't wait to share it with you! Hopefully, I'll have it finished for next week's post!

Until then, my friends, I hope you have a nice place to dream and that the good ones come true!

xo xo,

Jodi

Postscript: I don't like to get political in any way on my blog. I feel it is not the place nor platform for such. My heart is breaking, however, for those in our world who find themselves ripped out of their lives through no fault of their own. This week I need to hold space for the innocent people of Israel, Ukraine and all the other people in places who find themselves held hostage by powers they have no control over. My prayers are with all of you. I care deeply. America and Americans care. We hurt for you. Dear God, please encamp your angels around all who are in harms way. Let your spirit whisper to every heart what is right, then let us choose love. Amen.

For The Boys...

While this Fairytale Treehouse Project is full of what is traditionally thought of as "feminine" aspects like flowers and frills, I didn't want to forget that there are a couple strong masculine personalities living here who bring just as much joy to the story. Wayne and Rozario, having strong opinions on their own design aesthetics, gave me plenty of ideas about what kind of beds they wanted to spend their nights in. This week's focus was for the boys. 

I first consulted with Rozario to give him a bunch of options for bed styles. He, being a beloved pet, wanted a pet bed. But not just any old fabric covered floor cushion. No. His bed had to befit a creature as special as he is. After all, you don't see pet dragons every day! I jotted down things that were important to him (comfort, grandeur, outdoor elements and, because of his limited bedroom nook's size, storage), then got to work in Design Space.

Rozario thought it would be really fun to pretend he was sleeping in the yard every night like a lot of dogs get to do. But he didn't want a dog house. A roof that is too close to his head can be dangerous, as he sometimes breathes a little fire when he snores. He discovered that the hard way, long story. He said a yard would have a fence, so he wanted some kind of fenced in feeling. His wish was my command! I created a three sided fence atop a princely platform.

In order to make it easier for Rosario's tiny legs to climb into bed, I made a pull out step drawer.

And included a storage cubby in the back of the drawer so he can store some of his favorite toys. I also added a couple fancy fence posts to the opening. He can pretend that he is guarded by powerfully magic staffs as he drifts off to sleep each night. 

While I was busy on Rozario's bed, Wayne popped in to share his ideas. He's a busy guy so I gave him my full attention. Wayne told me his wishes were pretty simple: he's a craftsman, so he wanted Craftsman styled furniture but with a Tudor twist. And he'd love a comfortable mattress and bedding. Wow! I love a guy who knows what he wants! 

Designing Wayne's bed in Design Space was fun, especially since this was my very first piece of furniture in true half scale. It is so adorably tiny, but at just 2", so is Wayne!

His bed is pretty simple: a three layered headboard, a three layered footboard and a simple mattress support piece to bridge them together. I couldn't resist including a few fun trim accents to the posts, which Wayne really appreciated. The assembled bed measures just 2" W x 3-1/2" L x 3-3/8" H.

Before I could begin to accentuate the beds with paint and detail, the boys needed mattresses. They got the same cushy models as the girls, only their ticking is a dark purple stripe with no hearts or flowers. Way more masculine! Rozario needs just slightly less sleeping room.

With that done I could get to the fun parts! I added many "carvings" to Wayne's bed to make the simple craftsman design feel more Tudor-like, as requested.

Then gave it a base coat of Coffee Latte.

Then a glaze coat with a darker chocolate color. Wayne loves his wood fairly unadulterated.

And with the mattress...

Let's see what Wayne thinks... Hooray! He approves! And with all the work he's got on his plate, he really appreciated my help.

But he said the ultimate test required him to take a nap. He'll get back to us shortly...

Rozario's bed needed a base coat of white.

After a little sanding of the rough spots, I gave it a base coat of Purple Cow followed by a couple coats of Amethyst metallic paint. Some areas were highlighted in Emperor's Gold paint, then I added metallic domes and Dresden trims, leaving them gold. Now it's fit for royalty!

 And with the mattress and the drawer step deployed.

But the final test was to present it to Rozario. He seemed thrilled, but it was hard to tell.

Because once I showed Rozario how the drawer worked and he saw the toys, the consultation abruptly ended. Time to play!

I am so happy that the beds for the boys were a success! And don't worry! I haven't abandoned the girls' and Roz's beds. It's just that for the sake of organization it seemed more efficient to get everyone's actual beds completed before I drug out the sewing machine to make all the bedding for everyone. Me + Sewing = Knots In My Stomach so any sewing project is always preceded by a little avoidance and/or procrastination. But, I'm determined to become a decent seamstress, one day, so off I go... Wish me luck! 

Back next week with, hopefully, something resembling bedding for everyone!!!

xo xo,

Jodi