Gazing at the Ceiling...

I spent the morning trying to get going on the ceiling of the basket shop. I am getting there, but it is going to take a couple of days. Today was for cutting templates, gluing the matchsticks to keep them from falling apart and cutting the same to fit the templates. I will probably either stain or whitewash the matchstick shade and let it dry until tomorrow.

The first thing I did to prepare the mat for cutting was run a line of white glue down each of the lines of woven thread to hold the mat together. When I was ready to cut off the edge, I first bound the edge with blue painter's tape. That will hold all of the little pesky ends together and I won't have to be picking them out of the carpet. This little trick works like a charm even for trimming fringe on mini rugs. It is much easier to pick up just one piece than many.

Next I used computer paper to trace an outline of the ceiling for a pattern. I turned the panel face down and laid the pattern on top. I traced the triangle that I needed to cut out.

I flipped the mat over and put a thick line of glue over the traced line from the pattern. This gives me a solid edge to cut through. It also makes the matchsticks behave when I go to glue them to the ceiling. I let that dry and then cut the V out.

Here is the piece laying on the pattern face up. I had to piece the mat on the right end. The splice will be covered by a rafter and no one will be the wiser.

Last but not least for today, here's the little shelf with a trial run of a Chrysnbon stove in place. I found this in my Chrysnbon drawer with a leg missing and the shelf and the door inside the oven. Luckily, I saved all of the pieces. If I use this, I will put some other food and accessories in place. As usual, the nosey twins wandered in to see how things were going. Someday maybe they will find a room that they like and stay in one place. For now they are just curious cats. I tried several braided rugs in front of the stove but all were the wrong colors to go. I guess that I am going to have to start braiding again.Why is it that the ones that you already have made are never quite right?

I need to go decide on stain or whitewash.

See you tomorrow.