I found a scrap of ceiling tile and cut out the same size and shape as the original fireplace.
I thought that the 1/2" would do it, but when I put it in, I was not so sure...
It still looks very shallow. This would be Nellie's cooking fireplace. I think that it should be a bit deeper...
The problem is....When I put in the surround, I have to make Nellie shift to the left a bit.
She's in there. She's just behind the wall now.
I know that's silly, but I have to have enough room to move around the room. It's like I live there and I don't like it when I have to climb over things.
With her in this position, the door doesn't open far enough to comfortably walk into the room. She would have to shimmy around the edge of the door.
I am going to have to think about furniture placement and walkways for a bit.
While I am waiting for a solution to pop into my head, I wound spools of thread....Yes that is correct. I went and checked. Saint Aubins was winding spools with embroidery thread with a fancy thread winder in 1770, so I am guessing that the spools had been used before that. It may not be totally correct, but in a lot of things about embroidery, practices have not changed since the middle ages. I think that the spools would be the logical way to store threads. Skeins of short pieces of gold thread were stored wrapped in paper.
I don't know where Tessie is, but Nellie seems to be taking lessons from her on how to annoy people. She has been rummaging through my silk fabric. She is ordering by the yard...It's just a good thing that a yard in her world is 1/12 of a yard in my world.
Between that, cutting fabric and pricking patterns, I should be keeping busy until I solve the positioning problem...Wish me luck.
See you tomorrow.
9 comments:
Of course you have to be able to move around! And yes, daylight is very important when doing embroidery or any craft for that matter. That's quite a challenge and I wish you wisdom. I have total faith you will find a solution :-)
Véronique
Casey, you are so amusing! When you said "A yard of fabric in her (Nellie's) world, is l/12 in mine", I had a good laugh. Your perspective probably comes from your living and breathing in that scale.
I'll be looking over your shoulder while you work on the fireplace. I am preparing to make a medieval cooking fireplace.
As far as the problem to do with the embroidery frame/window and fireplace, have you tried setting the frame length parallel to the fireplace? Then she will have direct heat and light.Alternately, you could perhaps bump out the back of the fireplace,or move the fireplace over???Small spaces are so very challenging!
Phyllisa
Hi Casey. I just thought of something else in regard to Nellie. Unless she is of the nobility, she would not be permitted to wear silk.
But you probably knew that.
I love making silk dresses but they are reserved for my victorian ladies.
Phyllisa
Phyllisa, she can't wear silk, but she is allowed to work with it. As for the fireplace and the embroidery frame, it would be harmful to both the fabric/ thread and also the embroiderer.
I went back to my Saint-Albins and found out how to solve the problem. That book is a jewel! You can read about it tomorrow.
Hi Casey! If I were Nellie, I would not want to move over out of the Precious Light either. But that leaves you with either a compromise or a entirely new approach. What a painted corner you have found yourself in, Casey! As with your Bloomingdale's project. One solution seems to point to a whole new set of problems. I love the mantle idea and see just why the reworked mantle is such a good one!
elizabeth
This is quite a dilemma! I agree, there has to be space to move around and the light is all-important. Would it work if you built out the back (left) section of the fireplace, but kept the front (right) parallel to the wall? That way, she has a triangle of cooking space to the rear, and can still walk around the front. Those old houses sometimes had crazy crooked fireplaces built more for practicality than aesthetics.
Casey. In the south of France the cooking fireplaces actually bulged out the side of the house.. Like a pizza oven. Attached to the house.
Beautiful photo's and nice story!
groetjes van Marijke
As I explained before, I started out thinking that I could remove the wall and deepen the fireplace from the rear. Then I found that even drilling a pilot hole was almost impossible. That wall is like concrete.
Stay tuned for the solution today.
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