Monday, October 13, 2008

Modern Miniatures on Monday: Childhood treasures

This is the book that I believe started my modern miniature obsession: Venus and Martin Dodge's Dolls' House Do-It-Yourself Book. This centre spread in particular caused hours of staring and dreaming. The bright yellow kitchen! The swing bin, iron and coffee machine! To my mind it was just like Queen Mary's Dolls' House but somehow obtainable. If you lived in England.(Or were prepared to wait until you were much much older and had discovered eBay...)

And here are a few items from my childhood collection which have survived many years (and an international move):
Top to bottom left to right:

* Pillow case which I embroidered and sewed from a piece of fabric I found in the hankie pile in the hot water cupboard. What I thought was just another piece of ripped up dead sheet waiting for winter colds turned out to be Mum's prized bread making cloth. She wasn't too happy... (There was also a matching sheet and a pillowcase with a different design on it but I seem to have mislaid both for the moment)
* "Sampler" which I embroidered in 1979 (it says "Worked in 1859 by Mary Louise Brown"). The frame is light cardboard, coloured in with felt tip pens...
* "Music ringbinder" and "English ringbinder"
* Daisy doll plastic mirror: I was never allowed Barbies, but every Christmas I got a new
Daisy doll. Dashing Daisy the ice skater was my favorite!
* Silver spoon and lead mug which were one of the few pieces that were in my next door neighbour's dolls' house when I got it.
*
Under the mountain and Book of cats. Which means these books (and the rest in the picture) must have been made around 1981/82.
* Three lots of fabric on bolts. I think I made these around 1985 when I bought a miniature singer sewing machine.
* 7 plastic tea set items which came with the first house.
* My Diary. Private!
* Daisy doll hairbrush.

Do you have stories and/ or pictures of your childhood dolls' house? Or perhaps your story is about the house you never had? I'd love it if you emailed them to me and I'll share them with my readers.

1 comment :

Helen said...

Have fun with the floor talk. Sydney is nice, warm and cosy just like the kaleidoscope house. Helen