Bit of a tidy up.

I started dressing Bentleys and was pleasantly surprised to see how much stuff I already had collected for it and after dismantling my Wentworth there was even more.  So far I have worked on four of the six rooms.  The salon and the shop have a bit outfaced me for the moment - so much clobber - but I shall gird up my loins and attack it at the end of next week.

Life is interrupting my dollhousing right now.  We just had a few days in Shropshire; mind you I did get to Pedlars Tray in Hereford.  Great little shop - oodles of stuff.  My husband and friend went to look at the cathedral while I was in there.  You now have absolute proof that I am obsessed.... preferring a dolls house shop to a tour of a cathedral.  Philistine!  Truly I have seen the cathedral before but, to be really honest, I don't remember it.  I also have visitors this weekend for a few days so it will be a week before I can get back to Bentleys. 

So here's where I am up to:

The bedroom has all of the furniture from the girl's room in the Wentworth.  I wanted to use it to hold various objects and settle on a layout before buying pieces for this room.  I am actually getting to like it as it is.  The chest needs a cushion on top when I make the drapes.  The bed needs new bedding to suit the room/period.  The towel rail/quilt rack has a temporary blue blanket on it which will be replaced by a single quilt. White painted furniture is good for a young woman in 1911 so it might just stay.

Again, here in the kitchen, I was keen to get as much placed as possible so I can see where the gaps are or whether I want to change anything.  I think with two shelves over the food cupboard the furnishing will be finished.  The armchair needs a cushion and the dresser and food cupboards need filling properly.  I have got the shelf for above the sink but it needs cup-hooks and other stuff before it gets put in place.  If anyone know where I can get the very tiny cup-hooks PLEASE tell me.  I haven't managed to find them despite a lot of searching.

The workroom obviously needs a load of things.  I am putting a long shop counter across the back of the room for the cutting out/dressmaking area with shelves above it.  That should cost me an arm and a leg to fill.  The front left corner will have a mannequin with a part made suit on it for the Titanic collection which is currently being worked on by Ellen.  The front right corner is the inspiration corner - in other words I don't know what I want there until I see it.

Daisy seems to have disappeared from the parlour.  She is now in the shop dusting a box from a display.  Thursday, half day closing is the only day she can get in the shop and give it a good clean right through.  I think this room is completely furnished.  I might re-cover the chairs and I need a couple of pictures and a mirror.  Ellen has a collection of French silver in one cabinet and a collection of books in the other.  The table on the back wall is laid up for meals when Ellen is eating with someone else, such as her friend Molly.  If she eats on her own she is happy to eat in the kitchen, like she does when she is in France.

This is a photo of me trying to fill the sherry decanter with real sherry.  The smell and finger licking was delicious.  It was a real nightmare as the neck of the decanter is so fine any liquid just forms an immediate airlock.  This is a sort of home cobbled foil funnel.  It wasn't a huge success as I still wasted more than I could get in.  I gave up at half full.  My tea and coffee containers also contain actual tea and coffee.  I am sure it will be fine to use stuff that doesn't have much (if any) volatility.  Time will tell.

The ugly cat has been given a place eye-balling the magpie outside the shop.  We really did have a cat that looked and behaved like this one.  His name was Pudding for what I think are obvious reasons.  

The more elegant cat - Oscar - has a home inside the kitchen.

Also outside there is an elegant lady - dressed for her own garden rather than a High Street! - looking in the window of the shop.  If you want to see her or any other details just click on the album Bentleys by room.