Building a gabled dormer

The previous weeks I've been working on the exterior of the cottage and made some real progress.
I started by measuring and cutting the wood for the roof and front.

I've kept the roof (panel) a bit longer because first I wanted to know how everything would fit with the piano hinges attached.

I used 4 mm plywood (poplar) for the roof and front just like I did for the rest of the cottage walls.

I had ordered piano hinges and Connie's husband was kind enough to saw them for me.
Then I drilled the holes for the screws, and that's when I faced a new dilemma :')
Dolls house walls are normally a bit thicker than mine; approx. 8 mm instead of 4 mm. So the screws for the piano hinges were too long but smaller (4 mm) screws would just disappear through the holes of the hinges. 

After much deliberation with and advice from Thea (Minidoor), Connie and my dad I decided adding beams to support the screws would be the best solution.
Despite not being very sturdy I choose Balsa wood so I can carve and age the beams to fit the ones in the living room :)

Since I wasn't sure what to do next - put the beams in place and then the screws or finish the upstair rooms first - I started planning and drawing the dormers. That took quite some time :')
On the next photo you can see the first paper version (both windows will be gabled like the left one). Doing a gabled dormer in the middle (the attic landing) might be a bit to fancy for a simple cottage though, so I'll probably just put a window to let in some light. 

I kept making adjustments to the drawings of the dormers, but when I started cutting the wood, the gabled roof still didn't fit. 

Then finally when I had the right plan for the dormers, I cut the wood and put it together with masking tape.
Can you see all the paper templates on the table and all the pieces of Balsa I've cut wrong? :')

Glueing the pieces together was a tenatious work because Balsa (2 mm) is so fragile. But I still love working with it.

While the glue was drying I drilled holes in the roof (panel), painted it with Gesso ánd I did some woodworking on the first three beams to give them that rustic look.
I also made the openings for the windows a bit bigger.

I built the sash (notched) frames. Similarly built as the windows I'd already done.

I was relieved I still got some gelatin sheets for the glass effect :')

After I cut the wood strips for the outer frames it was decision time again :')

1. Should I stain them to match the windows on the sides of the cottage or

2. Should I match them with the slate tiles I'd been planning?

I needed to decide before I could put the dormer together.

After giving it a lot of thought, I have decided on option 2.  I like the dormers matching the tiles as well and I think it would be better to match the whole front together, because that's the first view you get.

Once I'd made up my mind, I glued the Balsa pieces at the front (moldings?), sanded both dormers and  put Gesso on the inside and outside.

The outside of the dormers got a coat of black acryl paint and only the front of the dormers got a second coating (since there will be tiles covering the roof and sides ^^).

After adding varnish on the front I could put the windowframes together.
When I was looking for egg carton to make slate tiles for the roof I came across some nice grey wall paper. Maybe if I painted it a bit more black and grey-ish and cut it in even tiles it would look nice?

I decided to give it a go and I love the result! <3 So, the next couple of weeks I'll have my work cut out for me ^^
First painting three more sheets of wall paper, cut them in 3 x 3 cm squares, finish the second dormer and then I should be ready to start glueing all the tiles to the roof :')

Update on the living room rug

After crocheting for a couple of weeks, I felt like doing some other needlework. So, after a long time I picked up working on the living room rug. 
After all, the bedroom rug already has one :')

I haven't done a blog about this rug since April 2019 😮 This is how much I'd done back then;

April 5th 2019

Apparently I did make some progress since then, because this is how it looks at the moment:

The finished rug will have a total of 54 (6 x 9) octagons.

Another rug, a key cupboard and a plant ladder

After I'd finished the rug for the bedroom last month I also made one as a birthday gift for my friend Kim.
Due to the Brexit, Corona and/or heavy snowfall it took twice as long for the parcel to arrive, but now I can finally show you ;)

Elizabeth Stitch with Venne cotton 34/2, nr. 3039,
nr. 6003 and nr. 6044.

I also made her this key cupboard from Balsa and a little piece of a carved bamboo hand fan.

I cut the top of four needle pins and used three as hooks for the keys and one as a little doorknob. They are painted black with nail varnish. The hinge is just a single staple :)

This is how the rug looked in daylight (a)

Last but not least; I hadn't showed this etagère or plant ladder yet.
I'd seen a tutorial in the Dutch P&M magazine nr. 170 and thought it would make a nice Christmas gift for Kim. 

I imagine she'll use it for plants and other garden related things, so I tried to give it a weathered look :')
It can just as well be used to display other items e.g. in a shop, so I might make another one for my Italian project :)