Willow Ridge Primitives

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A Grand Affair in Miniature

Grand Rapids MI

Miniature & Dollhouse Show

October 2009

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My mother and sister have been attending the local dollhouse show held in October each year for many many years now. My mother bought a custom built dollhouse from premiere dollhouse builder "The House that Jack Built" 17 long years ago. It was just a plain shell of a house with holes where the windows and doors would be and no chimneys. Slowly (very slowly), over the years, she has been collecting furniture, making most of her furniture from kits, and buying accessories and architectural bits and pieces, all with the dream of one day displaying her house at the miniature show. But, that poor house sat there unfinished. All the supplies to get it done were sitting in boxes. She always talked about getting to it but, being a festidious (and obsessive) housekeeper, the house continued to sit unfinished. After a serious illness and a couple weeks in the hospital last year, I decided it time to light a fire under her to get it done. I boldly told her that she was 75 and not getting any younger. I pointed out that with one bad fall she could find herself living in a home and unable to ever make that dream of hers come true. So finally, after 17 years and a lot of encouragement (and badgering) she got it done. She has added stone chimneys and cedar shake roofing, divided windows and a beautiful front door with reproduction iron hardware. She wasn't terribly pleased with me and my prodding at the time but she is so thrilled and relieved to finally have her dream house complete.

To make the occassion even more special for her, my sister brought her dollhouse up from Atlanta for the show. It was a mother / daughter dollhouse display. "Laurie's" house is her childhood dollhouse. A dear friend of my folk's built it for her 36 yrs ago. The furniture has all changed over the years but childhood sentiment won't allow her upgrade her little old house. She has traveled far and wide from Atlanta to Chicago and even Toronto to dollhouse shows. She's not the do-it-selfer that mom is, but rather a self-described "Buy-it-Yourselfer". Being a professional career woman she can afford the very best and when she sees a piece she really loves she spares no expense. She has some really beautiful artist made and signed pieces of furniture and dolls. Their favorite miniature artist would be Jim Ison of Traverse City MI. He makes the most incredible and beautiful miniature pewters and they both have their houses well stocked.

Finally. the 3rd item entered in the mother / daughter showing is a dollhouse cross-stitch which I made for my mother several years ago. It was actually a pattern my sister had bought. But handy crafts and stitcheries are not her thing and she never even attempted to make it. While cleaning out her closets one day she came acrossed it and passed it on to me. I redesigned most of the furnishings and decor in the dollhouse stitchery as it was all done it bright colors and not very well decorated. I seldom follow a cross-stitch pattern very closely and this was no exception.

So, come along and take a tour of the mother / daughter dollhouse display!

Be sure to click on each picture for a closer look at all the tiny details.

Laurie's Childhood Dollhouse Redecorated

The Kitchen
(momma doll was removed so the back of the room could be seen in the photo)

Momma Doll Back in the Kitchen

Office

Gorgeous Little Boy in Office

Formal Sitting Room

Little Girls Room

Playing in the Nursery

Master Bedroom

Dollhouse Cross-Stitch

made for Mom Many Years Ago

Mom's 1700's

Colonial Dollhouse

The Kitchen

Formal Sitting Room

1st Bedroom

Home Office

Master Bedroom