Going green...

It has been many months, March I think, since I did any work on the dining room.  But in November I had a sudden bout of inspiration.  The colours in the dining room were mostly blues, but with the blue and white porcelain of which I plan to have many pieces in this room it was becoming quite bland and boring.  

I decided on going with an intense green colour for the walls, curtains and some of the woodwork.  When I was a girl there was a 'rule' which said blue and green clashed.  But that is nonsense of course.  Blue and green is the most classic of all colour combinations.  Just look at nature! 


Another classic colour combination is red and green.  And as you can see I chose to paint the fireplace mantel I made to resemble red marble.  The painting (by Elly Ypma) will not go into this room, but it does have all the colours I am using in here.


I really like the vivid contrast between the wall colour and the mantelpiece.  
There will be double doors on both sides of the mantelpiece.  The doors on the left will lead to a small side room.  The doors on the right will be the doors leading to the hallway.  These doors are just propped up against the wall to give you an idea.  They need more sanding and painting, and hinges and a door frame ;-)


You may remember last year I made blue curtains for this room.  While the blue was a very good match with the chinoiserie wall next to it, I never finished them as I wasn't convinced I liked them.  Maybe it was the dull look of the cotton I didn't like, or the colour which I found a bit boring, or both! 


I decided to make new curtains using a green-blue silk changeant.  Changeant fabric is woven with the warp and weft in two (or more) colours producing an iridescent appearance. 
The new curtains are a much more exciting combination with the chinoiserie wallpaper than the previous blue ones.  


The curtains will have silk tie backs which I will be weaving myself.  In Bonni Backe's class last May I learned the basics of weaving on a small loom.  The tie backs is the first project I am making on the loom. 


I did a few tests with different colours and decided I would like to add some red silk floss to the green  ribbon I had woven. In the photo below the red silk still looks like a bunch of messy loops, but once they are cut straight it will hopefully be a lovely neat fringe. 


By adding the red fringe to the curtains, the red from marble of the mantelpiece will be repeated on the other side of the room.  The red is also found in some of the flowers on the wallpaper.  
Yes, much more vibrant.  I like it.
Still lots of work to do on this room, but at least now I have a much clearer idea of where I am going with it.  


Comments

  1. OOO the weaving is really wonderful! Love it, everything is looking good---

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  2. Green and blue look surprisingly good together! And those curtains are very nice :)

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  3. Le mariage du vert, du bleu et du rouge de la cheminée est une réussite. Vos nouveaux rideaux sont magnifiques (en comparaison les anciens font si ternes et si tristes) et félicitations de tisser vous-même l'embrasse.

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    1. Thank you Jean-Claude. I think now that you can see the two colors of the curtains together, it becomes apparent how dull the blue cotton was. But at the time I did like it.

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  4. Ciao Josje! Rimpiango la tua vecchia versione del blog, perché in questa nuova versione del blog il traduttore non funziona come dovrebbe e non posso leggere i tuoi post! Purtroppo non sono così brava in inglese! Fai qualcosa, ti prego!!!! :-(

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    1. Oh I am sorry the translator isn't working! I'll see if I can get it working again. In the mean time, just copy and paste the entire post into Google translator online https://translate.google.nl Just a temporary measure I hope ;-)

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    2. Hi Blanche, I put a new translator on the top right next to the full post, under the chair ;-) It is working for me so I hope it is working for you too!

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  5. I love it Josje, I will have to come and visit again so that I can see it :-)

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    1. Yes you must ;-) I went to the silk shop last week (sorry...) and told them that you definitely wanted to come next time you visit. She remembered us!

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    2. Oh how nice that she remembered...guess she doesn't usually get a lot of customers buying such small pieces :-) I would love to go there again!

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  6. Hi Josje! I LOVE the changes you are making!!! I am a big fan of color, so I adore the new green and red combination! The changeant silk has always been one of my favorite materials! Your tiny weaving has me mesmerized! I wish we had classes on these mini techniques near here! Your work is Always an inspiration to me! It just gets better and better.... and you aren't afraid to re-think and revise your projects! I look forward to seeing more!

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    1. I love colour too Betsy. The changeant silk has such depth of colour, and the two tone makes it alive and interesting. I know I am lucky to live somewhere relatively close to where a lot of classes are. Even though I had to travel for almost a day to get to this class, it was so worth it.

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  7. I did love the blue curtains but I think you have made a more dramatic choice with the new green-blue silk changeant. It is really beautiful with the wallpaper.

    How wonderful to have learned to weave and make the fringe in Bonni's class. I can't wait to see the tie backs on the curtains.

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    1. Well I did like the blue too when I made them. But in the overall picture it just wasn't right.
      Bonnie's class was such fun. And a great skill to learn. I had already made my own little loom a year or so before the class, and tried out weaving (with heddles etc.) just by searching and reading lots of information online. And it did work, but it is so much better to learn from someone who actually knows what she's doing and has lots of experience.

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  8. Hi Josje,
    Great job....love the changeant choice for the curtains! Normally I'm not jealous but now maybe a tiny bit about your opportunity to follow the Bonni class;-). Still a lot of work to do but I know it will be very pretty when you're finished this room.

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    1. Thank you Jeffry. Well maybe you'll have the opportunity too one day. And if not, I'm sure Bonni won't mind if I reveal some of the secrets of weaving to you ;-) Of course I have non of her experience and I can only show you the basics...

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    2. Yes hopefully Bonni will come to Kensington again to teach.
      Knowing the basics would be a wonderfull start! ;-)

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    3. Kensington or at least somewhere in Europe…
      Oh I just thought of something I promised you and have not done yet…oops! Check your email…;-)

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  9. This is just perfect Josje! I absolutely love it. Rooms in that colour always look so rich and decadent and elegant, and the curtains with the chinoiserie also the perfect match.

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    1. Thank you Shannon! Yes it is quite a decadent colour isn't it?

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  10. Me encanta el colorido. Los bonitos contrastes de la chimenea. Es estupendo que seas capaz de tejer las cortinas.

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    1. Thank you Isabel! I had a good teacher for the ' embrasses'. ;-)

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  11. Josje you made i beautiful and now you are making it even more wonderful. I love the new colour and new curtains and the touch of red, it will be stunning and I cannot wait to see it completed

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    1. Hi Rosanna! Well the completion will take a while yet, but now at least I am making some progress.

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  12. Hello Josje,
    Fantastic transformations. The porcelain really stands out beautifully on that incredibly rich shade of green and the red marble was a coup de g♪0nie! Well done. I also love the new curtains...the fabric is stunning! Awesome work my friend!
    Big hug
    Giac

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    1. Thank you Giac! You're no stranger to colour yourself ;-) Your green painted fireplaces wouldn't look bad in this colour scheme either!

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  13. I love your new look dining room, that is a lovely shade of green. I had an aunt who wore nice clothes and accessories. When dressing she often said "Blue and green should never be seen" and for many years I adopted that maxim, but as you said, look at nature. The painting is exquisite. Beautiful work.

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    1. Ah yes of course, that's the English expression. I have heard of it before. A kind of fashion in colors I suppose. Similarly in those days red and orange or pink were clashing colors. Now they're often used as ton sur ton. Thank you Polly!

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  14. Hi Josje
    I love your bold green walls and the fireplace is a wonderful colour addition. I can't believe how fine your weaving is. So gorgeous. Can't wait to see it finished.
    Cheers, Linda

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    1. Thank you! Bonnie Backe is a good teacher Linda. And as I used fine silk to weave with, of course the result is quite fine too.

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  15. Ik heb deze kamer altijd prachtig gevonden en klopte ook naar mijn idee. Maar met je nieuwe kleuren en gordijnen heb je het inderdaad veel interessanter gemaakt en ik vind het geweldig, het is gewoon nóg veel mooier! Ik schrok even omdat ik dacht dat de muurschildering ook verdwenen was, maar die is er gelukkig nog :). Je hebt zo gelijk wb de gordijnen, ze zijn prachtig! En ik ben een fan van dat schilderij, echt onvoorstelbaar goed en mooi. De lijst vind ik ook perfect erbij passen, goeie keus! Erg leuk dat je je workshopervaring kunt gebruiken voor de gordijndingen (tiebacks, ff kwijt hoe we dat in het NL's noemen), ziet er al goed uit. Weer een heerlijke Josje-post, van genoten! grappig trouwens dat ik al een bericht in concept heb 'feeling a bit green' omdat ik vanwege 2 miniatuurbestellingen (het wachten is op het ontvangen van de items) toevallig voor beide een groene scene heb ervoor. Het is wel passend ook voor begin van het jaar he? Groen is kleur van het begin toch?

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    1. Embrasses. ;-) Ik kwam er net op toen ik een ander antwoord schreef. Ik ben ook vaak het Nederlandse woord kwijt. En die wandbehangsels/schilderingen waren het uitgangspunt voor deze kamer. Die had ik al jaren opgeslagen voor ooit eens...dus die moesten blijven!
      Ja, groen is zeker de kleur van het begin, nieuw leven, verandering en tegelijkertijd een constante evenwichtige kleur. (Ook ontgroening op universiteiten etc.) Ik hou van groen. Dat was ook al te zien in mijn andere poppenhuis, hoewel ik daar veel zachtere kleuren gebruikt heb.
      Jij bent zeker geen groentje in de miniaturen, maar blijf jij je maar 'a bit green' voelen hoor! Ben benieuwd wat je besteld hebt en hoe je dat gaat laten zien. Leuk!

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  16. Ah ah ah :-D
    ... the old rules to match colors ... completely unhinged by these new choices, bold but convincing, and of great visual impact! Obviously, I can only admire agape your expertise and your adventurous spirit in the field of experimentation in miniature :-)
    Love,
    Flora

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    1. Ah, lets just throw all these stifling rules out of the window...and do what we like :-) To be fair, I have many photos saved in my files of interiors using similar colors. Going back all the way to the 17th and 18th century. So not an entirely new idea. Thank you Flora!

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  17. Hi Josje, what a beautiful blog! Thank you for your comment on the blog forum about losing followers. I had this response from someone which ma help you to understand what has been happening:

    Quote from a post on 'The Real Blogger Status' dated Monday December 21st:

    During the past weekend, Blogger started the process of simplifying Following. This involves removing non Google accounts and profiles from Following.

    As part of this plan, starting the week of January 11, we’ll remove the ability for people with Twitter, Yahoo, Orkut or other OpenId providers to sign in to Google Friend Connect and follow blogs. At the same time, we’ll remove non-Google Account profiles so you may see a decrease in your blog follower count.

    So it appears that there is nothing we can do about it other than let people know. It's very frustrating!

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    1. Hi Sarah, thank you for clarifying the mystery for me. Yes, it is frustrating. I wonder if that also means people can't comment unless they have a Google account. I will take your advice and let my readers know what is going on, hoping that I will also reach those readers who have been taken off the followers list... Thanks!

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  18. Hi Josje, I Really liked your blue drapes a lot, however when I saw the green/ blue drapes that you substituted I LOVED them! They sparkle and compliment the chinoiserie on the wall to PERFECTION! One of the things that I enjoy most about this hobby is that it allows you to make radical changes at the drop of a hat. In Real life one would have to consider the cost as well as the inconvenience of getting people in for quotes from a variety of drapers or take on the formidable task oneself. Not so with Minis. We become the genie in the bottle- our wish... is at our command!

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