The Princess & The Pea ...... ❤ Tilda Style ❤

Greetings lovely friends & readers

(warning - Photo heavy post - I've tried to condense it but there's still lots of pics - apologies in advance)

Long-time readers of my blog may remember the Princess & the Pea Cot I did for my friend Sally way back in 2017.    I loved it & found it rather hard to part with ... & always kept in the back of my mind, that one day, I would like to do one for myself.

On my trip down to Mum's early last month I drove past a Vintage Store several times & couldn't help noticing a dolls cot out front on the footpath. I mentioned this to my friend Claire while we were Op-shopping just prior to my trip home - next thing I know she had whisked me off to the Vintage Shop & was able to secure the cot for me at a Very Reasonable price.  I was So excited 😊 !!

I must mention that as I was paying for the Cot, the lady very sweetly asked me "Are you going to be doing it all up nicely for a young girl?".   I smiled at her & replied "Yes I am going to be doing it all up nicely but it's for a rather large Not-so-Young girl aged 61!" 😉

As you can appreciate, after spending goodness-knows-how-long sitting out front of the shop - it was in rather a filthy state. I gave it a good scrub on my return home with sugar soap.

The next time I visited my local Library with Sid, I found * this * book the same one Sally had given me to use for her Cot.  The Princess themed doll & bedding patterns begin on Page 104.

Over the course of a wet, rainy week I painted my cot using Chalk Paint in the colour Vintage White. Painting all those dowels was not exactly my idea of fun - but I love how it all turned out.

I glued two thin lengths of wood together, painted & screwed to the back - this was to hang my lace drapes from.  This cot has a front that actually drops down & the mechanism is still in good working order.

First up I made a selection of mattresses.  I know in the original story the Queen piles 20 mattresses up on the bed but I had to make do with 6 as I didn't want a tower of mattresses toppling down on me.

I especially loved the ticking stripe ones.  These fabrics are all from my Tilda stash - some vintage Tilda & some from more recent ranges.

I was looking forward to making the bed quilt & cut into some gorgeous vintage Tilda that I had set aside for this.

I  attached some wide vintage cluny lace to the top, just to give it a bit more prettiness.

I didn't have enough Tilda fabric for the back but I found a pretty embroidered supper cloth that I used to back it.

Then I made a wee pillow - again using vintage Tilda.

💕💗💕💗

Next it was time to drape the cot .....  I was over in the city so I popped into Spotlight as they have a good selection of lace/net curtains, which just happened to be 40% off that day.

I found a length of cream gathered lace in my stash which I sewed to the bottom - I visualised it just touching the floor.

I was happy with my cot drapes but after walking past them for a day or 2 I felt they needed something more ... so I decided to make some folded fabric roses from oddments of cotton lace.  I found this Youtube Video really helpful as I couldn't for the life of me, remember how to make these.

I also wound some ribbon & lace around knitting needles & painted these with a mixture of water & PVA glue.

(which is what you use when you don't have any Stiffy Fabric Stiffener)

This was the effect I was after ...  tumbling down ribbon curls

Next it was time to make my Princess.  The fabrics I used for her nightie & stockings are not Tilda fabrics but were already in my stash & I didn't have any Tilda that was suitable.

I love the sweet little crown charm which I tied around her neck

I am so pleased I gave her messy bed hair, which is what you would expect after tossing & turning all night long while sleeping on the pea !!!  I made her a crown by photocopying some Tilda fabric onto Inkjet paper. The first crown I made came to an end when a certain ginger 4-legged chewed it (!!!)

I also gave her a wee lace hanky as she was probably quite distressed after her fitful nights sleep & needed to mop her brow 😉

I tucked the wee felt Pea into the mattress.  I am deeply indebted to my lovely friend Jane, who kindly came to the rescue when I could not find/buy/acquire a crown anywhere. 

How perfect she is ... I Adore her !!!  

I think I should probably add at this stage - growing up I had 3 dolls which I adored , but never ever any cots, prams or other dolly related things, bar a rusty old pushchair that the neighbor tossed over the fence one day rather than take to the Tip.  I was always a doll lover & No - I am not going through a 2nd childhood but I do feel that at 61 years of age, it was wayyyyy past time I got my very own dollies cot.

And for those of you that were wondering ... Yes I did have unwanted help & assistance with the creating of my Princess & the Pea.

Most especially from my Very Own Real Life Princess !!!

If you've managed to last til the end - Thank You So Very much!!

We have gone into another Lockdown here in New Zealand, which was initially for 3 days & this afternoon has been extended to a week at this stage. I am fine as I have a good supply of toilet paper & Sewing essentials but I am a bit worried about my rapidly diminishing chocolate stash (!!!)

Stay safe & well dear friends - wishing you a wonderful weekend,

With much love & friendship to you All,

Julie & the furry ones x0x0x0