MaryKate

I scribed flooring "planks" and pegs into the attic floor of my DFM Farmette (using the tip of a very small crochet hook and a push pin) stained it, and rubbed it down with paste wax. It is gorgeous--the lines and pegs darkened up nicely, and I love the color. There's a darker patch on one end; I figure that's where Tiffany Aching and Hermione Granger spilled the contents of a cauldron while they were learning a new spell. It was a lot of work, but so cheap, and I like it better than anything I could have bought.

Another thing you can do for the "leading" is to create it with tape. Art supply stores (and Hobby Lobby) sell thin colored tape in a variety of widths and colors...1/8" and 1/16". On my half-finished Heritage, I went over the lines printed on the kit windows with narrow black tape, then painted in the sections with stained glass paints. I liked the look of it in the abstract, but when the windows are in the house, the black is a bit too sharp and new-looking. They look like they're in a coloring book! When I go back to that house, I have a feeling I'll be taking it in a new direction, so I may change up the windows or try to find grey tape.

Amy, good to know, thanks! & Holly, that is an excellent point. If there's a way to injure myself, I'll find it.

Thank you both! "And never mind what most people say about anything ... it's your house and you can do as you darn please." Kathie, I'm going to needlepoint that on a pillow* or something so I don't forget. ;) (Not that I know how to needlepoint! It'll more likely end up on a post it in my project binder.)

I haven't used that saw, but I have a couple (non-electric) tools from MicroMark and I've always loved their quality.

I haven't tried the technique of scribing "planks" into kit floors before, but I'd like to do it with the Farmette because I'm going for the low-cost option wherever possible...but I still want it to look professional and as realistic as possible. Everything I've read says that most back-open dhs have the flooring run the long way--across the house from side to side rather than from front to back. However, with this kit, which has 1/2" plywood with a lovely, and pronounced, grain, if I did that, I would be inscribing the lines for the planks crosswise against the grain, because the grain runs front to back on all three floors. Going against the grain like that (ha) doesn't seem right...it would look all wrong, wouldn't it? But how odd would it be to have the flooring run back to front on all 3 floors, or to do it that way in the attic and change it up with some kind of installed flooring on the other floors? It's a stone house, so I could always do a stone flooring on the first floor. I do like the look of wood, and this is particularly nice, so I don't want to cover it up or paint it if I can avoid it. Thoughts? Voices of experience?

It seems I have a knack for ending up with odd/unknown kits. I have googled this, but (like "Dollhouse Manufacturing Company" with my Farmette), I think the name of the kit is a little too general for easy googling. I just get pages of the current RGT firehouse. I suspect Walmer didn't make many of them. So, the story is...long, and I'm not working on the kit until I finish my witches' house, but I thought I'd tap into the massive brainpower of this forum to see if anyone ever saw, or maybe even worked on, one of these. The model number is 529. I bought the kit from Jeepers in IN in the mid to late 2000s (earliest would be late 2004) ...going on memory here because it is buried in my basement, which is a scary disaster right now. It's a 3 story, front opening building, and it has a Federal style door and I think 5 windows up the front. There are round openings in the floors for the firepole and curved railings for the openings. It is tall, but has just one big rooms per floor. The kit on the market right now it most closely resembles is the RGT 333 Franklin St. Townhouse. Can't remember if mine has the same roof as that one, or a flat roof. This one I have directions for (somewhere), but if they exist online I'd love to read them. I have seen the 333 Franklin directions online and I believe they're very similar. Funny story about this: I got it because I saw an ad in an old (at the time) dh magazine, and called Jeepers on the off chance they still had one. I was over the moon they did, and paid whatever the price was plus shipping gladly...no, I don't want to make a fire station. It's going to be a Chicago pub, built in one of the firehouses that were built there after the fire, with a loft on the top floor. The bar's called McGinty's, and while it doesn't really exist, it's based on a tv show* that filmed in Chicago, and they used the exterior of a real firehouse (which was, at that point, a furniture store) for the exterior shots of the bar and loft. And that real firehouse is located at the intersection of Illinois...and FRANKLIN STREET. I about fell off my chair when I saw the name of that RGT townhouse! *Now, if you already know which TV show I'm talking about, we may have to meet in person someday so I can hug you, because it is, despite its sometimes flaws, the show of my heart. But if you don't and want to know, scroll on down... ....Fisher Stephens was in it... And it starred a very young, entirely wonderful, Kyle Chandler... ...along with a mysterious cat. Named Cat. It was Early Edition. Ring any bells? (If not, don't feel bad--most times it doesn't) It usually helps when I tell people (who are smiling politely and backing away now, because they fear random fangirling and spontaneous hugs) the premise--"It's that show about the guy who got the newspaper a day early and then tried to stop all the bad stuff.") If anyone reads this far, thanks! I started out just wanting to fact find about the house, and devolved into my fangirling....story of my life!

I managed to find out a tiny bit more about Dollhouse Manufacturing Company...according to the blog entry at the address below, it "burned down in 1985." Yikes! I may poke around and if her blog is still active, write to her for more info. The Farmhouse featured there, on which she did a lovely job with renovations, is a little more involved than my Farmette; more windows in the front, the door is centered, and the staircase is a bit less simple.

Hi all--I uploaded pics of some of the treasures I got from my mom's stash to th gallery. Tried to upload a preview pic or two here, but it isn't working right now and I need to scramble to work (yes, I can find and follow directions, and yes, I did try the tech section and the FAQ, but the pics come into the post at such a big size I'm afraid they'll break people's feeds, and I don't have any time left to fuss with it. Will try again tonight if I'm not catatonic). Anyway, if you want to see what zero dollars and sweet, crafty, project-starting parents can get you, the pics are in an album I titled Minis from Mom. Now I just need to figure out how to bash 'em all up....

Kathie, I'm having the best time going through your blog. Good luck with the Washington...haunted houses are so much fun! I'm finding planning one to be really freeing, since everything doesn't have to be neat and perfect. I can try new things and see whe they take me!