Working Ceiling Fan Tutorial

In an earlier post I shared the ceiling fan I made for the Quilt Shop Room Box and told you I wanted to make a working version. Later I posted a short (poor) video of the working fan. Here is a much better video of the fan in motion. I think the black bars in the earlier one were from the LED lights in the box. This time I didn't turn them on.

In response to several requests for a tutorial, here goes:

Here are the basic components of the fan itself. For a photo of the origins of the fan blade hardware, look at the earlier post. The clear plastic star is a mirror fastener that was replaced by a plain disc as the build evolved. The fan blades are cut from a sheet of frosted Mylar. I chose the Mylar because it was thinner than a credit card (so more to scale), wouldn't warp like paper/card stock might, and has a "tooth" surface that takes paint well. Note the tiny hole in the end of the eighth-inch wooden dowel that became the shaft. The translucent red bead serves as the motor. Because of the variety of materials that had to be glued together, I went straight for the E-6000.

You may have noticed the gloss black paint in the previous photo. I didn't use it. The matte finish looked more like "old fan" to me, so I used it exclusively. I gave the small end of the hardware bits a slight twist before gluing them to the center flat bead, so the blades are canted slightly, as in a real fan.

My apologies for the out-of-focus picture of the loop at the end of the shaft. I have a new camera and haven't yet figured out the close-up settings. I stripped the paper from a twist-tie to get a pliable wire to make the hook. I ran the two ends through the hole in the shaft from opposite sides and then did some simple twisting to get the loop you see. That slight bulge at the top of the shaft is a narrow strip of tape covering the hole. I'm not sure it was necessary, but the wire was a bit rough in that area and I didn't want it to get hung up while threading it through the base cap and ceiling.

This is a view of the ceiling cap. The clear star that you saw above was replaced by a plastic pull-seal from a carton of half-and-half. I cut off the ring part and cut a hole in the center. That is a wooden bead glued in place to form a bit of a sleeve for the shaft to keep it from wobbling. If you look carefully, you can see that the hole in the bead and the hole in the ceiling don't quite match up. I had problems with the shaft sticking when I tried to thread it through. As luck would have it, I had some plastic drinking straws that just fit into the space. A snip from the end of a straw became a smooth lining for the sleeve. Wobble cured.

There's no magic formula for the length of shaft or ceiling base. I eye-balled it and made several small trims to get it to the point where it all worked together.

This is the twirler that I ended up using. It is battery operated and came with an extra battery from Christmas in Prescott.  It is sitting over the hole that I drilled in the room box roof. The scrap bits of angle molding are glued in place to keep the spinner from moving from the vibrations. (You're right -- I don't throw anything away!)

Here's how it goes together. The fan shaft is passed up through the ceiling cap and the spinner hooks onto the loop. I wanted the fan to be removable to spar it from jarring in the event the box needs to be moved an appreciable distance.

When the shaft is hooked, the fan looks like this.

What would I do differently next time? I'd be sure I have hardware for both sides of the blades. It's not noticeable to the casual viewer, but I know it's missing.

The end is in sight . . .

I do believe the shop is nearly finished. If you spot anything that I've missed, please let me know. Poke the photos for a larger image.
.
The quilt block in the front gable mimics the barn quilts that are so popular in the Midwest. It was made by slicing nearly through a piece of foam core and poking fabric into the slits. It got three coats of polyurethane and is framed with skinny sticks. Besides being decorative, it covers a demi-lune handhold, sort of an attic window with no glass. It and its mate on the other end of the house are handy when this house has to be moved. You can see the old lady at the quilt frame in the upper left window. Need to add: American flag. This is the backside. It looked like a good place to put up a sign so all of the little people driving by will know the quilt show is open. The upstairs window is the apartment. Below it the kitchen window, and on the right the shop window at the bottom of the stairs.

The back of the house also sports a quilt block. I painted a wooden pot and added the foliage for some color. They are glued to a piece of foamcore board, so the whole thing can be removed for moving. I found the wishing well while looking through my stash. It was made Jen (Intrinsicat) on the Greenleaf Dollhouse forum for a swap in 2007. I knew I'd find just the right place for it. :)

On the ground floor you can see into the shop, and beside it the quilt show. Behind the show display is the kitchen/break room. By cutting the number of display quilts from four to three, it is easier to see details in the kitchen. They can also be seen by looking in the windows. The fourth quilt is the one that moved outside. Upstairs on the left is the workroom, beside it the bath, and the apartment is on the right. I'll post just one photo from each room tonight so you can see where they stand.

I do believe the shop is finished. Can you think of anything that should be added?

The showroom lights highlight the quilts very nicely. There should be a bit more decoration, and I think a table with show programs. And the bottom of the fireplace peeking out from under the quilt on the wall needs to be covered. A piece of white foam core board should do the trick.

Upstairs, the workroom has a new quilt hanging on the railing. I was mumbling about needing an iron for the ironing board, and dear Lloyd did a search and found one on eBay, bless his heart. Sorry the photo is so blurry.

The sign on the bathroom door says, "Private." I do believe this room is finished, although a little storage cabinet for extra towels and cleaning supplies would be nice.

Here's the biggest surprise for you -- there's a man in the studio apartment! I'm not sure yet exactly who he is. The apartment is obviously not big enough for two to live there, so he must be a visitor.

That's the quick run-down on the rooms. I do want to share one detail, though. The sign was fun to make. I'm getting to be adept with the hairspray.

Now that all but the littlest details are finished, I've started working on the cover for the open side. I don't want to have to spend the entire show saying, "Please don't touch." I painted wooden channels, which will be afixed to the edge of the opening. The Plexiglass will slide down from the top. I'm not sure how to handle the slanted opening at the roof, where a piece of the wooden roof hinges back. I may just lay a strip of Plexiglass over it or leave it open and close the roof when I step away. Lloyd says he can bend the Plexi to make a one-piece cover, but I'm not sure that's the way to go.

.

I do want to leave you with one last photo -- the worktable well tidied up. I spent the end of the evening putting nearly everything away. Those are the channel strips drying and a few odds and ends.

After the Plexi is in place, there's still the skirt to be made to hide the taboret base. But that's another day.

Moving along . . .

Today I was all over the place. Talk about unfocused energy! I needed more wall hangings, so this morning I printed out another dozen or so. In the process of hanging them, I took a good look at the quilt frame. I never was too happy with the quilt that came with it. One of the printies from the morning was a quilt I liked much better, so I redid it. The still nameless old lady -- uhhhh, senior citizen -- likes it much better, too.

I added a lot of detail to every room today, but didn't take pictures. In the apartment, I moved the knitting lady to the comfy chair so she could watch the TV and got a good start on a bedside table where she used to sit. In the kitchen I hung a calendar and posted a class schedule on the refrigerator. I have a bulletin board to hang and a kettle for the stove. In the show room I tried out some accessories but didn't like them. In the shop I added some signs. In the workshop I added a large wastebasket, which started out life as part of one of Lloyd's disposable inhalers, hung a few more small quilts and draped a larger one over the bannister.

.

I did take photos of the bathroom because I thought it was finished. But as soon as I took these shots, I realized I really couldn't live with the red bottles and jars. They were traded out for shades of pink. And I added signs to the bathroom doors: the one on the workshop side says Restroom, and the one on the bathroom side of the apartment door says Private. So, as usual, it turned out I really wasn't done after all, but I'm too tired to reshoot the photos. How do you like the mirror? A large jewelry finding for the back, a round mirror, and bits of another finding that I cut up for the clips. It's a bit over the top glitz for a commercial restroom, but I love the fixtures and it all goes together.

I really think I can get this project wound up by the weekend (she says with great hope). I've even begun to put away tools and supplies as I work, so the craft area is showing some organization. I hope I have the energy to push on tomorrow. Last night I was up several times with our chihuahua, JoJo, who is afraid of thunderstorms. The forecast for tonight is more of the same. I may be sleeping in. *yawn*

Hanging in There

The false wall solved one problem, but it's such a large wall that the hutch and appliances looked lost. The answer: wall hangings. I printed out nearly four dozen hangings in various sizes this morning, printed them on fabric, and stuck them up all over the place. In this photo, the wall is outside the dollhouse. It was easier to figure out where the hangings should go. Here's what it looks like in place.

I moved the table to the right a bit, so you can see the sink and stove. Just a few more tchotchkes to add -- the refrigerator looks way too bare -- but the kitchen is essentially finished.

Here are more of the hangings. These are 1" square sample blocks. I glued them to strip wood painted white for ease of hanging. It's light enough that Mini-Hold wax should do the trick unless it is exceptionally hot on the day that it needs to be moved to the YMCA for the show. I grouped all of the redwork together. I like the look. :) The show is September 25-26, 2010; if you happen to be in mid-Missouri, do drop in!

Here are the sample blogs as they hang. Sorry for the wash of light in the photo. They look a lot brighter in real life.

Here are more wall hangings in the shop. I tried for a wide variety. Something for everyone!

While I was busy with the hangings, the mailman arrived with two wonderful dolls from HavanaHolly, a dear friend from the Greenleaf Dollhouse Forum. Holly said that neither of the ladies would share their names, but Sheila fairly screamed to get out of the box. She suffered a bit in transit, so I perked her up by offering to make her the owner of the shop. She'll probably be behind the counter, but I wanted you to see her wonderful silk pants suit. Poke the photo for a larger image.

More wall hangings added in the workroom. And Sheila's friend is back with the quilting frame until she opens up and tells me her name. Actually, she may stay there. She seems to have a keen eye and steady hand for hand quilting.

In the apartment, the crazy quilt went up, along with some smaller wall hangings. A screen to block the view of the apartment from customers coming up the stairs was installed. I embroidered it some time ago. It works perfectly here.

Here's a better view of the screen.

And of the crazy quilt. More wall hangings ... and a TV! Can you tell what's on the TV? Maybe not. It's a very tiny print of one of Suzanne Marshall's quilts -- "Beast and his Boy" from her Medieval series. Why that one? Because Suzanne will be at the Country Patchwork Quilt Guild Show with some of her beautiful quilts. I'll not say anything about it at the show and see if anyone makes the connection.

A Sign of the Times

First of all, since I know you've been waiting impatiently, here is the solution to the awkward doorway -- a false wall. Foam core board. I think I put the wallpaper on sideways, but since this wall is so hard to see, I'm sure no one will notice if you'll keep the secret. The flash made shadows on either side. In real life, the slight gap is not noticable.I added some napkins to the table and hung curtains and put some colorful cloth in the baskets in the sink unit, which you can't see in this view. I also added a drainer basket with dishes in it after this picture was taken. This room needs some clutter (do you know anyone who has a refrigerator with nothing on top?), but is essentially finished.

I put curtains in the apartment today. I'm not over the moon about them, but they are a muted blue/white/pink pattern that works well with the upholstered chair. Ummm ... the curtains don't look quite that wonky in real life. The camera has a mean eye.
I still haven't found a nice mirror for the bathroom, so I made this one from a decorative mirror piece, some balsa wood, and a bit of the fabric from the apartment curtains. That's a line of gold puff paint around the mirror. Don't know if I'll use it, but it does go with the colors in the wallpaper. And the sign of the times in the title? Here is it --- the sign for over the front door. I printed the words in blue on ivory paper, cut a wooden spool in half and painted the thread on it, and mounted it all on a 2" x 4.25" mini table top that I got at The Great American Dollhouse Museum last week. It has a couple coats of varathane and will get a few more before it's finished.

Laundry, the never-ending chore

Don't you love it when you finally remember where you put something? Last night I dreamed that the missing hutches from Michael's were in a shoe box. I remembered putting them in there. Sure enough, when I went to look this afternoon, there they were, sitting right on top of the drawers I'd scoured looking for them a few days ago. Since I found the hutches, I set to work on one of them to hold laundry supplies and to cover the awkward doorway opening that's blocked with the large shelf unit in the shop. Still have to figure out something for the opening above it, but the hutch fit in very nicely. The box of Fab came from a Manor House Miniatures grab bag, I think. I made the Bounce and Ivory Snow boxes from Sherree's website on Picasa. The bottles are beads. This is so far back in the room that it can only be seen by peering through a window (through which this photo was taken), so I'm not bothering to put labels on the bottles.

I got the table set with refreshments, coffee and tea, a cherry topped cake I got in a swap a while back, and some brownies from Jennifer McCracken. If somebody recognizes the cake, please let me know. I'd like to give credit where it is due.

The bathroom got some towels and a toilet tissue holder. Still needs a mirror and maybe some shelves with folded towels.

It was getting on toward midnight, so I thought I'd better stop for the night, but the need for an ironing board was weighing on me, so . . . I used craft sticks for the legs. They're a bit oversized, but I figure this board will get a lot of use in the workroom, so it needs to be sturdy. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. I may paint the legs. The little circles where the dowels poke through annoy me.

I also decided on curtain material for the studio apartment and started pinning in the folds prior to dousing it with hairspray, but I didn't get a picture. I got two curtains pinned, and by then it was after 1 am, so I quit to blog this and get to bed!

Many thanks to everyone who has been leaving such nice comments. I apologize for not answering each one, but the day doesn't seem to have enough hours -- at least not enough hours in which I'm coherent. :)

Quilts at the Great American Dollhouse Museum

Last week we traveled, and in our travels we spent nearly a whole day at The Great American Dollhouse Museum in Danville, Kentucky (about 20 miles south of Lexington). It was such a treat to visit with the gracious owner, Lori Kagan-Moore, and some of her family. The museum was featured recently on a local TV station and can be seen on YouTube. Lori permits photos in the museum, and I took several, although reflections were a challenge. I'm posting four of them here -- all of quilts, since that is my current focus. More to come, I promise! Poke the photos for a larger view.

Although the clothing isn't quite right, I think this scene was in the Shaker Village.

There are two quilts in the photo, one fabric print folded on the floor and one stitched on the bed. This house boasted a beautiful rug in every room. I wish I could remember more about the house. After exposure to hundreds of houses and thousands of beautiful rooms, my memory box overflowed! Here is a pieced and printed quilt. Can't recall which house this was.

The next scene is from a series depicting the days of the underground railroad. The little girl is telling the runaway under the bed to keep still, as the authorities have come to the house. The quilt appears to be printed fabric with stitch marks added with ink.

More about The Great American Dollhouse Museum when we get unpacked and sorted out!

Pack up your ... whatever!

I got to thinking that all quilters need a bag to carry projects and supplies, so today I made some. They are unbleached muslin over lightweight cardstock front, back and bottom and embelished with 1/8" ribbon and tiny cuts of fabric. Poke the picture to see them better. (When I poked it to check, I noticed some tiny threads that need to be clipped. I think next time I make these I'll turn a tiny hem in the top edge.) While assembling, I found it useful to have a block made from two pieces of 1/4" foamcore board stuck inside to form the shape. I cut the rectangles of cardstock, scored the two bottom folds, and glued them to the muslin and trimmed around the edges. This photo shows the cardstock ready to bend around the block. The muslin side is inside. The four in back have had the muslin glued on the outside. I cut it a quarter inch longer than the height of the side so there would be something to fold under to make a nice bottom.

Here's the block being pulled out of the wrapped bag. The narrow sides do not have cardstock; they can fold naturally.

The next photo shows today's quilt in progress. I found that by cutting the squares to near finished size and gluing them on a backing, I could scrunch them up a bit, so they look as if there is batting. These blocks were cut from a piece of fabric printed with them, although I rearranged them better to suit a mini pattern.

Here is the finished quilt. It turned out to be 6" x 8" rather than the 5" x 7" I'd planned because I added a border (folded bias tape) and then added some lace on top of that for extra texture. It's a rather strong design and will likely go on the wall in the display room as it is too big for the display frames. This quilt is all glue. Not a stitch on it.