March is over....

Did I meet the deadline?

I chose Pickett Hill and Cockleshell Cottage as my UFOs for March. With my back problems I've had to forget about Pickett Hill and concentrate on Cockleshell. Did I meet the deadline? Well, sort of. The landscaping isn't done yet, but that doesn't seem to worry the seagulls on the roof. The rustic bench at the front of the cottage provides a comfortable place to sit and watch the day break or sunset or talk to friends.

The curtains on the window in yellow and white strip give a bright and cheery contrast to the blue of the cottage, and match the curtains that cover the front of the cupboards under the sink and the preparation bench. Upstairs Uncle Bill has settled for a Holland blind that matches the coverlet on his bed. Somebody is a seamstress obviously -- a relative perhaps, or a friend?

Upstairs Uncle Bill has his bedroom and a well organised workroom. He has started building a new boat and it is set up on a little stand he has made, on his worktable. The hole in the left wall above the two pictures is where the light will go when it arrives.

His supplies are stored on the shelves - paints and brushes in the green box and other supplies in tubs with labels: fittings, sails, glues, tools, timber and rigging. A model sailboat sits on top of the shelves, and pictures of his first two model boats hang on the wall above the worktable. The shelf under the table is bulging with plans for boats, and the boat-shaped bookcase is full of reference books.

Uncle Bill's bed is made neatly with it's blue checked cover. The drawers in the bedside table hold neatly folded clothing, and a larger chest (on its way) stands under the front window against the wall. On the wall above the bedside table is a photo of Uncle Bills beloved fishing boat 'Lovely Lady', which he sold when he retired.

Downstairs I've still not found the plates and kitchen appliances that I have put 'somewhere safe' so poor Old Uncle Bill doesn't have anything to eat off at the moment. I'm sure that as soon as I start on something else I will find those though, and the shelves for the china can go on the wall above the preparation bench. That bench has actually had to be made shorter to fit, if you compare it to the photo of it in an earlier post you might see that it is slightly different. I reduced it by 1cm, added the lower shelf (which was going to happen anyway), and made the curtains open further to give a clearer view of the frypans and saucepan.

I've also changed the kitchen table for a different one.

It took a lot of fiddling to make the cupboard to set the sink into, but I'm happy with the result. It's less than 2cm wide.

This photo gives a better view of the pots and pans in the cupboard.

And here is a better view of the cats enjoying the fire.

Uncle Bill is out walking the dog at the moment, but before he left, a huge smile lit up his weather-beaten face and his blue eyes sparkled as he patted me on the shoulder and nodded as he told me that he is very happy indeed with his little home.

Darling husband to the rescue!

Fire got the best of me....

I struggled enough making a firegrate for the fireplace. It had to be firm enough to hold the 'fire' LED bulbs because I wanted a 'working' fire. I have this set from Evan designs, there are 3 little bulbs: one red, one orange and one yellow and they flicker in turn giving a very realistic fire effect. The only problem is that the combined size of the three is quite bulky for a little 1:48 scale fireplace, even though I have almost doubled the depth of the fireplace provided in the kit by adding some timber behind it, and then covered it with Creative PaperClay to do the bricks.

As if that wasn't enough I then had to make the 'fire' itself. the bulbs sit up quite high and need to be covered with some holographic cellophane. Isat the bulbs right down into the grate so that the stems would go down into the hole drilled into the floor, and started to add small sticks cut from the tips of some prunings of a shrub that had dried out quite well. I ended up with something about as elegant as a stork's nest! Ungainly, ugly and a total mess.

In desperation I roped my dear other half into helping me. After all, he can build a fire in real life and I have never tried. He rose to the task beautifully even though he spread it out over about 7 hours, with breaks for doing different things 'while the glue dried' vbg.

All I had to do then was thread the wires through the hole in the floor and pull the whole thing into the cottage and into place. Come to think of it - I forgot to glue it in! Oooops.

I've just twisted the wires together with the battery wires for now and here is the result - unfortunately it is a still photo, which is a shame because it flickers beautifully.

I haven't mentioned before that Cockleshell Cottage is lit on the ground floor. Here it is with the light on - no lightshade yet.

The more I do on this little cottage, the more I love it. That's the way with Bea's kits, I find. Each one has real character and you can't help getting really involved.

I also started making the workbench/cupboard that will sit between the icebox and the stove. I had a piece of nice timber offcut from something or other, and I had lots of bits of flooring left from the John F Craig House. So I sat and fiddled. The length of scrap timber was the right thickness and width for the top, and about the right length - so that's the length I made it. I cut the floorboards to size and added them. I wasn't too fussy because it will all be covered up by a gathered curtain on the front, except for a bit in the centre which will be open to show a few things stored there. Here it is so far.

And now it is getting on towards sunset, the Sabbath hours are coming in and I will be putting it all aside until after sunset tomorrow night. Talk to you again over the weekend!

Progress report on Cockleshell Cottage

Meet Old Uncle Bill of Cockleshell Cottage...

(and glimpse some plans I have in hand)

Old Uncle Bill is another much-loved character In Ferny Creek. His little cottage, aptly named Cockleshell Cottage, is a short distance out of the village, on the shores of a small inlet with views out over the ocean that he once fished daily in his trawler ‘Lovely Lady’.

Being childless he had sold ‘the lady’ when he retired, but he still likes to ‘wet a line’ as he calls it, from the end of the pier or from his little rowing boat.

He lives alone, but everyone calls him ‘Uncle Bill’ and each generation of children learn their fishing skills from him. He patiently teaches them how to bait a hook, he untangles their lines, shows them the best places to fish and safe ways to do so too. He also insists they learn to clean their fish and dispose of scraps properly.

His home is simple, and company is welcome. Uncle Bill is an hospitable old man and has interesting tales to tell of his adventures out fishing on his trawler.

If there are no visitors – and even when there are – his faithful dog Sailor (on his way) listens intently to everything Bill says, ears pricked and head cocked to one side then the other and the occasional whine or yap showing appreciation of the conversation. Many a person comments that Sailor knows everything Old Bill says.

His other constant companions are Capt’n and Bos’n, the cats. They love to tease Sailor but most of all they love to curl up on the settle or in front of the fire at night and just be with Old Bill and Sailor. During the day they are to be found around the cottage or down where Old Bill is cleaning fish.

If you peek inside Cockleshell Cottage you will find a batchelor’s house. Quite spartan but comfortable. A single well-worn wing-backed chair with a few frays here and there, the seat cushion having a definite hollow from use, faces the fire.

But guests have been provided for with a settle, well padded on the seat and with cushions for the back. It is often pulled up to the fire as to share the warmth.

An ice chest is in the furthest corner from the fire, a workbench (in progress) is scrubbed scrupulously clean and a neat curtain covers the storage underneath. There is a small table and two chairs, and braided mats (to come) provide some softness and warmth on the flagstone floor.

A door (coming) in the corner of the room leads to the rear of the cottage and the bathroom out back, as well as to the staircase leading upstairs. Upstairs is a large room, which seems to be underfurnished. Old Bill’s cozy bed and a chest for his clothes hardly takes up any room at all.

To one side is a large work table, on which Bill constructs his model boats – a passion that has absorbed him since retirement. He has given away the first two that he made, and has now started on another (on its way).

Old Bill likes to sit on the rustic bench at the front of his cottage and watch the ocean or read while he enjoys the weather when it is pleasant.

He takes long walks along the beach and is fit and healthy, running up and down the steps to the beach as spry as any youngster.

Bill is an important part of Ferny Creek, and I hope you have enjoyed meeting him and having a peek into Cockleshell Cottage.