Sunday 29 January 2012

Day 302-Moving The Village House



I have been planning this for sometime now but it was only today that I found the time to make the big move. 


Some Chinese believe it is not auspicious moving home during the Chinese New Year period  and we are onto our 6th day of celebrations today with 9 more days to go. The Rollas however scoffed and said these rules don't apply to us Banjarans from India.


So we waved goodbye to where they were residing the past year and a half i.e. the dining room and moved, rather gingerly I might add, to what we all (Rollas, Fafa and I) thought was a perfect spot for a permanent site.


Here the house sits in the corner of our living room on an antique sewing machine base as if it has been custom made for it.


Truth is I bought this base and 3 others for a song more then 20 years ago at an antiques market in Jakarta, Indonesia. The market however had a reputation for selling reproductions instead. Back then,  I didn't really care whether they were authentic or not especially considering the price, and this one in particular did not even have any markings. 


I even thought the wooden pitman rod was a repair job to replace a missing cast iron part! It was only now that I found out that there were many models of antique sewing machines which used wooden pitman rods instead of metal ones. Even if it was not old then, it is now, after 20 years with me. 


More importantly, at this new location and for the 1st time in one and a half years, the house finally enjoys natural lighting. The Rollas are thrilled and so am I.


It may be a miniature house but the effort is no less mammoth for me especially as I am not the sort who likes moving things around just for a change of scenery. 


Meet Ms Piggy, I am lazy that way.The one in the picture? I bought her from my sister's shop, probably made in India. Can you tell she'll be sitting on that cushion for a long long time to come?


Just like the Rollas House in that spot. 

51 comments:

Rosamargarita said...

La casa ahora luce en todo su esplendor! es un lugar de honor en tu casa, tal como lo merece.
Besos

Sans! said...

Un voto más para el mejor lugar de RosaM! :) ¡Sí!

muchas gracias, muchas besitos :)

Margriet said...

Yes..that base is made for your beautiful house!!! It looks wonderful in its new place! I never really care if something is old or new...as long as I think it is beautiful it is okay :-)
And I love it to see a part of your real home..it makes you more real (that sounds strange, I hope you understand what I mean hahahaha).
Ms Piggy is cute!!!
Hug, Margriet

Drora's minimundo said...

I don't know where this house was kept before but I feel it has its rightful place now. I love the sewing machine base no matter how old it is. I also love your beautiful living room and the cute Miss Piggy.
Hugs

The Old Maid said...

You have so colourful living room! The Rollas House suits there perfectly!
Your pretty base reminded me about my Grandmom's sewing machine. I have no idea where the machine is but the base is now my cousin's desk.;)

Kikka N said...

Dear Sans.
You have a very beautiful and Charming Home, Love it with all the Colours, details and windows!
And Your Minihome is adorable in its new place!
Hugs
Kikka

Papillon Bleu said...

Sans!!! I am in love with your yellow sofa with the flower print! Absolutely gorgeous!
I truly hope the Rollas will be happy on their new place!

Much love to you my dear friend.xxxx

Patty said...

Sans, What a wonderful mini tour of your home. Your living room is so inviting! I love where you have put your little home. It is so perfect there for all to see and enjoy! I am really looking forward to your next project.

Piikko said...

Your Rollas House fits perfectly to your beautiful and cosy living room.
Ms Biggy is so cute.♥ The cushion and your lamp reminds me about Morocco. :) Hugs, piikko

Josje said...

Oh Sans what a beautiful room! I love the windows and the colours. Your house looks gorgeous there.

Ascension said...

Me encanta el nuevo sitio que le has buscado, yo creo que luce mas......hay mas luz-
Por cierto, sabes que tengo mi casita encima de una maquina de coser antigua? jejejejejejeje
besitos ascension

Lize said...

HI SANS,
Love your colourful sitting room and I am sure the Rollas are plenty pleased with the view too! Besides, the sewing table is a very appropriate perch for their abode.
How are you? We have not 'spoken' for a loooong time, but I am glad to see that you are still busy!
Lots of miniature love I send you and I wish you a happy and prosperous new year!

Alexandra said...

What a beautiful house you have.
All the nice colers in your house.
The dolls house looks so nice.
At the evening,everything looks so attractively with a fine atmosphere.

Kind regards Alexandra.

rosanna said...

I love your living room so much , love the space, the light and colours.The Rollas are surely happy of the move, I don't know if they will have much more company but the landscape is beautiful.Hugs, Rosanna

Daydreamer said...

Perfect! (I LOVE the Fabrics in your living room!) The Village House will be right at home there and you will be able to see it every day!
Did you know, Sans!, that I keep "The Folly" on the top of my antique sewing machine? !! It fits so perfectly! So I can understand EXACTLY your happiness with this new location!
Happy Chinese New Year!

BiWuBär said...

I have no doubts the Rollas are very happy now - what an improvement, so nice for them to watch your beautiful livingroom from their house and garden (and vice versa). And this sewing machine base is perfect for your masterpiece. Btw - did you get a good tip for your efforts on moving day from the Rollas... ;O)

Greetings
Birgit

Eva - tatalamaru said...

No podía lucir mejor tu casita que encima de esa mesa antigua de costura. Elegiste un buen lugar para ella.
Besitos

Eliana said...

What a beautiful "foundation" you gave to your house. The new sunny place is fantastic!
Hugs

Unknown said...

oh YES! that's the perfect spot! i can imagine sitting just before it, spending hours exploring the little surprises :D

my other comments got swallowed up i think :(

Kathy said...

I love your doll miniature and your home miniature!

Plushpussycat said...

Fun seeing your pad, Sans! :-) Jennifer

Unknown said...

Your minihouse has got a perfect place to stay! And it is so nice to see pictures of how people live other places, love your windows!!!!
Mona

Ana Anselmo said...

I like the new place! A place with natural light is always a good place to live!!!
Sans, I also have a sewing machine base, mine is from a Singer machine and it´s so heavy, so heavy, that´s is almost impossible to move it around. I want to restore it (for a long time...), so at the moment it is in my working room, with my tot shop.
hugs and wishes of a wonderful week!

Sans! said...

Margriet, I know exactly what you mean. I only really trust that I will be safe with a blog friend if I have seen her house :). So whoever here who has not shown your house on your blog, do it NOW! :):):):) teehee

By the way, Margriet, I have also shown my face so yes, I am very real :). I have come a long long way. I actually thought when I started blogging that I will NEVER EVER show my "real life" on the blog. I can definitely throw that out of my beautiful window now ! LOL

Sans! said...

Thank you Drora. I just realised that I showed my house last year too during the Chinese New Year :) and then also the year before last. I guess it's my way of virtually inviting all of you to visit. That's what we do during CNY, we visit friends and relatives .

Plus it's usually when we spring clean the house and I don't mini much :).

O dear, this blog has been here long enough to have a tradition :)

Sans! said...

O MY! Is that Lize I just spotted in your midst! WOOHOOO! But you are not your usual self:) (as if you were here often enough to have a "usual" eh? But of course I will never forget our good old days)

Yes, we have not chatted for a while now and I am not sure if you will be blogging again your old mini ways. But be sure that whatever your future endeavours are, there are many of us who will love to read about them :). I for one am mighty pleased to see you back. Many of the "old-timers" (sorry but in this day and age, 3 years is old) have stopped blogging or if they still do, they do so rarely.

I am trying very hard to make at least 4 posts this month. January is usually a slow month :). I will probably still be here when you are back :):) Are you even reading my reply????!!! Ya, still the scary me :)

Ara said...

Sans you have such a lovely place that I think any place you put the house it would look lovely!!! I love that you put it on an old sewing machine base! And to where it can be seen from both sides. That's hard to do!!! Love it! And Happy New Year!! hugs, ara

Arestrea said...

Your little house is very cute. I love the base:)And you have a lovely living room! I am so happy I found your blog today.

Greetings,
Arestrea

onbeingaminimum said...

Moving house is always soooo stressful even when it's just next door!

I think you have found the perfect spot and the perfect display table.

Sans! said...

I hate moving house mainly because of my books :), Janice. You are spot on about the stress. I even hate just moving my books from 1 shelf to another :). The dust! Yuks

Sans! said...

And I am glad I found yours Arestrea :)

Sans! said...

Ara, I really like that about this placement as well, the fact that we can see it both sides. Unlikely that I can do it for the other houses. This arrangement takes some space.

That's why I got myself 2 of those lightweight turntables for my Alison Jr and Princess Anne. But if I hope to place those 2 side by side, I will need them to be exposed like this one as well.... headache...

Sans! said...

Ana, these sewing bases make really great side tables. You will need 2 people to carry one of course. It was hard even for me to just shift it a bit without scratching my wooden floor. So yes, they stay put in 1 spot for eons :).

I forgot to let you know that the pictures you posted of your Portuguese minis are not bad at all. They are very well taken with all the details showing quite nicely.

Break a leg, Ana! For the upcoming fair. Bring helpers. You will need them!

Sans! said...

Mona, did you notice the hole in my blinds? Such a huge one and I don't even bother fixing it "). I love my windows too and believe many of the fittings were really old. This is an old colonial house built and designed by the British during their occupation. Good ventilation to permit as much cool breeze to pass through the house was critical of course. So we have windows all round the walls and nice high ceiling :).

I love that you share pictures of your house too, Mona :).

Sans! said...

Fun watching you at work, Jennifer!

Sans! said...

Thank you Kathy O-O! I love yours more!

Sans! said...

Swallowed again??! Cinds? Haizzzz

I hope next Saturday is on?

Sans! said...

Elaina, I am sitting right here now at the daybed, typing on my laptop (1st time in a long while -like never?). It really is a fantastic place but it is easy to fall asleep here :)

Sans! said...

* olas a Eva ta-ta ")")

¿Me puedes ver en este "lugar perfecto"? Bueno, si usted no puede, entonces sólo tendrá que saludar a usted en persona :). No puedo esperar, Eva :) :)

besitos

Sans! said...

The Rollas were very good, Birgit. They just sat quietly and didn't move an inch when I shift the house. They did sing " We feel the earth move under my feet.." when the house was lifted. By the way, my boyfriend swore that he had seen the Rollas playing hide and seek behind my microwave oven. Even though I believe him that they can move, I think the microwave oven bit may be uttered under the heavy influence of bier. :) Who says only miniaturists are crazy right?

Sans! said...

Betsy, I have always known your Folly is about the same size as my tribal house. The base is really quite ideal except that you can't roll it around. It is so heavy.

I have fantasized about an ordinary base where I can build the landscape around the house. Ideally, this tribal house sits on top of a mountain with a running stream just in front of the house and a waterfall at its back...LOL!

Sans! said...

Rosanna, you and W didn't spend enough time there. I don't even recall much of the time we spent here..we were mostly at the dining room or in the kitchen, right? I think I was hardly home and our weekends were crammed with so many activities. What with your modelling assignments and all. You were very busy!

I hope your next trip will be more relaxed. And hopefully M will come as well.

Sans! said...

Thank you Alexandra. I have lived in this house for almost 16 years now and if I have a choice, I will never want to stay anywhere else.

Sans! said...

WOW! Ascensión, entonces hay tres de nosotros que poner la casa en una base de la máquina de coser! ¿Puede usted creer eso? ¿Puedo verlo cuando estoy allí? »)

besitos

Sans! said...

Thank you Josje!!

And will you be at the Arnhem Fair this year? Perhaps (fingers and toes crossed) I can see you there?

Sans! said...

These cushions are from India, Piiko but there are so many similarities with Morocco. It's the Mughal/Moorish influence. Is it any wonder that I love both style? The lamps are from Syria but I do have a Moroccan painted side table that is just at the right of the long bench (with many cushions facing you in the 2nd pic). Not in the picture.

Will love to see Morocco one day.

Sans! said...

Glad you enjoyed the house, Patty :). It's nice to hang out at my living room :). I have so many chairs but my girlfriends and I inevitably ended up sitting on the floor when we gather here..lol. Easier to reach for the food and drinks I guess :). It is also quite an Asian thing :).

Sans! said...

Patricia!! Good to see you, girl! About the fabric, I once read on Kathi's blog that she found very similar mini version in blue ( I also have this in blue- my bedroom daybed) at Walmart!!!! She used it to make mini sofas!

Sans! said...

Thank you Kikka :). We don't experienced winter here, just loads of dust. So often the windows are kept closed too :). The living room is a really cheery place with all the windows open.

Sans! said...

Take the base back from your cousin, Ewa ..heh heh. It does make a very good table and instead of shaking your leg when you work (frowned upon here ) at the table , you can pedal instead :):).

dalesdreams said...

So nice to see your living room again. :)

I think that spot is wonderful for the house. Is it happy there now?

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