Dollshouse - The Kitchen Scullery

Hello everyone.

First of all, thank you all for your continued support and good wishes as we have been battling colds. I am a lot better, although I still get tired easily. D is also improving now and looking forward to her half-term break.

Not much has been happening this past week, with the weather wet and unpredictable. Therefore, I thought it was time to return to my dollshouse for another peek into this tiny world.

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We have reached the final room in the basement, the kitchen scullery, a place just as busy as all the other places we have visited. 

At the back of the room is the brick-built copper, which supplied hot water for a variety of uses in the house. 

Nearby, a maid is busy trying to reduce the mountain of clothes to be ironed. Hanging from the ceiling above are other linens drying and airing. It has been a busy day for the maid, with other items still waiting to be washed in the laundry sink and then put through the mangle to squeeze out excess water. 

In the doorway, Madeline has a tray of dishes for Jane, the scullery maid, to wash up. She is eager to speak with both women, as she has some gossip to share. 

Meanwhile, Jane is up to her elbows in washing up and is wondering how Mrs Wilson can conjure up so many dirty pots and pans! Once that job is done, she will probably be needed to help peel vegetables for the meals being prepared. 

Life is never quiet in this understairs world, but fortunately it is a friendly place to be.

After seeing all the work below stairs, next time we will be visiting a much quieter place, right at the top of the house, where the maids sleep for a few hours each night, and the housekeeper has her rooms.

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Putting the room together

This was actually the first room that was decorated in the house. There were so many things that I wanted to include, and my enthusiasm was running high. 

In the back-left corner, I have put the old copper and added a pan to take out hot water. On the other side of the room, I have added the door to nowhere. It gives the illusion of another room or space beyond, especially with the dog lead hanging on the door.

I plan to set up several activities in this room, starting with laundry. I fitted a Sheila Maid to the ceiling and draped some fabric over to represent drying washing. A Sheila Maid was a ceiling-hung clothes airer that used a pulley-and-rope system to raise and lower laundry.

The ironing board has a small apron that the maid is ironing.

I also had to include the mangle because it reminded me of the one my grandma used in her cottage.

At the front of the scene is the scullery maid with the mountain of washing up. I carefully glued pieces onto the drainer and filled the sink with even more crockery. Jane is one of the few dolls so far that I have dressed myself rather than being pre-dressed. It was a challenge, but it was worth it. 

To finish off, I added a table with folded linen, jugs, baskets, and wall units, which I also filled with appropriate items. 

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Returning now to the real world:

I hope that you are all well, and if you live in an area that has been stormy over the last few days, I pray that you and your loved ones are safe.

Have a good week, everyone.