A quick trip to the Ulster folk museum.

I'm still around!!! Haven't made anything to show..Nothing....I was at the Ulster Folk and Transport museum a good few months ago, for inspiration and daydreaming, nothing much changes there as it is stuck in the 1900s. Anyway, I thought I would share my bad quality pictures from that day. They have a facebook page if anybody is interested, and flickr is teeming with much better photographs than mine, plenty of inspiration available for those doing an Irish/Victorian/Edwardian era miniature project.

And in, absolutely no order...

The Rectory, 1717. My favourite house at Cultra!

Cobbler's shelves.

A life size version of Colin Birds chair!  I love the little basket table.

Interior of an old wardrobe, note no rails. My mum had a wardrobe like this when she was a child....due to her parents frugality and not her age!

An unusual children's toy.  They used to have a dollshouse in this room, but it wasn't there that day, it's probably in hiding, don't blame it either!

Nobody can resist pushing the pram...look at that floor.

Over the sink shelf rack inspiration...dreadful photo quality...

...it has rustic charm. Looks fairly easy to replicate in miniature eh?!

A Victorian drapery shop.

...it wouldn't fit me either.

Irish Crochet Lace collars, Made in Ireland

I thought this was interesting, it's a display case showcasing small bolts of Irish textiles and linen threads. Unfortunately I don't know anything more about it, but wouldn't one of those be a nice addition to a miniature drapery shop! I have a 1:12 scale embroidery silks tutorial here, if anybody fancies making something similar.

The basket workshop. All of the baskets are made by local man, Bob Johnston. You can see more of his work here, don't miss his Willow Sculptures!

Pig "Mummers" mask by Bob Johnston.  Sorry about my hand being in the way!

Coshkib Hill farm. This farm house actually started out as a single storey thatched dwelling in 1850, and as time passed the owners made many changes to it, adding bits on, taking bits away...sounds familiar doesn't it?:D

Just in case you ever have a "window placement" space problem, this house says it's ok to squeeze one in any way that you can...

Deep window sills.....alas a rarity in miniature.

Drumnahunshin farm circa 1830, another building that started life as a single storey build, reading their bios sounds rather like some posts I've read..."raised to two stories, the kitchen was subdivided to create a separate dining room and the original ground floor bedroom became a parlour...." You all know who you are! I won't name names :D

At the back of the drapery shop, a lady (Dianne Shaw) wearing period costume weaves tweed cloth using a loom dating from 1901.  As far as I am aware it is possible to buy some too.

A typically dreary Irish backyard...a trip to a B&Q garden centre wouldn't go amiss...Great brickwork though. My mum had a mangle like that too...

Tea lane. With a lovely old sweet shop on the corner (that you can actually buy sweets from, new ones you'll be glad to hear..I hope so anyway)

Edwardian Irish Crochet lace bolero jacket...I covet thee!

Victorian/Edwardian needlework. Look at those little dolly clothes! 

Hopefully there will have been something of interest in there for anyone reading.

I want to get a tutorial up for soldering wire baskets next, and I have to put that in stone here, so I actually do it..and soon! :D