Late 1800's Tiger Maple Dolls Rope Bed

Dixie Redmond's latest group challenge at MAIDA
is "Finish What You Started".  What a great
idea, don't we all have those unfinished projects?
I decided this would be a good time to do
something with the little dolly bed that's been
gathering dust!

It's quite small, 12 1/2 inches long, 10 inches 
wide & the posts are 9 1/4 high.

The hubby re glued all the loose joints &

I used clear Briwax to clean and 

protect the finish.

I used cotton string lightly aged with

walnut dye to re string the ropes.

I also watched a "how to" video

on You Tube.

I stitched a mattress and pillows from 

blue ticking, also lightly aged with walnut

dye & stuffed them with wool roving.

 I tufted it with embroidery thread.

The tie ends are on the bottom side.

Sheets and pillow cases from cream 

colored cotton.

Edged with cotton lace.

This little nine patch quilt always hung
above my mother's sewing machine. I
was just amazed when I realized it
fit this bed perfectly.

I used a vintage piece of  cotton Matelasse 

fabric to make a coverlet.  I edged it with 

purchased 1/4 in. off white bias double

 fold tape.

 I cut it to fit the bed and scalloped

the edges.  This is called cut corners

and used for beds with tall posts.

  Before the invention of the

 jacquard loom, this fabric was 

hand stitched.  Imagine that!

This is the right side.

The wrong side.

Double fold bias tape has one side wider than the

other.  For machine sewing, you tuck the

raw edge in the middle with the widest

side on the back.  Machine sew on the front

& it easily catches the back side.

For hand sewing, open up the tape

 and use the first ironed crease of the

short side as a stitch line.

I clipped the peaks in the scallops

& made a small fold in each.

Turned the tape to the wrong side,

& whip stitched it down.

I'm not sure if this was the proper way

to address the  peaks in the scallops,

 but it looked okay in the end.

I made a couple small pillows from the

cut out corners & found a home for 

this dolls antique overshot coverlet. 

Now, if I could just get the other 

unfinished projects done!

Learn more about French Matelasse and 

American Woven Coverlets below!

Matelasse Fabric- The Dreamstress

Historic American Quilts-WovenCoverlets