Hopalong Hollow....

Hopalong Hollow, where the Blueberries grow sweet, and the moss feels soft beneath your feet.

Friday, January 20, 2017

Making Chimney pots

I have always been fascinated with chimney pots, especially those magnificent, elaborate Tudor and Victorian pots with swirling brick patterns and ornate design reaching up past the rooftops, and chimney stack and into the sky. When you look at some of them, you have to wonder at the fact that the artisans put so much incredible beauty into an item whose details can scarcely be seen from the ground!
 Just look at some of these amazing chimney pots
  Why were these purveyors of SMOKE  created in such an elaborate and artistically whimsical manner, by craftsmen of real talent. To understand that, you must understand the history of the fireplace and chimney.

  I'll make it brief:
   Initially, homes heated with wood had no chimney, the smoke just traveled around the room making life rather miserable and causing everyone's eyes to water, hence the invention of the chimney to carry out the smoke.
 If you were well off, and had the means to make a chimney,  you wanted everyone to know about it, and you topped off the chimney with the decorative pot, which was something of a status symbol.  The more ornate and intricate the design, the more prestigious.  Of course, the pots also helped increase the draft up a chimney and carry away stray sparks from your roofing materials.
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Aren't these just gorgeous?!
Throughout the Tudor, Gothic and Victorian ages, Chimney pots were the final statement and flourish at the top of your roof.
  A Writer in 1842 wrote of Chimney pots "..being the highest point of the chimney, they should meet the eye agreeingly"
 ( all my chimney pot images are courtesy of Pinterest)
Though often thought of as purely English, Chimney pots were used throughout the world.
I want a chimney pot or two on Trimble Manor
Mine will be rather more of a humble affair, and I have to figure out how on earth to make one.
First I made my chimney using the same stone facing that I used around my front door.




 I found no useful tutorials on this project so I had to use my imagination.... starting with these items:  Empty toilet paper roll, paper clay, my little bricks, wooden egg holders and buttons
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   I decreased the size of the tube to suit
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And experimented with different brick patterns. I can't tell you how many times I removed these little bricks and started over again.
I glued together the wooden discs, egg cup holders and buttons for the tops and bottoms of the pot and painted, trying to come close to the color of clay.


I've got more work to do on these, but at this point, I think these chimney pots will definitely "meet the eye agreeingly"



   Here is a peek of the thatched roofing I've been working on... We really needed those tall chimney pots!

 
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My old kitty, Shasha, loves sitting in the attic of this house
  

25 comments:

  1. I think you nailed it, Jeri! Your chimney pots look very authentic. Very interesting lesson, too.

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  2. Your chimney pots are a piece of art, Jeri.. Beautiful work.
    And the photos of the chimney pots are absolutely gorgeous! I would have loved to have watched them being built back then.

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    1. Penny, I was going to simplify the pots,but I had a lot of extra brick, so I went the decorative route.

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  3. These are so neat! The photos were great of real chimney pots. Great inspiration for your creations.

    Your sweet kitty in the attic is great!

    Have a lovely weekend ~ FlowerLady

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    1. Lorraine,I have an entire folder full of chimney pot pics, because they are so beautiful and sometimes very humorous.

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  4. OH MY WORD...you have taken it all even further...you know, me too, I've always been intrigued by these pots and since we have so many tudor homes here and cottages, we see them all the time. You have again captured the reality into miniature and Jeri, if not for your suggestions, I wouldn't be enjoying my little paper castle as much. When I look at the "stone" I made from egg carton as you suggested, I just giggle in delight.

    THIS HOUSE OF YOURS ROCKS!!!!!!

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  5. Love those pots. I had never seen them before I went to Europe, but don't remember ones that fancy. I do remember in Paris they were much more plain than those in England.

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    1. Donna, I can certainly imagine the chimney pots in Paris. I would love to put one on my old house. There are companies that make them still and one day, if I ever get our chimney re-pointed, we will add a pot.

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  6. Wow Jeri - what a great post. Certainly learned much here regarding the chimney pots. Isn't it odd how we take certain things for granted and don't even question how they came to be? By the way yours are wonderful and they will be a real fine embellishment to your beautiful home! Your Shasha makes me smile. Have a delightful weekend. Hugs!

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    1. True that, Debbie. The origins of house parts can be very interesting...

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  7. Wonderful Post! Your chimney pots look great.
    There are so many tubes to chose from as a base, the toilet paper rolls bring out the larger scale of the house.

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    1. May, the toilet paper rolls were decreased a bit in size, but they are still rather large chimney pots. The dollhouse size is a standard 1' to 1"

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  8. Just darling, Jeri! I don't know if a mouse will be able to live in the Manor with the Giant Kitty in residence! I love the thatching and the chimney pots are just beautiful. ♥

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  9. Martha, oh that kitty must go! She has been given her eviction notice.

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  10. Beautiful!!!!!!!!! You might consider including a witch's seat…I saw them in the Channel Islands and the folklore is just charming. This is my first time to visit your fascinating blog. I'm very impressed with your talents and ideas...

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    1. Hi Nancy, I've never heard of a witches seat, I will look it up as I love history so much. Thank you for coming over!

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    2. Nancy, I just researched the witches seat online,wow! I could absolutely add one on this chimney. So interesting.

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  11. Jeri, every step you take is making this house better and better! The chimney pots are very clever...anything that involves decorative brick laying gets my artistic approval. xo

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    1. Frances, I enjoy laying bricks,especially when they are so easy to handle. I imagine in your travels to England you've seen many interesting Chimney Pots. I believe the photo with the 6 pots on the chimney above, is from Hampton Court.

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  12. I have never paid much attention to chimney pots, being as they have never been where i have been. They truly are amazing! Thank you for telling us about them. Yours are charming as can be. i am loving you sharing the stages of your creation with us.

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  13. I think you've done a beautiful job with these-and I'm sure that someone wanting to find out how to make miniature pots will come to your blog. I know how much fun it is to figure things out for yourself-it seems to open new avenues of imagination-and I love it that you are sharing all this with the world.

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