Whale Tail Tiny House Underway

Well, I started a new one. We just have so much time on our hands here at Imperial Dam LTVA. We’re reluctant to go into Mexico as planned because of the virus, but there’s nowhere to go with warmer weather, and we’ve already paid for this spot and are safe and comfortable here. Just twiddling our thumbs. Hence, this new tiny house, for which this base is a small part.

I’d not even considered buying this kit previously because it has a few ridiculous items (I won’t get to the whale’s tail for a long while, I hope, nor the piano at the roof peak on the fourth floor). But I bought it out of desperation for a large house to take a long time to work on, and now that I’ve started it, I’m really digging the details.

All the walls are glass (actually plastic); I believe it’s supposed to be a beach house in Valencia, Spain. Note the tile pattern on the kitchen floor, which I love.

The stovetop has red burners under both pots, and that’s a frying egg in the pan. Apparently people in Spain cook with lots of oils, wines, vinegars, and liquor, too. It’s hard to get a shot of that liquor cabinet because it’s behind clear plastic, but I had fun making those bottles (not as much getting the spouts to stick up straight).

I’ve redeemed myself from my very first attempt at a chef’s knife; this one came out pretty well. The handle is wrapped in brown paper to look like leather. And check out those leeks! (Thanks Jess, duh, they’re not spring onions.) And we’re all set for deep frying with those spatulas.

Oh how excited I was to start that espresso machine because it’s exactly like the one Tracy had at his house. I’ll tell you how I screwed it up, though, if you’ll tell me you wouldn’t have noticed had I not pointed it out.

I misinterpreted the directions and glued the whole sheet of shiny foil onto the template paper, then cut out the shape of the espresso machine, template and all, then tried to fold it around the pieces of wood that form the inside. It just wouldn’t fold crisply. GRRR. Then I realized I was supposed to have traced the template onto the foil, not glued it, so I was trying to fold double-thick paper instead of thin foil. So it’s not nearly as neat as it should be. You wouldn’t have known though if I hadn’t pointed it out, right?

I made this basket by coiling soft twine in a rising spiral; I’d be frustrated that the veggies hide it if that corn weren’t so cute.

There are lots of structural details I’m interested in, as well. I’ve never made curtains before, and these turned out okay. Plus, why would a strip of lace serve as the kitchen molding? Or is that supposed to be a short fence? Wait until the whale tail comes out, and maybe that will make sense. If not, there ya go.