Hustling buns now.

Now we are cooking with grease. The inside of all the parts are done and today I got the second of seven coats of varnish on the outside. The wave went on really well this time with just touchups around the edges. I still get a little heavy handed with the sander though, and got two thin spots on the white. I'll probably be the only one that ever notices.

I am doing a few things to speed up and improve the process on this side. I am finishing all three pieces at the same time, taping off the edges so there are virtually no drips, and vacuuming through the sander so there is much less dust and tack-ragging. All the varnish should be done by the weekend.

It has been so cold and wet here, but I got the garage hooked up with a little heater. A good hoodie and some tunes help too.

We are so excited to get to the assembly stage. I am going to start disassembling the trailer and shedding any thing not necessary. Dry fits, bed lining, electrical, spars, bulkheads, cabinetry, windows, skylights... woo hoo!!! It's about to get fun, and my new friend Todd has volunteered with some help. I am going to need it.

Another cross stitch...

... is finished!

This weekend I put the final stitches in my second cross stitch contribution to the teardrop. Check out my progress on the piece in my Flickr set.

What do you think? I think it will go great with the fabric we picked for the curtains and some other kitchen accents.

You've gotta love progress!

A Few Teardrop Holiday Picks

I hope everyone's holiday preparations are in full swing. In case you still need a gift for that special teardrop lover in your life, the following are a few suggestions. Enjoy!

Teardrops and Tiny Trailers by Douglas Keister.

Buckle up as Douglas Keister takes you for a decidedly retro ride in the world of diminutive travel trailers in Teardrops and Tiny Trailers. The demand for vintage trailers-the smaller the better-has risen dramatically in recent years, with the most in-demand trailers being "teardrops," first manufactured in the 1930s and containing just indoor sleeping space and an outdoor exterior kitchen. Also profiled in the book are "canned ham" trailers, whose shape resembles the profile of a can of ham; small-size examples of America's most beloved vintage trailer, the Airstream; miniscule gypsy caravans in Europe; and fiberglass trailers made in Canada. Two hundred color photographs showcase these trailers' sleek exteriors, retro-styled interiors, and, in many cases, the restored classic cars that tow them. Teardrops and Tiny Trailers includes a resource section chock-full of places to locate vintage trailers, clubs to join, and rallies to attend.

River's Edge 10-piece camper light set.

Woody and Teardrop salt and pepper shakers.

Happy Trails wall hooks.

Santa Travel Trailer Camping Christmas ornament.My House Has Wheels calendar from YeeHaw.

And in case you're feeling crafty, you can get this ribbon from J. Caroline Designs ribbon.

Moving On Up

We finally feel like we are making some real progress. The first side and it's trim ring are sealed up in a beautiful candy coating of spar. After several checks and double checks that we were orienting the plywood correctly, I used the trim ring to outline the second side.

Again we cut the outline of both the side and the trim ring at the same time.

And then raise the trim ring and cut out the inner profile.

I leave the line and use a belt sander to even out the curves. We finish this stage by filling any void in the edge of the plywood. I hope to drop the door before Thanksgiving and be prepped and ready to paint next week, which puts us on schedule to have the finish done before Christmas, then it is assembly in the new year!

The Collections Grows...

I am just in love with this picture. Well, it's not so much the picture but the subject matter :) This is the collection for our galley so far. Jeremy had a good collection of enamelware to begin with but we've been on the lookout for a few more select things.

We went thrifting this weekend and found the yellow napkin holder, the mint green mixing bowl, and the Skotch Kooler with the 50 nifty united states. It says "Happy Motoring" on it :)

I would say we're almost finished. We just need a few large plates - dinner size, some small bowls for cereal, two more mugs, and maybe a few Tupperware containers for dry goods. I love the way it's shaping up!

Assateague Island National Seashore

I'm a little late posting these but last weekend we made a trip over to Assateague. Our friend Zach, from the Liberty Bell chapter, was camping for the weekend. Louella and her grandson, from Virginia's Eastern Shore came up for Saturday night too. It was chilly but sunny and we had a great afternoon.

We took Fred the beagle down to the beach. It was windy :)

We went for a walk on the Marsh Trail.

Zach made some hotdogs. Jeremy got one and Fred thought he should too.

We sat and talked shop for a while and then, as the sun was going down and the chill was setting in, we headed for home. This was our parting shot. We love you, Assateague.

Painting the Inside

The last coats of varnish have dried on the trim ring and door. Finally!

Mosquitoes kept landing in the varnish on the door, which was odd because this hadn't happened before. Not one mosquito the entire time we were varnishing our huge first side. Weird. Maybe next time we'll use a fan to blow them out of the way.

This weekend we flipped over our first finished side and began work on the inside of the panel. We set it up on painters pyramids so the finished side doesn't get scratched. Jeremy sanded it out nice and smooth.

When Jeremy originally painted the outside of the panel he taped the unfinished side so when the varnish ran over the edges it wouldn't bleed. The varnish that ran over pooled on the tape so I cut it off with an xacto knife and Jeremy sanded that out too.

Then he stained it white. Everything covered really nicely. You can tell that the trim ring and the side panel are two different colors. Believe it or not the trim ring started out this white color as well. After sanding and many coats of varnish the color dulled into this "sand" color, as I like to call it. The white definitely changed the color of the wood but isn't as striking anymore as when it is first applied.

Jeremy and I both love it. Next is sanding seal and a first coat of varnish! Stay tuned!