When my daughter lived at home she used this desk without the mirror and it was painted a hot pink. Since the mirror frame wasn't used it was still in the original finish. I removed the mirrors and the dresser and mirror frame were painted a soft aqua. The ornate pieces that help to secure the mirrors in place were painted pink. I used a melamine paint which adhered well to the previous finishes. I have since found working with chalk paints to be far superior in both ease and the final result and it is all I use now for furniture and knickknacks.
I love the shape of these mirrors! I decided to use foam core board because of it being rigid as well as performing as a cork board when using pins. It is also thin enough to fit within the grooves. The mirrors were placed on the foam core and the shape traced. Next placed on a hard surface and cut using an X-Acto knife. I love my old chrome table for this purpose!
Next the mirror shapes were placed over the fabric pieces and traced using a chalk pencil. I cut a generous one inch beyond this line. My ribbon and lace hoard was being put to good use ...finally! I experimented with the placement and spacing. Once satisfied the ribbons were pinned in place and I used my sewing machine to forward/back-stitch where the ribbons crisscrossed.
The fabric pieces were sewn to a lining, right sides together, leaving the straight side open, and sewing about 1/8" beyond the tracing line to allow for the thickness of the foam core board. Next, the foam core was slipped inside and the open edge pinned closed and hand-stitched. The buttons were then sewn through all layers of fabric and foam core board.
The reverse side of the mirror pieces are stamped July 6, 1934.
Taking advantage of a photo opportunity with some of my blythe dolls posed in front of the inspiration board. This printed fabric is cute but I'm finding it a bit busy especially in photos. I am now leaning towards a solid pale pink.
