Faith in human nature restored.........

I've been making more little wickerwork prams. Although they are undoubtedly frustratingly fiddly at times, there is something about the weaving process which has the ability to tame the savage beast.

It's one of those rare miniature endeavours which is calmingly (though not boringly) repetitive and creative at the same time. When I start each one, I really have no idea of how the finished item will look, except that it will be a baby carriage with four wheels and a handle.

Already my ideas notebook is filling with scribbled sketches and ideas for variations on the theme and I have one on the go at all times.

They are incredibly time consuming to make though, especially in the initial preparation stages. Rather than use board or card for the base, in order to make them as authentic and true to the originals as possible, I have opted to use fine stripwood, which is painstakingly measured (twice!) then cut to size for both length and width. I have a nifty cutting tool for doing this, but it is very difficult to get 100% accuracy, especially when cutting along the grain, when the cut tends to follow line of the grain, necessitating a bit of sanding off.

I then use a template, (designed to perfection by PP from her sickbed) to mark and then drill all the tiny holes around the outside edges of the base for the wickerwork frame of 'spokes'.

Yesterday I was down to my last piece of stripwood so have had to order more, from Borcraft Miniatures, from whom I've been buying stripwood and and wooden mouldings for all of my 25 years as a miniaturist.

I need a specific width and thickness, which is not a standard size, so I emailed to check if it was possible to order it. Within half an hour I had a reply, saying there would be no problem with the non-standard size, and would I like the pram bases cut to length as well!

What wonderful, exemplary service. It has quite restored my flagging faith in human nature.