Susan J. Farnik  The Olde Mill Quilt Shop
A Rustic Craft Oasis in Miniature

by Pam North

A retired interior designer, Susan J. Farnik still practices her previous profession, except now it’s in the tiny realm of decorated miniature room boxes. 
Farnik became interested in miniatures in the early 1980s, when she made a little bear house for her daughter. She bought plans for the house, and her husband built the shell. After that, she started taking classes at a local miniature shop, joined a miniature club, and became a NAME member. 
Her family members support her interest. “My husband is my biggest fan and supporter,” said Farnik. “My children like what I’ve made, but they think I’m a little obsessed. They would be correct! I’ve always loved the idea of creating my own scenes, and I’m compelled to make my creations so lifelike that it would be difficult to tell they are miniatures if viewed in a photograph. Once I started doing room boxes, I never looked back. I still have my first box that I made in the mid-1980s, and I still love it. I mostly work in 1:12 scale, but I also do 1:48 scale, and I have done 1:24  scale projects. I have so many ideas for future creations that I will have to live forever to finish them! At Guild School I have been taking woodworking classes, and I hope to start making furniture on my own.” She has no formal training in the miniature field, and counts her camera as her most valuable tool. “As I’m working, I take pictures to make sure everything actually looks the way I envisioned it. I am passionate about creating beautiful realistic scenes. While I admire grungy and shabby, you won’t see it in my projects; I like things perfect.” She cites her biggest difficulty involved with working in miniatures as, “finding the time to make everything I’ve imagined.” 
Combining home life with  miniatures is easier now that Farnik is retired, and she has embraced her hobby with passion. “Miniatures are my life!” she exclaimed.
Her inspiration sometimes comes from a photo, from which she will design something similar, but mostly it just comes from within via her own muse. She doesn’t create with a goal to sell: “I can’t bear to part with anything!” She is fortunate to have her own workspace in her attic. “It’s a beautiful space for me to create, and to dream in; it also has a large walk-in closet, and another room for all my power tools.”
Her featured project, The Olde Mill Quilt Shop, originated In November 2015 when a group of about 100 miniaturists gathered at Unicoi State Park, in Helen, GA to work on a 1:48 scale project called The Mill. Farnik explained, “A committee of about 20 people worked to put this project together for the group. The Mill was designed by Janet Chase and her committee, and a fun weekend was planned for everyone with gifts, food, an exhibit area, a sales opportunity, and discussion roundtables. Each person received a basic mill kit and a landscaping kit. The committee members taught the group how to assemble the mill, and then everyone had the choice of how they wished to finish out the project. I wanted my mill to be a quilt shop, so I called it The Olde Mill Quilt Shop. I made the first floor the shop, and the second floor living quarters. I used kits from the Betterley’s Quarter Source, Young at Heart, and kits from the committee, plus my own designs, to create the interiors.”
The landscape base was altered to include a full mill pond. She added 2” all around to make the finished size 13” x 13”, and determined that autumn would be the season. Trees and some landscaping material came from Scenic Express, an on-line business. “The most challenging part was the rock wall surrounding the piece,” Farnik elaborated. “The base is made of 2” pink builders’ foam to accommodate the mill wheel and basement. After watching countless YouTube videos on making rocks, I attacked the form with a steak knife and sandpaper, hacking away until I got the look I wanted. The base was painted black, to which I then added washes of color to get the rock effect. I also used Scenic water and water effects to make the mill pond. The ducks, swans, and egret are from Barbara Myers. I bought a rustic barnwood frame from a craft store, and altered it to make the base for the project. Finally, I had a custom acrylic case made to cover it. It was a very fun project. I’ve seen several other mills that people have finished, and each one is very different. Janet Chase chose winter for her season, made a Christmas shop in the mill, and even has penguins sledding down the hill.”
When asked what she loves most about miniatures, Farnik replied, “The ability to create perfect little worlds that fit on a shelf.” She is optimistic about the future of miniatures. “I think there always will be people who want to do miniatures, so I think the hobby will continue.”
As for what’s next for her and her creations Farnik didn’t hesitate. “My next project is a one-room structure, an upscale Garden Room. I’m stitching a petit point rug, and I’m designing the room to showcase it. It’s very different, and I’m hoping it will be my finest project to date!”

 Contact Information:
Email: sjfarnik@gmail.com
Phone:864-895-6218
Address: 113 Long Pond Ct., Greer, SC 29651