Making Mini Clothing: Instead of Fray check or tacky glue to secure the edges, try Aileen's OK TO WASH IT. It has a thin consistency but will not spread. Also, Try tracing your pattern pieces onto the fabric. Then put the glue just inside the line and then cut out the pattern pieces after it has dried. Ends all fraying. Someone else may have an even better solution for you, but that works for me.

Tracey Meeker

Making Mini Clothing: Try using Sobo glue. It won't run all over like Fray glues, and it is softer than Tacky. Takes longer to dry than Tacky, but not much, and it is worth it.

Carol in MN

Making Mini Clothing: I've been dressing miniature dolls for 27 yrs now, and most of my work is hand sewn. (I do stitch underwear and petticoats by machine) But otherwise, you use a fine needle and make very tiny stitches. I almost never use Fray Check or treat seam edges because I never take the clothes off my dolls, once they're on. So the seams don't get any pull causing the fabric to ravel. If I'm using a very fragile fabric, I iron a lightweight backing to it, to strengthen it, before cutting out pattern pieces.

Paulette in IN

Making Mini Clothing: I have found that the only way to make very tiny clothes is to use a lot more fabric than you need. Meaning, as you outline a pattern on the material, do not cut the pattern out along the pattern lines. Outline the pattern piece with tracing paper, so that you not only have the darts, seams and matching up points of the pattern marked on the fabric, but the complete outline of the pattern piece is outlined. Then when you cut out the pattern, you will leave a large seam allowance beyond the normal pattern outline. At least several inches; enough so when you use the sewing machine on it, that the fabric doesn't jam up or get pushed into the sewing plate machinery. With the tiny seam allowance on these patterns and considering the size of the pieces that are being worked on, it is just not enough fabric for a sewing machine to sew on and they get totally messed up. Its the same when you try to hand sew it, use larger seam allowance. Once you have sewn the pattern together as much as you can with the oversize seams, you can then cut the seams back as much as you need and then if required you can put a defrayer on the seams. You may want to keep a larger than 1/4" seam, if the outfit can tolerate the extra fabric. But you might want to put the defrayer on with a toothpick, or something very tiny, so the defrayer doesn't get all over the fabric.

LadiThrills

Knitting patterns:
Joy Parker of Swallowhill Dolls has a wonderful collection of patterns in every possible range you could imagine:

non given

1/4" Sculpting: I have been trying my hand at sculpting in 1/4" scale. I found a different sculpting medium for the smaller scales. The commercial name is Kneadatite. It's a blue and yellow ribbon epoxy. You take the two separate halves and mix them together until the mixture turns dark green. The texture is very similar to chewed chewing gum, yuk! The mix has about a three hour working time. It is easily added to and sticks well to itself. I have never had any adverse reaction from the epoxy, although I wash my hands after each use. I like it much better than Sculpey, etc. because I have hot hands. I'll try and post some pics of my leprechauns sometime soon. I've been sculpting a bunch of goblin heads from the movie, Labyrinth, for a doll maker. I'll post some pics of them as well.

Shaun

1/4 scale dolls: I have not attempted something this small, but here's my suggestions:
1) Try a different medium - I don't know which is which, but I know that Fimo, Sculpey, Sculpey III, paperclay, etc. each have a different consistency and pliability. Maybe one that is less pliable would work better.
2) Make the body out of wire, not sculpting medium. This way you're not continuing to handle the head once it's formed. Take a piece of wire and hold it vertically; from the top (neck) come down as far as the torso length will be and bend the wire slightly at that point - then go down as far as the leg will be (including foot length), and fold the wire back on itself. Bring the wire back up to the top of the leg and bend it back down again for the second leg, then back up on itself again. Twist it once around the hip area, then run it up to the shoulder area - leave enough at the top for the neck, including enough length to insert into the head. At the shoulder point, bend the wire out sideways and run it the length of an arm and hand, then back on itself to the shoulder, loop it once to anchor, and then across for the other arm. Back to the shoulder and loop it once to anchor and cut off remainder. Then crimp the leg and arm ends to form hands and feet. Form your head and stick it on top, then air-dry or bake upright. You can even add sculpting medium over the wire for hands and feet. I think this would be much easier and require minimum handling of the head.
3) Paint, don't sculpt, the head and facial features.
4) Make the head out of a bead or something rigid that can be painted.

Graceanne

Ceiling idea: Working away diligently on the cigar shop. Wanted it to have a Victorian look. For the ceiling, I took a large paper doily and affixed it to poster board with rubber contact cement. When dry and zapped with several coats of white spray paint it looks really cool. Looks like one of those pressed tin type ceilings and the scale is just right.

Linda in Leroy, OH

Finishing Order: I do ceilings, floor, then walls.   But it's pretty much up to you.  You can also make windows by just putting stripwood trim on the outside and inside(after inside walls are finished) and sandwich Plexiglas in between.   I still think real windows are the best and you could maybe buy them one at a time.  But the other way will work.

Fannye in TX

Slate Roof:  you can make pretty convincing "slate" tiles just by using Formica. The reverse side is slate color.   So, just cut it up into little rectangles and Bingo!

Rosemary in Cleveland