Animated Knitting Techniques: http://www.dnt-inc.com/ I came across the above site while looking for sock knitting patterns for my Sasha doll. I wasn't especially successful with that search. In my search a link to a link to another link got me to this site and it provides animated knitting techniques and I remember that someone on the list needed some guidance for a yon (yarn over needle) and with most knitting techniques, it's so much easier when you see it done. Anyhow, this site has a number of knitting techniques, all animated, which I think is really cool!

Joy in Pointe Claire

Siding Ends: After my last post about using round doweling to fill the gap in clapboard siding at corners, thought about it a bit and will try top be brief on another alternative to mitre joints. Lay siding on one wall (#1) with a very slight overlap. Use a sanding block on the adjacent wall (#2) to bring siding ends down to being perfectly flush with that adjacent (#2) face.

Lay siding on #2 wall with slight overlap at both ends. Use a sanding block again but with no abrasive on top edge and sand the end where #2 sidling overlaps #1 using #1 siding face as your guide. You may prefer to CAREFULLY carve excess at first and then just finish sand. A bit of scrap paper or shim stock along the #1 face siding butted up to the end overlap should help avoid grinding the face until you are down to the last couple 1,000ths of an inch.

Use wall # 3 as guide to flush sand the opposite end of #2 wall siding, etc., etc., etc., until all the way around. When siding all in place, take and blow loose dust and brush liberally with sanding sealer being sure to fill any tiny cracks. The nonabrasive top edge of sanding block mentioned above is to prevent distorting shape of the lip.

Also relatively simple would be the use of corner boards (vertical trim) up the corners so clapboard, shingles, etc., butt squarely up between such trim. Use above system to overlap corner board trim laying and shaping one wall then the other.

Mel K.

Tiny Floor Tiles: I used the Laguna brand terra cotta air dry clay for the floor tiles in my SW mission tile house. It worked out great and has just enough unevenness to look very realistic. I also made some garden pavers with this clay, the adobe mission tiles on the mission tile house, and I am now using that clay to fill my flower pots before adding the topsoil. It dries overnight and looks good.

Bonnie Gibson

Potato Chip/Tote Bags: A request was made for how to make bags to hold single servings of pepper seed potato chips. So, here's how I make small bags. (And like practically everything I know, I probably learned this from Joann Swanson.)
- - Look through your wood collection and find or cut a longish strip that is the width you want your bag to be.
- - Wrap a piece of Saran or other cling wrap lengthwise around the wood, glue seam.
- - Let dry and cut off excess at seam.
- - Then slide the wrap down slightly until a bit sticks off the end of the wood.
- - Run a tiny line of glue inside and clamp the end seam with a hair clip or other clip until dry.
- - Slide more of the wrap down until you have enough of the bag to fill, with a bit more for the top seam, and cut, leaving the rest of the wrap still on your form.
- - Fill the bag with your chips or whatever and then glue and clamp seam at top.
- - Excess on seams can be trimmed away when glue has dried.
- - Continue sliding off wrap to make more bags.

If you want identical sizes, hold your form over a piece of graph paper or a ruler as you push off your bags. This works for all different size bags, depending on the wood piece you choose, for cloth and paper as well as the cling wrap. I've made everything from chicken feed bags to Halloween treat bags to potpourri bags, etc. piece of plain white typing paper will make almost any kind of bag you want if you glue on cut out labels from ads. Of course if you want colored bag, any sheet of colored paper will do. When you use paper, this process works for open sacks, as for luminaries. Just fold in seam at bottom and glue. If you want to make totebags, cut off to desired height and glue on handles. Those scissors that cut decorative edges may be used for interesting effects. To make a candy garland, use a skinnier form and instead of gluing ends
just tie off with thread, insert a colored bead or piece of Fimo candy, then tie again, continuing until you have the length of garland you want. I made a gingerbread man garland once to match a real one that stretched over our doorway, using Fimo gingerbread men made with a star cookie cutter, pinching points to form bodies. For popcorn balls, tie twice, then cut off between ties.

With the wood form you have control and regularity of size that's hard to get otherwise. I saved the forms I used for each type of bag, labeling them: popcorn ball/ Halloween treats; fertilizer/plant food; flour/sugar/potato chips, etc. Particularly good when you want to stock a store or make lots of (full-size) tote bag or table gifts.

Wanna in El Paso

Mini of the month club: I was getting kits from House of Miniatures until a couple of months ago, when I unsubscribed because I figured I had enough! Can't lay my hands on an invoice, but the address on the boxes is The House of Miniatures, 3890 Oakcliff Industrial Court, Atlanta, GA 30340. The tel.# they give is 1-800-679-9090, but I've never been able to get an answer from it, or their non-toll-free number. They used to advertise in the mini magazines, but I haven't seen one for a couple of months. They also do/did a 'club' for 1/144 houses which I was thinking of trying.

Kay in Ottawa, Canada

Southern Plantations: Living in the south has shown me that most plantation houses were indeed white (sometimes white brick and sometime red brick)but usually white. I have never seen marble columns on any of the old houses here. Here are a couple links to some famous Southern Plantations that might help. http://www.igma.org/2/sub_education_school2002.html
http://www.destrehanplantation.org

Dale

Books on Victorian Era: I have collected several books on the Victorian era. The ones worth mentioning are:

Victorian Splendor by Allison Kyle Leopold: Excellent photos of interiors, fairly good description as to how Victorians lived. Focused on Victorian revival, recreating this style in modern interiors.

Painted Ladies Revisited by Elizabeth Pomada & Michael Larsen: Excellent photos of exteriors, helpful to distinguish Edwardian, Eastlake, Queen Anne, etc. styles.

Hints on Household Taste by Charles Eastlake: A few sketches only. Helpful to understand the Eastlake movement (however furniture manufacturers did not interpret his ideas correctly, so I have read). I actually wanted this book to scan the cover, scale it down it Photoshop and make a mini book of it to put it in the dollhouse. Unfortunately, the cover is not the original design!

Kathy from Tustin

Street Gas Lamps: we make a couple of street gas lamps - one that is a wall fitting, the other is the traditional standard street light - but as we make them our selves we can make them to any height required - you only have to ask - not extra charge for special heights! Check out our web site - http://www.grandadsplayroom.com

David & Joyce Betts

Turntables: Consider the larger turntables by Rubbermaid, sold in better household supply stores such as Linens & Things or Bed, Bath & Beyond. They are built to hold weight. I've also used the turntables sold in hardware stores in the kitchen cabinet section. I cut the lip (if there is one) off the turntable with a hot knife. I usually use Contact cement to attach it to a wood platform. This platform is the base, topped with Velcro for my miniature set. The miniature set has Velcro on the bottom.

Becky

Dying Leather: Ladies' kid gloves are the thinnest leather I know of, although there's sure to be a SSer with more knowledge in this area than me. I do know that leather dyes are available through Tandy and many of the larger craft suppliers. I plan on using old kid gloves for the upholstery on my mini-furniture--damaged (i.e., fingers worn, torn seams) ones are cheaper at the antique stores than wearable ones.

Molly