What kind of fabrics work best - my area is dressing dolls, so here's my 2 cents' worth: I like silk the best because the weave is very fine and the closest you can get to scale. There are all kinds of silk fabrics from the sheerest scarf silk to taffeta and velvets and broadcloth. Some polyesters look very much like real silk and will work, but they don't glue as well (if you're using glue on a project) And very fine cottons also work well. You've found a great source in Etcetera, Etc. - they have gorgeous stuff to work with.

Paulette in IN

Preventing edges from raveling when sewing miniature doll clothing - I only have trouble with certain fabrics - actually, real fine silk is woven very tightly, requiring very sharp tiny needles to stitch through it -so it doesn't ravel badly. Still, you can run a thin line of glue along the edge with a needle. If you have a really limp fabric, you can iron on a light weight backing that will keep it from raveling. When I stitch hems that might ravel, I stitch a narrow piece of lace over the inside hem at the same time, with the top edge of lace sticking up above the raw hem edge. That way it's covered and not likely to ravel.

Paulette Stinson

Sewing tip: Now here's a tip you may find helps relieve eye strain. When sewing a light coloured fabric, put a piece of dark fabric on your lap as background.& when sewing dark fabric have light fabric on your lap. It is less tiring on the eyes.

May in KENT

Fabric: I've been making soft furnishings out of quilting fabrics. These come in all kinds of tiny prints, and you can buy "fat eighths" - 1 yard cut into eight equal pieces, so about 12" x 9" - for a couple of bucks. This stuff has lots of sizing to make it easy for patchwork, but mostly comes out quite soft if you put it through the washer a couple of times. Mostly 100% cotton, and usually preshrunk.

Was in my local needlework store yesterday and found a newish ribbon for stitching with. It's called Neon, and comes on a card in many brilliant colours. It's 2 mm wide, 100% polyester, and costs about $4 a card - forget how much on a card, but lots for mini stuff. (Bear in mind these are all Canadian prices, so US will be cheaper.) Great for mini bows. I'm also going to try a woven quilt with this.

I've also been knitting using crewel wool, and silk embroidery thread. The silk is hard to work with, but the end results are beautiful, soft and "drapey", and comes in lovely colours.

Kay in Ottawa, Canada

Rugs: I've found punch needle rugs to be the best. You can make them in any design you want, they look very much like hand-hooked rugs, and they're easy to do. (The last factor being most important to a klutz like me!) There are at least 3 different brands of punch needle. Having tried all three, I prefer the one that has a plastic handle with a mechanism that allows you to lengthen or shorten the loops as you desire.

Rosemary in Cleveland

punch needles: Have seen a couple of posts regarding punch needles, so here's some info.

It used to be difficult to find them small enough for mini purposes, but several years ago (when I had my needlepoint shoppe) there became available "Clarke's Oh So Easy" punch needles. They are distributed by a specialty thread supplier and thus you will most likely find them in needlepoint, etc stores. We used them on needlepoint canvas but I expect an small gauge evenweave fabric would do. They come in several sizes, color coded as to size. The ones of interest are Gold, for use on #18 mesh canvas, and Pink to use with #24 mesh and smaller.

I sandbagged several into my closet when I retired and I just looked at the packages. Some of them come with good instructions from the manufacturer, some of them with sketchy info from the distributor. Because of that, I also have an instruction sheet the I wrote up myself for my customers and will certainly send a copy if anyone needs it.

You can use these to make nice little rugs, either from a chart or a painted design (but a simple design, complex is pretty difficult with punch needle); it can have a looped surface or you can cut and sculpt the loops for a velvety finish.

Ginger in PA

Extra Transformer: You can use 2 transformers on one tape wiring system and you can either splice or use a "bridging cord". I have 3 transformers on my large house but I used separate wiring systems for each.

Carol

Extra Transformer: My DH wired my dh. He ran three lots of wires so that at a switch only the fireplaces flickered. Another switch turned every light on in the dh, and the third switch turned on the lights as if the occupants were away - porch lights, hall lights, dimmed lights in the bedrooms etc. I purchased a transformer that would take up to 30 lights which I thought was huge and would 'do the trick' - Wrong:) When DH discarded it out as too small for the job, I suggested simply adding another transformer to one of the switches but he reckoned it was not worth the risk. So instead we brought a much larger transformer which works beautifully:) My advice is to be very careful in simply adding additional transformers to one outlet, DH reckons it is not worth the risk of the small one overheating.

Kim from Oz

Extra Transformer: Sandra asked if you could use two transformers on a dollhouse without splitting the circuit into 2 circuits. The answer is yes, BUT you must know what you are doing. The two transformers are wired in parallel, and they MUST be phased. If you do not know what it means to wire in parallel or how to phase 2 transformers, don't do it. You can destroy the transformers very easily if they are not in phase, and then they would be "fighting" against each other.

Barb Jones

Extra Transformer: If you are using Tape wire, the 40watt output transformer is the largest size you should use. Vern Skaar (owner of Cir-Kit) told me that the tape wire is not designed to carry more current that this provides. Having said that, you can double the capability by using an unusual wiring technique. I won't post it here, 'cause I don't want you getting into trouble. If you really think you need to do this, and know something about wiring, contact me and I will explain it to you. Because the transformers aren't matched, it is best to NOT use more than one transformer on a circuit.

Tom Berkner