Extruding clay with a Klay Gun: I'm not sure if someone mentioned this already, but my sister mentioned that a polymer clay artist on Carol Duvall recommended the following:
Roll the logs of clay that you want to extrude.
Place a clay log in the Klay gun.
Heat a clay warmer pad.
Place the Klay gun in the warmer pad for 5 minutes.
Remove Klay gun and extrude the clay.

Alix in San Francisco

Play Dough: I couldn't keep from thinking about the beautiful pattern on antique silverware as my mother has collected it for years. I got out my hot glue gun and some craft sticks. I covered the pattern on the silverware that I wanted with hot glue and pushed the craft stick down onto it. I let it cool and pulled it off. Then I got out my play dough, rolled a rope and pushed the mold I had made with the hot glue into the dough. It came out perfect, I got so carried away I now have about a dozen little push molds to use on clay. This trim can be glued onto things and painted and varnished. By the way play dough dried and sealed with a water base varnish makes some adorable small objects. It has to be solid I made some old boots out of it and they were to thin, after a time they split where I had joined pieces. I made some tiny children's toys and after 4 years they are fine.

Wiggins

Easy tool for Klay Guns: You can modify a caulking gun (found in any hardware store) so that the Kemper Klay Gun fits inside. Then, you can use the caulking gun's pressure (many, many times stronger than just using your fingers) to push the polymer clay through. I've done this for several years and it works great. Nan Roche wrote an article in the December 1999 issue of Bead & Button that explains how to modify the caulking gun. (Her version is slightly different from mine, and I think hers is probably better.) The article is clearly written and has pictures, so it would be a lot easier to refer to Nan's article than to decipher anything that I'd try to explain in an email.

If you can't find Bead & Button magazine in your local library, you might go to their website and inquire about getting back issues. It's at http://www.beadandbutton.com/

Leina Johansson

Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls: Carol Spence Sellner makes these and they're good sellers. You can see a picture of them on my web site at http://www.spminiatures.com/sellner.htm

Carol

Bunny Morris Molds: There is a doll supply shop here in the UK who sell Bunny Morris molds:
M.Wanke (UK) Ltd, Dollmaking Supplies and School, 468-470 Old London Road, Hastings, East Sussex TN35 5BG, Tel.01424 444 692. Bunny Morris is "Dollis Galore" 18 Beeston Green, Sandy, Bedfordshire. SG19 1PF Tel 01767 682 981. Both supply the molds and in some cases will send unpainted bisque.

Claire in Morecambe. England

Baby dolls: Read your question about anatomically correct babies. I just bought one from Darlene's Dolls. The one I bought was a boy but she also has little baby girls. These dolls are porcelain and she will give them any color hair you want. You can see them on her web site at: http://Darlenesdolls.com/

Katy in Concord

Dolls from Fimo: There are a lot of sources to get information on making miniature dolls from Fimo, here are some online:

http://www.englandthings.com/carrington/ James Carrington wrote a very nice book on this subject.

http://www.heaser.demon.co.uk/sue/suetemp.htm And so did Sue Heaser.

http://home.ici.net/~sams/happiness/howtos.htm Here you can learn a lot about size and proportion.

http://members.tripod.com/~Astralos/clay-intro.htm

Marjon de Haas

Mohair Wigs: Global Dolls Corporation www.globaldolls.com has a nice range of miniature mohair wigs for mini dolls. The range has suitable styles for both modern and antique dollies. They are currently working on a miniature mohair wig for men dolls.

Global Dolls

Quilts: I have made several quilts 1:12 scale. The easiest way is to use fabric tack cloth glue, cut your pieces and glue them onto the backing, but I did large Granny Squares, not a tiny pattern. That way you don't have to sew that small scale. I didn't pad mine as the scale is so small it wouldn't really be noticeable unless it was a double padded quilt and would stiffen it more than it is. Then I made pillows to match. :)

Pamela

Finer Knitting Needles: http://www.lacis.com/catalog/catalog.html has them (she seems to have everything...): From the knitting section of the online catalog, click on 'knitting' in the index and its only a few listings from the top in the catalog frame.

"KNITTING NEEDLES, DOUBLE POINTED STEEL:
The smaller sizes, these are also referred to as knitting pins. They come in sets of 5-8" nickel plated needles. Blister packed, they are available in sizes:
- - 1.25mm/4-0 0000 the finest (RP20)
- - 1.50mm/3-0 000 (RP19)
- - 1.75mm/2-0 00 (RP18)
- - 2.00mm/0 (RP47)
- - 2.25mm/1 (RP99)
- - 2.50mm/1.5 (PQ01)

Maura Bass