Cheaper dolls: if you are looking for cheaper dolls, try http://www.Bodo-Hennig.com I have a family of rubber dolls, with very nice detailing. Doesn't look cheap at all. Go to the website, click on Spielsachen fur kids, then click on Puppenstubenpuppen. You can see the rubber dolls on the second Photograph from the top. They don't show the kids, but they are also very cute.

For some-one with kids, click on Interaktive Spielseite. It has a picture of a dh, with furniture next to it. You drag the furniture with your mouse, and put it in the dh. The kids love it!

If you want the name of a distributor in the States, e-mail them at info@bodo-hennig.com . The site is in German, but I sent them an English e-mail, and they gave me the distributor in my country. I love my dollies, but unfortunately my little boy was stolen from a little Christmas scene I made last year. We had guests with kids, and afterwards the little boy was gone. My (fullscale!!) son was devastated, because the lost doll was his replica in my dh. My kids both have doubles in my dh, with their own bedrooms. We have a new adopted porcelain doll though, sent to me by Micki in Scotland. Apparently Bella was a problem child at her previous home, but she calmed down nicely. She only tried to sneak out once so far. She is now sharing a room with my mini daughter, but I still have to find a replacement for my mini son.

Betsie, South Africa

Hair Spray: I think by not spraying the curtains until they are already in the pleated position solves the fabric sticking to itself. I just sprayed with a couple of coats of hair spray and once the hair spray is dry, the fabric is not sticky at all.

Fay in St. Louis

Stiffener: I have used plain old Elmer's school glue, dries clear and is available practically everywhere and anytime (I have seen it at 24-hour gas stations). Last year I made a number of mini angels (not quite 1:1. just small in comparison to a regular one, only about 3 inches tall) for Christmas presents. It seemed to work out nicely, if not messy. All I did was work some glue into the fabric and squeeze out the excess and let dry. The angels were a big hit, in fact my mom had a mini angel sweatshop going on at one point (both of us making them, me stiffening and decorating them) because she liked them so much. Must have made a tree full of angels over the holidays! Once fabric has been stiffened, though, it will crack and break, so it can't be handled roughly.

Kim From Canada

4" mini Barbie dolls: There's no way anyone can get all the info. you need in one letter, but here are some basic ideas: Reduce regular size patterns (1" = 1') 70% and I think that should be about right. Or enlarge 1/2" scale patterns by 141% (that's the percentage on my copier)
You can definitely use the same techniques other people use for dressing miniature dolls. Use the thinnest fabrics possible to cut down on bulkiness. Some items like collars, you will just get the effect of - you won't actually be stitching a tiny collar. If you iron a stiffening or backing to a tiny piece of fabric so it won't fray, you can then cut a collar out and glue it on. Tiny dolls can easily be wigged by gluing viscose waves and curls right onto the doll's head., I have many patterns easily adaptable to other scales, with easy instructions. I also publish a newsletter with patterns and instructions for different sized miniature dolls. Also included are tips and hints that would be helpful to you. If you're interested, check out my website at http://www.daintydoll.bigstep.com

Paulette Stinson in Indiana

Lingerie: last year Dolls House World had a neat idea for modern bras and panties -- cut the clear plastic bubbles used to pack pills like Imodium in half to make the bra cups, trim away the extra plastic, glue lace over the cups, then add narrow ribbon or bunka straps and backs. Matching bikini pants are just strips of lace glued front and back to a waistband circle of the narrow ribbon. Since they're non-elastic, they won't "work" for a doll to wear, but they display nicely on hangers or in gift boxes.

Loretta.Sniarowski

how to make lingerie out of lace scraps: here are a few ideas: basic slip or nightgown is a tube formed from a piece of lace about 4" x 4". Trim top and bottom edge with narrow lace (or bottom edge may already have a finished edge) Stitch up back, and add ribbon straps. (or you can slice a finished edge off the lace and use it.) For a mini bra, cut a 1 1/4" piece of 1/2" wide lace. Gather tightly across the middle, and on both ends to form "cups". Add narrow ribbon or trim for back and straps. For panties, cut two panty shapes out of 1"lace squares and glue crotch and sides together. Hard to give instructions in a few words, hope this helps! Narrow pleated white nylon makes great mini lingerie stuff.

Paulette Stinson

Paulette's pattern instructions are very easy to follow; and she drafts her patterns in such a way that even a beginner can enjoy them without feeling overwhelmed. By the way, the project Paulette refers to can be found in the Spring 98 issue of "Dolls and Miniatures".

Viola

Mini Backpack: A cute little school style backpack pattern can be found at http://www.makingfriends.com I've been at this site many times- its crafts for kids. Any way it is in the school section, its is supposed to be for a pin on for clothing, but it can be printed out and if the scale is wrong- adjust!

Teresa from Canada

Flower Thread: DMC has discontinued their flower thread. Flower thread isn't wool. It's cotton. I'm guessing you've got this confused with Shetland wool lace knitting yarn (see below) While DMC has discontinued their Flower Thread, Threadneedle Street still carries some colors and also has another brand, called Danish Flower Thread:

http://www.threadneedlestreet.com/cotthrd.htm#flower

They also carry very fine linen threads for embroidery, and wools. If, however, you are looking for superfine wool for tiny knitting, I'd recommend Lacis, as she carries 1 pound balls of Shetland wool in lace weight at a reasonable price:

http://www.lacis.com/catalog/data/descn_a.htm#novelty floss, wool - all the way at the bottom of the novelty lace threads section. She also carries bunka and silk embroidery ribbons, as well as all kinds of otherthings that can get those of us who like to make tiny things in lots of trouble. The main catalog can be accessed here:

http://www.lacis.com/catalog/catalog.htm

Maura Bass

Flower Thread: ..about Flower Thread, I do believe that DMC quit making it maybe a couple of years ago, or at least stopped marketing it in the US, don't know about the Netherlands . By the way, it's a matte cotton, not wool, very soft and IMHO very capable of sucking up oil and dirt from your hands. The upside is that you'd probably get a better color range than you do in a crochet thread.

There is, however, a product called "Danish Flower Thread". and another called "Ginnie Thompson Flower Thread".. need to search them out in a store that sells cross stitch supplies. Or a quick web search, via Google, brought up 981 sites in .44 seconds, though some of them referred to the DMC product

Ginger in PA