Dollhouse Decor by Nick and Esther Forder. It has dozens of patterns for rugs, samplers, screens, in needlepoint and half cross stitch. Plus many other needle craft items like crochet bedspread, woven rugs, patterns for drapery swags and valances and on and on.

MAP in Puyallup

Pattern Material: I often made patterns for my old dolls by cutting them first and fitting using paper toweling. It is cloth like so can be fitted quite easily yet is strong enough to really use for a pattern. Have done this with mini dolls, antique as well as modern, in all sizes.

Anita McNary-Haynes

Christmas gift bags: I like to use the self-stick mounting board that is sold mostly for mounting needlework before framing. I usually find it in the needlework section of craft stores or fabric stores. I always bought mine at Piece Goods and haven't purchased any in a while, but I feel pretty sure JoAnn's and Michael's would have it and whatever fabric or craft store you have locally probably would also. They're only sticky on one side and that's the side I put the wallpaper on. Then you can either spread thick tacky on the other side and press them into the bag or, if you've cut fairly carefully and have a good fit, you probably won't have to glue them in at all - they'll just "sit" there. I've also used 1/4 "foam" core board and then used double-sided carpet tape both to attach the wallpaper (or in my case, usually fabric wallcovering) and to attach the walls to the bag.
Hope this helps and you have fun - I've always enjoyed making these bags. :)

Mary Lynne in Huntington, WV

What I've done with pretty papers that I wanted to use for upholstery fabric on chairs and such is to scan the paper and then in whatever software you have to use, size it if it needs to be to a smaller scale, and then print it onto the transfer paper that is used for photo transfers (to fabric) like tee shirts and quilts. That paper is available in many stores - WalMart, Best Buy, Office Depot and others. This not at all hard to do. The one trick I learned over the years is to use a ceramic tile (you can go to a tile shop and buy just one tile - if you do this get a large one and make sure it has a smooth surface) and NOT an ironing board for the pressing surface. Also be sure to follow the mfgs instructions for time and heat setting. Another trick is when you put the transfer down onto the fabric, fold back a tiny part of one corner - this will give you a "handle" to hold on to when you peel back the paper. Then when you are ready to peel the paper off the fabric, just peel back a little bit to make sure the transfer really "took". If it didn't just smooth the transfer paper back and press more. If you just yank the transfer paper off, and the image hasn't transferred evenly, or completely it is nearly impossible to get the transfer paper back in proper place. Some fabrics take to this better than others and generally speaking, the natural fibers work best; like cotton, linen, silk and such. When using a light colored fabric or a delicate fabric it is a good idea to use a press cloth so you won't scorch your fabric and good old parchment paper works great for that. If you have any questions on this, please email me and will be glad to try to help if you want to try this.

Ronni

Basic Bed Making Instructions: You can use 1/2" ceiling tile cut into two 6 x 4 inch rectangles for a nice-sized 'box spring' on which to place a 1/2" foam mattress.  This makes the bed a size that looks 'right' in a miniature setting - it is not quite as large as a regular full size bed, and not quite as small as a twin size. Put a 6 x 4 piece of poster board under the foam to stabilize the mattress while you put on the sheet, etc., then glue to the ceiling tile box springs after putting a coat of gesso on the 'springs' and then dressing it with dust ruffle, if you're using this style.  Headboards can be made of anything basswood, Gator board (the DENSE- inside core board from art supply shops), metal, wicker, etc.   Posts are tricky you notch 1/4" into the box spring end corners to support the post and then glue and pin in place with a gold straight pin.   Use the headboard to support the head-end posts. Choose fabric that easily crushes and holds the wrinkles with as little nylon, polyesters, or other man-made fiber in it as possible.   Use a QUICK-DRYING tacky WHITE water-soluble clear- drying glue (Aileen makes one as well as a generic version) for fast fabric holding.

There have been several articles on 'bed making' over the years - but I think that Judee Williamson's book, Judee's Beds, shows the 'cream of the crop' for canopied designs.   Unfortunately, the book is a little short on 'hold-your-hand' instructions -- but with a little common sense, you can figure it out.   Many bed makers now use the 'extra-crisp' type of Magic Sizing (a type of spray starch) found in the grocery store - or a matte finish clear acrylic spray (I like Plaid's Patricia Nimoc's) to hold fabrics exactly where you want them to be.   You'll have to make some 'trial and error' samples before committing these skills to the 'real thing' - unless you have someone to help guide you 'in person'. Start with a 1/4" graph paper drawing of the actual size bed and how you want it to appear - then figure out the construction details.   Much easier on paper than once you have started gluing!    Make a balsa or illustration board mockup before you commit to really fine wood or fabric - using cotton muslin.   Use good quality fabric-like paper towel to act as pseudo-fabric in designing specifics for a bed.

Linda Gale

Finishing punch needle rug:   I've got the instructions for hemming punch needle rugs up on my web site: http://weevings.com/fini shing_rugs.htm   .

Bonni in NH

Needlework supplies and mini rugs: I have found the Needlework in Miniatures web site to have the crochet tools I need. She also sells knitting and rug making supplies and finished items.I learned of her from my MiniatureCrochet Yahoo Group. The URL for Needlework in Miniature is: http://www.angelfire.com/ma2/vmsw

or an easier URL http://www.pobox.com/~nim

Lynne, from Ames, Iowa

Making Mini Clothing:: There are many brilliant miniature seamstresses on this list and I'm sure they'll reply, too, but for my dolls, I sew many of the seams by placing the garment on top of tissue paper. After the seam has been sewn, I tear it away. It helps it move under the needle and not 'pull' that 1/8 " seam.

Diana Wieler

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

Vintage Hankies: Don't forget to save some of these for bed linens. They work beautifully.

Becky

Leather-Like Material: I found white suede at the art framing store. They have a box a scraps and let me go through any time I need to. The suede will peel off the mat board and is easy to work with, similar to material. It comes in many colors, too. You can also purchase some very thin lining from a leather shop. They will know what you mean. This will take shoe dye and can be worked with very easily, also. I covered two chairs with this and they look fantastic! Real leather.

Terri Young

Jewelry:
Here are some mini findings and beads sites:

http://www.wolfemyrow.com/home.html

http://www.coolmini.com/finds/findings.htm

http://www.johnbead.com/

http://enterpriseart.com/index.php?logo=Enterprise%20Art&page=main.php

http://www.shipwreck-beads.com/

Marlene Chapman-Ontario

Knitting: This site lists abbreviations. Click on the one you want and it will give you an explanation with a picture. http://knitting.about.com/library/blabbreviations.htm
Lacy afghan: click on Afghans in the frame at the left at this same site and it will give you a variety of afghan patterns and baby shawls. You might find your pattern here. You could use any of the hundreds of patterns here in miniature by just using tiny needles and thin yarn. Knit a couple of pattern repeats to see how many stitches you need to start with to get the size you want.

Kay in Ottawa

Draping Fabric: If you have very fine, natural fabric, (pure cotton, silk) you can wash to remove any sizing and use fabric softener. Then, depending on what you will do with it (table cloth, bed cover, etc., you can wet and pin in realistic folds and let dry or pin in folds and then steam and let dry. If you are putting the fabric over wood or some other material which should not be wet, protect the object with a thin piece of plastic or use a form made of clay or other material the same size and shape as your table, bed, etc. so it will fit after it is dry. I often use this to make softly draping clothing on dolls. Experiment a bit and you will work something out.

Rachelle

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

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