Quilting Book: The complete Miniature Quilt Book is available from http://www.hampsteadhousebooks.com Go to crafts and it's on page 1. Only $7.99 Cdn. Some very simple ones. Also has patterns for beds, baby cots, bedding, and mattresses.

Maureen in St. Albert AB Cda

Mini Iron: I just got my mini iron from Michelle at www.minidolls.com. I also ordered fabric and trim from her for doll making. Her service was great and her web site is wonderful.

Jean

Mini Iron: I have the mini iron that everyone is talking about and its great. If you make doll clothes, mini soft furnishings or you make quilts, you would really appreciate having the "Miniature Seamstress Pressing Aid". I got mine from "HAPPINESS IS", 12 Middle Street, South Dartmouth, MA 02748, 508-992-6501. Sammy's web site is : http://happinessisminiatures.com/Her Pressing Aid isn't on the site, but she does still make and sell them. Her email address is sammylass@mediaone.net

Jean

Mini Ribbon: For mini ribbon try www.craftyribbons.com They have ribbon 1.5mm wide (or should I say narrow?) In satin or silk, and lots of colors to choose from.

Annie

Book Report: Pamela Warner has written a third needlework book to go with her excellent books on needlework for the Victorian and Georgian periods. Miniature Embroidery for the Tudor and Stuart Doll's House ISBN 1-86108-217-7 publisher Guild of Master Craftsman, 2001

Contents include
- - influences on design and style, techniques, how-to's etc
- - bed hangings
- - bedcovers and pillows
- - cushions
- - chair covers and footstools
- - screens
- - pictures and samplers
- - table carpets and wall hangings
- - decorative items

It's great, a must have book if you are interested in fine needlework. I know the needlework collections at the V&A museum in London really well, and it's delightful to see so many reproduced in mini - and it saves this lazy old groat having to work out how to minify them :O)

Helen from York, England

Punch Needle Tips:
1) Keep a finger on the last stitch as you do the next stitch
2) Be careful of the work until done
3) When done, before removing piece from frame (or hoop), coat backside with Aileen's Tacky Glue (smear it around with fingers)
4) Try working on 18 or 24 mesh needlepoint canvas...work will be more even

Ginger in PA

Punch Needle: don't give up on the punch needle yet. *Everyone* is frustrated by it at first, in fact the reason I started teaching punch needle classes was so many people would look at the punch needle rugs I was selling and say "oh, I bought a needle, but I could never get it to work" There are just a couple of things to get the hang of and you'll be fine, really.

You're starting right, with the fabric taut in the hoop, but you might want to try a poly/cotton blend for the fabric. I like tee-shot poplin, all Joanne's have it in lots of colors, but any mid to lightweight blend will do. The advantage to the poly is the yarn's memory, it helps the holes close up and grab the loops after they've formed. In fact, if you're getting the loops to form, you're well on your way.

To get the loops closer together, you need to work in the right direction in relation to the hole in the needle. The tip should have one side that slants ( \ ). And the yarn is threaded out through a hole opposite that (this is so much easier to show than describe!). If you're right handed, you want the slant oriented toward you just like the above illustration - so the yarn is coming out toward the right, this is the "back" of the needle. And you want to work toward or away from yourself, keeping that slant to the left and the hole to the right. It's important to keep the previously punched row to the back (the right) of the needle, or you'll tend to poke into and distort the already worked row. Turn the hoop as you follow the design, not the needle's orientation (make sense?)

After you've poked down firmly to form a loop, just raise the needle til the tip clears the fabric and slide it toward you a few threads, or a little less than the diameter of the needle tip. Poke again, and raise the needle to slide again. It's a small muscle movement you don't use for much else, and many people find it unwieldy at first. Practice! You want the back of the needle snugged up pretty close to the previous row. It's possible to overpunch, and then you get a raised dome effect, but that's not your problem yet (grin).

And finally, while you *can* pull out the row of stitches - DON'T!! When you get to the end of a row, and want to start someplace else, put your left thumbnail firmly on the last stitch, *then* pull the needle away to pull out more yarn, and trim close to the fabric. After you get a few successive rows punched, they're surprisingly secure, as long as no one goes in with their fingernails and starts pulling on the stitches. I've tried to change areas of completed rugs and had an awful time pulling out the stitches. Some people prefer to coat the back of the rug with a diluted solution of tacky glue, but I've never had any of my rugs come apart, ever, and I don't use anything.

As for the size yarn for that gauge needle, I can't say without seeing them. But do experiment with more or fewer strands of floss, if that's what you're using. You just want the yarn to move freely through the needle (when you're just pulling on it) as any drag will prevent stitches from forming. If you want to try some of the acrylic yarn I use for punch needle, contact me and I'll send you some to try in your needle. There are no rules here, it's whatever works (isn't that our favorite part of miniatures?)

Bonni in NH

Rugs: I'm not sure what kind of rugs you are looking for, but I have kits for needlepoint rugs on my website: http://sites.netscape.net/orientalsxpressd/ I also have tutorial page with photos and instructions.

Michelle Fox

Punch rug supplies: I get all of my punch rug supplies from Bonni@weevings.com She has starter kits and everything else you might need. Service has been super!

Leslie

Quality miniature rugs do exist. They take lots of time to make, so you need to be prepared for the expense since they are individually handwoven. Also, the artisan spends time in the originality of the rug. See a sampling at: http://weaver.iwarp.com

Lili

Miniature Rugs: For those of you are interested in stitching rugs or anything else on silk gauze you don't have to leave home to buy your supplies.

On my web site I have silk gauze in 40, 42, 48, 54 and 60 counts plus #10 Crewel, #26 Tapestry and am just adding #12 Sharps needles.

If you don't want to design your own, I have lots of kits that come with all the necessary components to begin stitching right away and include a stitching diagram for the continental stitch (recommended) and assembly instructions. If you have a problem or question with your stitching just e-mail me. The advice is free:) This applies to customers and non-customers alike. http://www.micro-stitchery.com

bobbie

Needlework supplies: Silk Gauze, etc: I always kind of hesitate to "advertise" on SS, but just thought I would let everyone know that I, too, have gauze (32, 40 and 54 count) along with 22 count monocanvas, 24 count Congress cloth, and various and sundry small count cross stitch fabrics. Also, I've recently made arrangements with Joan Adams (the designer of the Aubusson rug that I show on my site that everyone always writes and says "where can I get that pattern?"!) to sell her patterns at shows and/or from my website. She has been finding it difficult to keep up with her needlework business since she broke her arm, and after I told her how much interest that one rug generates, she agreed to let me offer her rug patterns. I received the first set of patterns last week and already sold about half of those, so I will be replenishing my supply, and hope to try and get some pictures scanned and posted to my site very soon. http://www.angelfire.com/wv/minipix

Mary Lynne in Huntington, WV

Thin Leather: Glove leather works very well, and you may be able to find leather gloves at thrift stores or flea markets. By the way, Dolls & Miniatures magazine has lots of hints in each issue, and one of the hints was to "sand" the back of thicker leather with a good quality emery board to make it thinner. I tried it and it is so fast and easy!! The only difficult part is to try to be sure to thin it evenly over the whole piece and watch it carefully because it thins out fast!

Viola Williams

Draping curtains: If you want pleats to stay firm, cut the fabric on the straight of grain (up & down.) If you want it to drape, try cutting it on the bias. Only prob with bias is that it stretches, so is best hung at least 24 hours then trimmed to final length. I'm assuming you just want to drape it, not pleat it first. I also have Judy Williamson's (did I get that right?) book on making beds. She doesn't pleat the fabric, but gathers, then pins it to a board, then sprays it with starch. She must use a couple of hundred pins as she pins all the folds, top and bottom, exactly where she wants them. The finished bed drapes look real.

Heather in Toronto

Untwisting thread: The best way I know how to stop threads from twisting, is all in the preparation. As a previous judge of needlework, I saw many pieces that were exquisite, all but the twisted thread(Looked like thread had rolled over in the stitch, or you couldn't follow 1 strand through to the next stitch).

When you begin your project, only use a MAXIMUM of 18" of thread. Then separate each thread individually. Simply pinch firmly at the bottom of the bundle, and pull 1 thread from the top.

If you are getting a lot of tangles from this method, I would consider changing to a better quality thread. DMC is available in most places, lots of colors, and doesn't tangle easily. If it does, it might be an age factor for that thread. Even though you might have just purchased it, how long was in on the store shelf before you adopted it?

Lisa Lynn Vanzant

Tudor themed x-stitch patterns: Just came across a site specializing in Tudor themed patterns for counted cross stitch, http://www.tudorrosedesigns.com/. The designs are almost all detailed portraits of Tudor personalities based on actual paintings, mostly designed for 18 count canvas but of course would end up smaller done on finer canvas. There are also relevant heraldic devices. They sell the patterns as well as kits. The portraits are incredible, for example they have 5 different ones of Henry VIII and 9 of Elizabeth. Very inspiring but probably a real challenge to miniaturize.

Wendy in Clinton, NJ

Doll Clothes: I dress dolls and sell doll dressing kits as well as ready made clothing. There are some costuming books available as well and I've started to write on the 20th century as I haven't been able to find any patterns later than Edwardian. I sell Susan Sirkis' books for the 19th cent. and there are one or two larger books available in bookstores, but for Victorian and earlier. Some individual patterns are available from other miniatures dealers, check web sites for Sandy's and Etcetera, but again, vintage styles.

If you're using a pattern, or even a kit, you need to fit the pattern to your individual doll -making a mock-up out of a soft, lightweight, cheap fabric, or even paper towels. It is very difficult to get ready made to fit a doll. In scale closures are just about impossible to make in working form; the clothing is usually sewed or glued on the doll and buttons, etc. are faked. Of course ready made is fine for display and I have some. You can see some of my things and get more info. at my new web site http://home.mindspring.com/~byrachelle.

Rachelle

Doll Clothes: Thelma Lewis DeMet http://thelmalewisdemet.homestead.com/index.html makes wonderful clothing for mini dolls. her e-mail is tldemet@ameritech.net. She is a member of this list.

Rosemary in Cleveland

Stiffening Doilies: Don't use sugar water anymore to reset doilies. Use liquid starch instead. Pin and shape to a cardboard or wrap around a bowl, etc., for baskets. Sugar water invites bugs (even in cold Canada) some of which damage doilies. Hand wash with gentle detergent, rinse and then soak in liquid starch and shape. When I owned my antique shop, I did a LOT of doilies!

Michelle in South Carolina

Poodle Skirt: Lone Wolf Mini Creations has a kit for a miniature poodle skirt at http://www.lonewolfminicreations.com/Poodle%20Skirt.htm.

Rosemary in Cleveland