Arts & Crafts Needlework: you may want to contact Dolls House World re their back issues, many of which are still available. Not too long ago (1999? 2000?), they had a series on Charles Rennie MacIntosh that included a number of needlework patterns featuring his famous rose motif. Also, Venus Dodge's Dolls House Needlework book has some Arts & Crafts embroidery patterns among a ton of other useful projects.

Loretta Sniarowski

Silk Gauze: You can also get silk gauze from DHARMA Trading. - the web address is http://www.dharmatrading.com And from THAI SILKS in california. Dharma has one weight which is 3 mummy and Thai has several depending on which works best for you. Don't have the number for Thai right here - but they are listed with 800 directory. I'll get it and post it later. Working with Silk Gauze (especially 2mm) is like working with fog)

James Peacock

Silk Gauze: "For example a 6" x 6" piece is nearly $14Cdn plus tax and" and even though I try not to use the digest for "advertising" I have to write and suggest that anyone looking at gauze at these prices might want to check out my web site http://www.angelfire.com/wv/minipix where I have 32, 40, and 54 count gauze - I think you'll be pleasantly surprised :)

Mary Lynne in Huntington, WV

Silk Gauze: I checked out WHUI's silk gauze sites. Then just to refine the search, I tried 'silk gauze 40 count' and came up with a bunch. A couple of the first sites listed 40 count silk gauze at about $100.00 a yard! So, these fabrics vary quite a bit--evenweave would be the word to look for. I found one site that had 11 different thread counts--up to 112-count! That sounds like a challenge, and only $400.00 a yard. They do also sell them all by the inch, thank goodness. Check it out: http://www.needlestack.com/inventory/fabric-misc.html#SilkGauze

Lynette in WNC

1-ply yarn: You might want to look at DMC Perle Cotton #5. It might be the weight you're looking for. You need to be careful about the bright colors (reds & such). As someone else pointed out, DMC has reformulated some of its dyes to be more environment-friendly, and because of that some of the colors run. If you're using a bright, you can try hand-washing it in cold with salt to fix the dye.

Joanne

Knitting threads: Check out www.jklneedles.com for your knitting threads I have ordered from her and was really pleased. She used to be into miniatures, before she went back to "real" size. There is a section on miniatures now on her site, with some neat books and several threads to chose from, along with the smallest needles I have ever seen.

Dori in Kentucky

YARN: Joy Parker in Canada from Swallowhill Dolls has really lovely yarn. Her address is in the ss directory under dolls. One other place is The Knitters Underground, mail order - They have lace making yarn - lovely stuff. Go to: http://marketplace.shopsite.com/yarnshop I have purchased yarn from both places. If you want to know the type I bought from Knitters Underground, please e me. You will be happy with yarn from either place.

Carol

1900 dressmaker form in bedroom: Unless the "mistress of the house" had no sewing room, she wouldn't have had a dress on a dress form in her bedroom. And any dress on a form would have been in progress, certainly not left on the form once it was finished. For several years I was curator of house museum in Galveston. The house was built between 1893-95 and the interpretive date was 1911. Women with modest houses containing no sewing room often did their sewing in the dining room.

Margaret in Texas

1900 dressmaker form in bedroom: Terry asked about a dummy in the bedroom with a dress on (1900); I don't see why not ... Maybe, if you ask him nicely ... seriously though - my grandmother and grandfather were in the sewing business beginning in 1917, when they were married in Barbados. They each had their own dressmaker/tailor "forms", and they certainly were NOT new, because they had been handed down to them. I believe they were mostly wire, with fabric molded onto the frame.

Dollladie

1900 dressmaker form in bedroom: To whoever asked about a dressmaker's form in the bedroom; I don't think this is very likely (which doesn't mean you can't do it!).

Historically, a very wealthy woman WOULD have had her own dress form, but she would also have been paying someone else to do the sewing - and thus, the form would have remained at the dressmaker's. Less wealthy women who could still afford tailored clothes would have had to settle for their dressmaker's adjustable form, shared by many. And a poor woman would have been sewing by herself (or with her daughters), and would have to be her own form (which, incidentally, is how I do it. Ouch!).

Graceanne

1900 dressmaker form in bedroom: Once upon a time, around 1900, my grandmother's family was somewhat wealthy. My grandmother has told me that they used to hire a dressmaker to come stay with them for several weeks each year. During that time, the dressmaker, with the assistance of the women of the household, sewed all the women's new clothes for the year. I know there was a room dedicated to this purpose at the time -- a spare bedroom I think, but am not sure . It occurs to me that this would make a lovely miniature scene, with the hired dressmaker, stacks of patterns, fabric and cut-out fabric pieces. Perhaps one of the daughters of the household being measured, and the other daughters assisting with the sewing.

JoLynne

Printing on Fabric: Another way of printing to fabric is to use waxed freezer paper that is available in your grocery store, look for it where the other wraps are sold.
1. Cut a piece of freezer paper the same letter size as your regular printer paper.
2. Cut lightweight cotton fabric the same size as printer paper, I use my husband's old cotton dress shirts.
3. Place the freezer paper shiny side up on ironing board.
4. Lay the material on top and press together making sure that all sides are well pressed.
5. Insert into your printer, fabric side down (at least with a HP printer) and print away.

Works great! I've printed out rugs and fringed the edges using this method and I'm very pleased with them. Be sure to spray your printed article with an acrylic sealer to insure the print is fixed.

Marilyn, MI

Printing on fabric: When I was just starting out in minis last Jan., I was very intrigued by the idea of printing on fabric. However, I could not find freezer paper anywhere. In surfing around, somewhere I ran across an idea which I have since used with no problem. I purchased full-size Avery mailing labels, peeled a label off the backing, and stuck muslin to the sticky side. Trimmed and fray-checked the edges and put it through the printer. Worked beautifully.

Linda in Leroy, OH

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

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