Printable Fabric: I am very excited about some new information I learned today at a digital workshop with George Lepp (technical guru of the photography world). He displayed a poly silk fabric that is used on your color printer. This means that ANYTHING you want to print onto a fabric can be printed onto this wonderful soft fabric. I held it in my hand and saw a beautiful animal print that had been done on an Epson printer both on the fabric and as a print on paper.  The color was wonderful!! The possibilities of this product are endless for minis.

There was some discussion about washing this fabric and one of the attendees mentioned that you treat the finished product with Versatex and an extender and it becomes washable. Evidently versatex is available in art supply stores. 

I have no connection to the company that makes the poly silk.  Here is the web site. http://www.pictorico.com/

Gail

Attaching minis to wall:  There is a new product out that is called Kling Magnetic Paint.  It is not magnetic itself, but when applied like a primer on a dollhouse wall it will hold anything magnetic.  I've used it to cover the wall. Then I attach a tiny piece 1/32 inch thin strip of magnetic strip (with the peal off backing I buy at WalMart) to the  mini picture back or quilt back.  Presto...it stays up like magic and no spots or staining on the wall.  The Kling primer even works through wallpaper for those of you who like to wallpaper the walls. It's great for being able to re-arrange items so easily...no messy tape or tacky stuff!

I buy mine at Michael's in the pint size...covers lots of mini walls, but you have to special ask for it, as some of the stores have it ordered but not on the shelves yet.

==== More info on the Magic Primer and how I use it is here:

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/8157/products.htm

==== Pictures of one of my grand babies' personalized mini quilt is in the March 2001 Dollhouse Miniatures Magazine, with instructions on how I printed it to fabric. That's a carefully worded plug for the March 2001 "Printing to Fabric" DHM article, and I do thank all of you who have sent me the nice emails about the article :-)

Wilma Kinder, in the beautiful SW MO Ozarks

Needlepoint Tutorial: This is a very good site for finishing off those mini rugs:

http://sites.netscape.net/orientalsxpressd/tutorial.html

Marlene Chapman (Ontario)

Cross Stitch: I have been stitching for about 10 years now. Here is a good way to start your stitches and it also helps to keep the back looking nicer. I use the "looping method" to start a stitch. First cut a piece of floss about 2 feet long. Separate out 1 strand of floss. Fold over so that your 2 ends meet (thread your needle here) and you have a loop at the other end. Instead of leaving a tail holding it down with your next stitch, put your needle through the loop. This holds your thread much better and leaves less of a mess in the back.

Jennifer-Thornton, CO

Quilt Sizes: I was flipping through a quilt magazine and noticed that they had sizes for some of their completed projects. Bear in mind the measurements might be off for UK beds, and these are obviously full size quilts. You'll have to the math yourself :o) Just so you know, a comforter is the US equivilant to a duvet though no duvet cover is need or used.

Double comforter 77" x 92 1/2 "

Queen Comforter 90"x 90"

Wide Queen Comforter 92"x92"

Twin Comforter 66"x 90"

Wide Twin Comforter 72" x90 "

Quilt Pieces: A good mini chum gave me some pre-cut mini (1/4 inch) paper hexagons to make my hexagon quilt, which was essential, as I can neither draw nor cut straight :O( I have managed to track the company down, and they do other small paper pieces to make all sorts of patterns. They seem so nice too! Here are their details:

Paper Pieces
PO Box 2931
Redmond, WA 98073-2931

Tel: 800-337-1537
Fax: 425-861-5707
http://www.paperpieces.com

Helen from York, England

Mounting Cross Stitch as Back Drop: After you finish your counted cross stitch, attach it to the sticky mounting board found in the cross stitch section of your craft store. Then just attach it to the back of your room box with double sided tape.

Martha Simpson Nock

Working with Fabric in Miniature: Someone recently asked about the best fabrics to use for miniature work. I'm not an expert, but I'm sure a lot of you will agree that small scale 100% cotton fabrics look best and are the easiest to manipulate. There is a mini pleater available, but in my opinion the fabric looks too rigid when you're done. If possible, I like to use a product called Stiffy for arranging pleats and folds. Also, extra thick tacky glue used sparingly works very well. (It's important to eliminate bulk in miniature, and gluing is often better than sewing.)

Pat S.

Mounting Cross Stitch as Back Drop: I did something similar for someone years ago, and it turned out well. This is what I did. Finish off your cross stitch. Block it to shape. Take a piece of THICK card e.g. mount card that is the right size for your room box, just a bit under, as bear in mind your cross-stitch fabric will go over the board, hence making it wider/taller, Stretch your cross-stitch over the card, putting the excess fabric to the back. On the reverse with stout thread sew backwards and forwards from side to side, pulling tight the fabric. You could of course glue it, but that scares me in case it mars the embroidery by seeping through to the front. You could use Bond A Web/Wonder Web to make the embroidery stick to the mount board.

Helen from York, England

New Coverlet Pattern Book: Well, believe it or not, I finally finished up my 2nd book of cross stitch coverlet patterns. I think it took me longer to get my computer and printer to allow me to make my own color covers than it did to design the patterns! But I've managed it and have posted pictures on my needlework page of the patterns in both my first book and this new book. The pictures are just a portion of each pattern, not the whole thing. But if anyone is interested, you can take a look at http://www.angelfire.com/wv/minipix/needleworkpage.html

Mary Lynne in Huntington, WV

Pretty Pleater Tips: First, make sure that the fabric or ribbon you are using is cotton or silk. Synthetics are very stubborn when it comes to pleating! Then you either wet the pleater, or the fabric, (by spraying or dipping it). Start pleating by pressing the fabric into the furrow on the pleater, with the little plastic card that comes with the pleater. (If you didn't get one, you could use an old credit card) Press the fabric in well, and hold it with the card, while you use the second card to make the next pleat. The fabric should stay in place if it is wet. (You could also use spray starch to wet the fabric or ribbon.) Continue pleating, using the cards alternately. If you start to go diagonally on the pleater, just use the edge of the card the gently nudge the edge of the fabric back into line. Don't try to take the fabric out of the pleater until it is completely dry.

You can either use an iron (over a cloth), or a hairdryer to speed up the process. But you do need patience! When it is dry, you could iron a piece of iron on interfacing to the top edge of the pleats, while the fabric is still in the pleater. When you take it out, the fabric should look like one sided corrugated card, and you can press the pleats whichever way you want them. Or, alternatively, you could run a stitch along the exposed edges of the pleats (before you take it out of the pleater) and use that to control the pleats.

Alison from Accrington. UK

Pretty Pleater Tips: I have something to add about using the pleaters. I have had much better luck using many small sticks...wooden shutter slats work great. (When I tried using just one or two small plastic cards, the material would always pop out of the valleys that I had already done.

Also, as I go, I pin down the fabric, which helps keep everything in and straight. (Start with a piece of cardboard with plastic wrap covering it to keep it from warping from the wet material...lay the pleater over that, then you have something to pin to.)

Kaye in L.A.

Satin Coverlet: Mary Lou asked whether she should quilt her satin coverlet or not. There are just as many reasons to quilt as not to quilt. What are you trying to achieve would be the best next question. If it is a duvet cover and the quilt is to give the impression of, for example, a feather bed (down comforter) then quilting it would not be appropriate and other means of holding it down would be in order. On the other hand, if you are trying to achieve the effect of a hand-stitched solid quilt, then by all means quilt it. If you do quilt it use a very fine thread such as machine embroidery thread (I use this to sew my mini quilts with too as it doesn't bulk up so much) or silk thread (harder to work with but very fine).

Ana Gerard

Braided Rug: I made a mini braided rugs years ago, still like new, by braiding embroidery floss, changing colors to give a pattern, cut a circle of muslin, that I starched, and carefully starting in center glued the braid down , to size I wanted. Takes awhile to braid, but worth the time

Alice P.

Braided Rug: Take embroidery thread, variegated, braid three strands, make a cloth or felt backing the size you want, coil the braid from the center after you put craft glue on the backing, coil around and around until done. Let dry, trim extra backing off. I also take variegated yarn and don't braid, it looks really good like braids if the variegations are close together. I have done several of both kinds. You can also put your glue on a waxed paper, metal, or plastic sheet, coil rug, and let dry then peel off the rug, looks like a rug coated with non slip on the back side.

Rhoda Conley

Braided Rug: Take three skeins of wool for stitching a needlepoint canvas. Tie 3 ends together, and hitch over a nail. Start plaiting. Go completely, utterly stark raving mad with total boredom. Finish the plait. Tie end. Get your ironing board out, if you can find it :O) Arrange the plait to a shape you like (round, oval etc.) being careful to lay the plait flat and tight, so there are no gaps showing between the ever increasing shape of plaited yarn. Get some iron on interfacing. Cut larger than shape. Place adhesive side down VERY carefully onto your rug, being careful not to disturb it. Always bear in mind that you are looking at the wrong side of your rug until it's been ironed. Press the interfacing onto your rug. Let it lie for 10 minutes or so, until it's cool and done. Turn over. Wow! a plaited rug!! Carefully trim away any excess interfacing around edge of rug.

You could sew the plait to make a rug. You could.

Helen from York, England

Braided Rugs: I've made a couple of braided rugs and they are as easy as they seem. I started with three different colors of embroidery threads and tied them in a knot at one end. Hooked the knot over a push pin and braided away until I got to the ends and knotted again. I used white glue on the braided strands as I wrapped them around and pressed them down on a piece of wax paper. When the glue dried, I peeled off the wax paper and the rugs have held together for several years now.

Sally Cook-Thomas

Ruffled Doilies: I don't have first hand knowledge of the dinner table doilies, but I still have done plenty of them for my antique shop. I don't use sugar water however, it attracts crawly friends. :-P Instead, I use liquid starch, which is a wonderful substitute. Also, I use toothpicks or coffee stirrers (depending on size) when I want a "point" rather that a "circle" with tumblers. I'm currently trying to develop a way to create the same look in minis with paper as I don't crochet. Any ideas out there? Thanks in advance.

Michelle

twisted cord: I have waited to see this one posted, but so far I haven't. You can twist cord easily by yourself. Take a long double cord (or thread) and hook it to a cuphook screwed into something solid (wall, etc.). The other end of the doubled cord is put through a thread spool, and a pencil is inserted into the loop. ?==============H=ø

hook cord spool pencil in loop

Spin the pencil until the cord wants to loop on itself, grab the center and, keeping it taut, fold it in half. Then let it twist on itself. Pretty low tech, but it is inexpensive and works well, and you don't need someone else to help you. Another way of using this technique is on hair - two curls twisted tightly in opposite directions will twist together and is a nice substitute for a braid.

Jacqui in Hilo, HI

Pleaters: It does take practice to use one of the rubber type pleaters. BUT they do work. I have had mine for over 15 years, and although the instructions don't mention it...at least they didn't.....always run the pleater under water and shake off any excess before using. This helps keep the material down at the bottom of the grove and you need to be firm in the movement of the card to make sure the fabric is held. Not a lot of small movements - one long movement from top to bottom of the pleated material.

I only use one card, I think I learned to do that as I lost the other :) . Also hold the material up in the left hand and just let it rest on the pleater whilst making the pleat. this way the material is not dragging and pulling the other pleats out.

Hazel

Satin Coverlet: I design a lot of custom miniature bedding. One thing that helps me when I am deciding how thick to "batt" or "quilt or not to quilt" is asking myself and my clients..."What would this look like in full size?" For instance, if you plan to use 1/8" batting on a 1:12 (One inch scale bedding) that is the equivalent of full size "batting" that is 1 ½ inches thick. (1/8 x 12 = 1.5) Now, if you want to replicate a comforter, 1.5 inch is fine. If you want to replicate a quilt, that may be a bit thick. Many full size quilt batting is about 1/2 inch, which translates to 1:12 as 4/100 th inch thick (1/2 / 12 )! So it just depends on the results you are looking for. I often use lightweight sew in interfacing for "batting" for mini quilts, rather than actual quilt batting. But, you are right, if you use 1/8 batting on a one inch scale mini quilt it will not of itself lay flat on a mini bed!" You could quilt like you suggested, but that will add bulk too! In mini, stitches add weight and bulk and affect how the quilt will display." I'm not saying..."don't quilt" just that the decision needs to be made on how you want the results to display for your setting. You may try to use a thinner batting, or if you want to replicate the satin comforter look, you can use the 1/8 inch batting, but also use painter's masking tape, double folder over itself to attach the underside of the bedding to the bed frame to display more like a real life quilt. Again, there are no right/wrong answers. It really depends on creating the "look" that you want in your mini scene. If it helps, in mini quilt making think of it this way, in one inch scale: To translate measurements from full size to mini do this: (full size divided by 12) Full size 1/2 inch to mini equal is (1/2" divided by 12" = 4/100 inch in mini size) To translate from mini to full size equivalents: (mini measurement multiplied by 12) Mini 1/8 inch would be (1/8 inch times 12 = 1.5 inches)

Wilma Kinder