Upholstery Fabric: I had some lovely lounge suites that needed to be covered. DID I STRUGGLE!! It wasn't until I got tired of undoing the work for the 5th. time I remembered that I had some STRETCH VELVET and ****** MIRACLE'****** It took me exactly 1 hour to recover a French parlor double seat, it is PERFECT, not one wrinkle, pleat or extra cuts need, etc.etc., From now on I am only going to use stretch material for furniture.

Mirta Fitzgerald

Hexagons: I also finished a miniature patch work bed quilt made with hexagons (169 of them). The basic hexagon is very easy to be made in the computer if you have got CORAL DRAW or similar program , bring the hexagon shape into your screen and adjust the measurements to 10mm by 12mm (that will give sides of 6mm) just right!

Mirta Fitzgerald

Draping Mini Clothes: I have been working on this lately, and get the best results from running a gathering thread around near the bottom -- if you think this might harm the fabric or leave a hole, smooth it downward with your index finger and thumb in the "OK" position, then tie a thread around the bottom -- then just a brief moment with steam from the steam iron held over the top, NOT on the piece. Let it dry very thoroughly -- this means you, oh compulsive one who cannot wait more than 15 minutes for gratification!!! Also, do not over steam, because just like raising a stuck-on stamp or getting open an envelope without being detected (I have only heard this, not done it, of course), if you glue your seams they will come undone! Proper draping makes all the difference in the world, IMHO, my tiny dresses have come "alive" when I've done this -- you'll be surprised how effective it is. Then about removing fabric -- I don't do this, just use a very lightweight fabric to begin with, silk or cotton batiste. Heavier the fabric, harder to get it to drape right. You can also add a bit of Aleene's Fabric stiffener (substitute white glue) to water, dampen your piece, then pin to a board.

Pam in Virginia

Aging Fabric: If you want to age them, tea dye. Just buy the cheapest regular tea you can find (herbals can stain bright pink or green) and brew up a big pot full with double the number of recommended bags. Let it steep till it's really dark, then remove the bags, dunk your fabric, and stir it around to make sure that the tea saturates it evenly. Don't leave it in too long, because it will "fade" to an aged look quite quickly. Take it out, rinse in cold water, and dry. If it's not dark enough, re-dunk until it is aged to your preference. Once dry, it will have the vintage fabric look you want.

Loretta Sniarowski

Ultra Suede. I have used it for carpet in all scales, even 1/144. Bond it (using Wonder Under or any fusible webbing) to a piece of card stock so the glue doesn't bleed through when putting it down. It is expensive per yard, but when you break it down into pieces, it's cheaper than the miniature carpets you can buy. And scraps covering small blocks of wood make wonderful suitcases! No waste! Some fabric stores sell it buy the inch. The last time I bought some it came 60 inches wide.

Ruth Grass Valley, CA

Aging Fabric: For all of those who think that tea dying is great...Personally, I use instant coffee. I like the way it stains the fabric better. The recipe? Boil the water, add TWO teaspoons of instant coffee, let it cool, then add in the fabric. I have found that it colors better than tea.

Susan Shores

Fabric Matching Wallpaper: I wanted some fabric to match my wallpaper, so I scanned a piece of the wallpaper. I then reduced it in percentage because I would doing cushions for 1/2" wicker sofa and chairs and I wanted the design to be smaller. It turned out great and I covered a round table with it and made a valance for the window and ended up using every scrap.

Fay in St. Louis

Victorian Wall to Wall: If you're looking for intricately designed fabric for carpeting, try interior design fabric stores, the ones that sell drapery and upholstery fabric. JoAnne's also has an interior design fabric department.

Mary Kay Gentile, Ft. Myers, FL

144th Bunka Rug: I made a fireplace hearth rug by using half of one round paper punch (a standard cheap punch). Applied just the tiniest bit of movable miniatures glue onto the punched piece, laid down the raveled Bunka and voila, an instant itsy, bitsy hearth rug. Those tiny fibers in Bunka that sometimes do not get glued down are hardly noticeable in one-inch scale, but they do stick out like a sore thumb in 144th scale. They can be easily snipped off with manicure scissors. I use movable miniatures glue exclusively in this scale because it has a watery consistency making it almost invisible.

Theresa

Victorian Wall to Wall: Yes, they did use wall to wall carpeting in Victorian times. They laid it in strips that were tacked down. I would guess that you could have a center square piece surrounded on all four sides with designed strips.

Barbara Del Duco

Fabric Stiffener: Noticed a couple of posts from people saying to use thinned down white glue for fabric stiffener. DON'T DO IT! It does work great, but after the glue dries, everything has a shine that doesn't look that good on fabric. Also, if the fabric you are using is dark in color, you WILL see the dried glue. Much better to use fabric stiffener and thin it down if necessary. If anyone has a problem getting any, email me privately minilorrie@yahoo.ca; I have some for sale.

Lorrie Harvey

Mini Fabric Source: The address for the Etcetera, ETC catalogue is:

Pam Kille, Proprietor
13 Isla Ct.
Roswell, NM 88201

(505) 624-2649

Her e-mail address is rwk@rt66.com

Penny Johnson, Winnipeg, MB

Mini Fabric Source: For those of you looking for a web site for Etcetera, Etc. here it is - http://www.geocities.com/etcetera_etc2000.

Linda

Mini Fabric Source: If you're not looking for aged fabric, but just fabric that's not like quilting-square variety, try checking thrift shops for men's neckties. Many of them have small patterns perfect for minis and are more reserved and sedate-looking than what you can find in fabric stores.

Michelle Fox

Musty Fabrics: Try putting a sheet of Bounce in with your fabrics. Also ,I have used Fabreeze (sp?) with good results on musty fabrics.

Alice Zinn, Pt. St. Lucie, FL

Faux Leather from Fabric: (originally from Leslie in Buffalo) It takes a couple of days to make the fabric/leather, but it was worth it to me. The end result was great! Looks just like leather but it can easily be cut, sewn and glued just like fabric. I was making the leather for my South Western corner box so I started with a piece of turquoise fabric. Of course you can change the colors involved to any that suit your needs. I had four shades of turquoise acrylic paints and started applying washes, going from the darkest to the lightest. Really soaking the fabric. I figured it was important to let each color dry thoroughly in between colors. I was right. Also to keep the fabric soft I crumpled it good after each one dried. Really mush it and get it soft in between coats. I pulled and twisted it on the bias to really stretch it. It was neat how the paint moved with the threads exposing each color randomly. Then I put on three thicker coats of brown paint lighter to darker. Letting it dry thoroughly, crumpling and stretching in between again. I topped each layer of brown with a layer of Modge Podge. Then I put on the layer of crackle and finally a coat of darker brown. Always stretching and crumpling at each step. The turquoise shows through the browns. I sealed it ,finally, with a matte spray sealer for good measure!

Carole Pierce in TN

Embroidery Supplies: The best source for embroidery supplies is Stitchers Paradise. They have EVERYTHING! www.stitchers-paradise.com And, yes, I get my 40 count silk gauze there!

Kay Baughman

Granny square afghans: I have granny square afghans for sale at my site http://www.bulback.com/kim in case anyone else is interested as well.

Kim Bulback

Carpets: We have a full range of carpets and stair runners on our website - all at very reasonable prices. http://www.littlebylittle.co.uk

Karon Storer

Silk Gauze: To let anyone interested know that I do carry 40 count and 54 count silk gauze along with 22 count canvas and various and sundry small count cross stitch fabrics. If you ever need to order in sizes other than the fat quarter, 1/2 yard or yard, I sell by the square inch.

Mary Lynne in Huntington, WV