Silk: Silk does not shift or wrinkle when you iron on some freezer paper. I do that and then draw the pattern on the paper and cut the pieces. Then you remove the paper and sew as normal - although I mostly glue the hems with Aleene's tacky glue onto the right side and then hide the edge with some trim or braid.

Heike Boam, Black Forest, Germany

Silk: Tips I've learned making silk one inch scale minis: Baste (temporary hand big stitches in the seam allowance just to hold the pieces together ) before sewing or gluing seams together. Hand sew rather than machine sew. I almost never machine sew mini silk items. Use painter's masking tape to temporarily attach pieces instead of pinning with straight pins. If you can find them, mini (and I do mean mini) wooden craft clothes pins (about 1/2 inch size) make great "clamps" to hold the silk pieces when hand sewing or gluing. I find that I can much more easily control the "slipperiness" of silk with a combination of hand sewing and using masking tape/mini craft clothes pins than by any other method.

Wilma Kinder

Silk: When I work with silk I draft my pattern for doll onto paper then clip this (with tiny smooth alligator clips) onto silk and cut out. Then I use Fray Check on all cut edges- lightly. I use a cleaned out nail polish bottle for my Fray Check (seam sealant) and apply with brush very lightly. I leave to dry propped on small bottle caps, or film containers. I glue seams with Gripp glue, using 1/2" hair curler iron to press and heat seal seams. Also can press the seams with *narrow long, smooth pinch nose pliers. Use these or mini hemostat to turn sleeves to right side, carefully, can also press in pleats for skirts with the same* smooth pliers. I am using these mainly on my 1/2" or 1/4" scale dolls, but have used on 1" scale also.

Regina in Wilmington, DE

Silk: I think that the easiest way to sew something tiny (especially if it's made of silk) is to draw the pattern lightly on the fabric. Do NOT cut it out... instead, fold it over (if it is for example: a bodice, that needs to be double thickness) and THEN sew it. After it's sewn, you can cut it out, outside your sewing line. If you still have trouble, you can draw the pattern onto tissue paper and baste the paper to the fabric. Iron fabric and tissue together to make certain the fabric and paper are both flat. Then sew through the tissue, following the pattern line you've drawn. After it's sewn, carefully tear off the tissue.

Viola Williams

Patterns for Miniature Clothing: Some years ago Nutshell News published a series about clothing of different periods, with patterns, that was good reading even for the non-needler. The author, Susan Sirkis, has published several how-to booklets, and apparently these are still available. http://www.amazon.com says "by special order," which I suppose means available with a bit more than usual delay.

Mary in Oregon

Leather: I've gotten fine thin smooth leather in many colors from Al Chandronnait, 19 Winnhaven drive, Hudson, N. H. 03051 ph. 603-882-6392. He sells squares 3" x6" for $4, and 6"x6" for $8. I also use the old kid long gloves, but they are harder to find.

Regina in Wilmington, DE

Braided rugs: Can you stand one more suggestion for braided rugs? When I make mine I do a variation of Dawn's variation on many of the other suggestions. I lay down strips of double-sided tape on my work surface-enough strips to be the size of the finished rug. I do the braiding of the embroidery floss, and lay it, very lightly, on the tape in the design I want. Then I whip stitch the braids to each other, using sewing thread and a medium to long running stitch. (this is the bottom of the rug, & I don't care who looks at it!) When that's finished I very carefully pull it away from the tape, turn it over. and there is my rug.

Ann in California

Shine: If you don't like the shine from embroidery floss, just give the finished rug a spray with Krylon Matte Finish.

Jean in Maine

Braided Rugs: There has been a lot of discussion about braided rugs. The latest suggestion was to use embroidery floss. I love the endless color choice available with embroidery floss, but it bothers me that it has a shiny finish. The last time I made a rug for a rustic or country setting, I used darning cotton (Coats and Clark). I don't know whether they even make it anymore. I have some that was my mother's and also pick it up whenever I see it at a garage sale. Another similar (though slightly heavier) thread is made for Candlewicking, which is a type of needlework, made by Dritz. I already had some, but (again) bought more at a recent garage sale. It is a bit dirty, but will be fine after washing. This usually comes in white, but is cotton and I assume you could dye it any color. Does anyone know of other non-shiny threads we could use?

For the backing, I take the easy way out and use mounting board, available in needlework stores, that is meant to mount embroidery for framing. It is a cardboard backing with a peel-off sheet on one side. To shape a rug, cut out the size you want, and then just apply your length of braiding. For some unknown reason, I find it easier to start on the outside edge. I end up with a nicer center, being able to tuck it in a little neater. Everyone has their own "best way".

Marilyn - Wisconsin

BRAIDED RUGS: In one of the miniature instruction books I have (that I'm too lazy to go get the author of) regular wool knitting yarn was used the same way everyone else is describing braiding and assembling the embroidery yarn. Plus you can get color changes using variegated yarn. Using wool yarn and braiding it tight will be to scale and will have the nice warm non shiny wool look (because it IS:)

W. Marie in Edmonds, WA

Braided Rugs: I have been waiting for someone to post this hint. I would never have kept going with minis if I hadn't picked up a pile of videos at my first mini show. This method is from Ruth Mazur.

Lay double stick tape on a piece of glass. I got my glass from a picture frame I got at the thrift shop for 25 cents. Coil the rug on the tape. Sometimes the rug looks good from the "top" but needs fixing on the other side, hence the glass. When finished, iron on whatever sewing product you use, such as mending tape. Peel the rug off the double stick tape and trim the backing.

Barbara Turner

Braided Rugs: I have made several oval braided rugs from tapestry wool ; it comes in hundreds of gorgeous colours , and the strands divide easily, if you want thinner braids. I didn't glue or back them; just stitched them together with fine thread- tedious or what ! They look real and not shiny. My fave is in shades of brown and rust and orange for that cottage I'm going to make one day.

Donna from qdeck

braided rugs. The way that I did it was first I braided three things of dmc floss or other floss. I used all six strands of floss for each color. Some times I uses solid colors or one or more variegated flosses. I tie all three flosses together in a knot, then start braiding. I put each color in a film canister and let out a little of each color at a time. I let the canisters hang at different levels as I braid. This helps to keep the unbraided floss from knotting. I braided all the floss together and then knot the end. This is now the part that I am not real good at, making the rug. I take a piece of waxed paper and take a white glue and water mixes and start laying the braid on the paper and glue in the shape of the rug I hope I want. I start in the center of the rug and go around in circles adding glue as needed. When I have the size I want I cut the extra off and tuck the end under the last circle. I let this dry and then cover with more waxed paper and press it with heavy books. I then peel the top paper off and cut the extra paper from the bottom.

Eleanor of Apex

Braided Rugs: I have noted a great deal of interest in how to make braided rugs. Please go to the Nutshell News Plans Service BOY 118 , Maggie Brown author. It is the definitive source for making traditional braided rugs in nine different colorways. You can use this as a springboard for your own color scheme. The important thing here is technique--clearly defined. You will end up with a lovely rug and not a cupped hat.

SueTutley

Braided Rugs: Make the braids with DMC floss. The using tacky, glue in an oval or circle on a piece of Heat 'n Bond. Then iron according to the instructions. You can get Heat 'n Bond at Joann's. It is lightweight and makes a perfect backing.

Wanda in Phoenix

"Braided" rug Dremel trick: Actually braiding embroidery thread is enough to throw me into a depression. I can never get it even enough. Then, one bright shiny evening at a mini club meeting, Sharolyn Lanford showed us the niftiest trick.

Take 3 strands of embroidery floss of different colors. These strands should be twice the length of your arms (hand to hand). Tie one end of the 3 strand piece to a doorknob. Next, using a large collet, insert a regular cup hook. Tie the other end onto the hook. Move back until the floss is taut (sp? tight? ) Now, turn on your Dremel (slow speed until you get the hang of it). Watch the floss closely. When it is twisted nicely, stop the Dremel (keep the floss tight). Reach half-way down the floss, hold it and gradually maneuver the Dremel towards the doorknob. As you release the pressure, the cording will automatically double twist on its own.

Help it along a bit with the hand not holding the Dremel. Once you're twisted back to the doorknob, grab both ends, cut 'em off and tie a quick knot. Instant braid! Now, on a piece of paper or cloth, glue and arrange the twisted strand into your rug shape. This works for every scale, it just depends on how tight you twist it. 144 scale can be done using 1 piece of floss (1 piece of 6-stranded floss, that is). I used multicolored. My quarter inch cabin has a great bathroom "tank set" made this way. Seat cover, tank cover, contour rug for the commode and matching tub rug. Great fun and FAST!

Carrie in Smithville, TX

Using Dremel to twist string/ contemporary minis: Regarding the twisting of floss or string in your Dremel- I would highly recommend you do this only if you own the variable speed model that can be run at a nice slow speed! An even better method would be to do the same thing with a variable speed cordless drill that will stop when you release the trigger. Better yet would be the old fashioned hand crank style drill- but I suspect not too many people have those around anymore!

BTW- The technique of doubling back the twisted cords and letting them curl together is the old fashioned way of how full sized rope is made. (Another thing I learned from the scouts)

Bonnie Gibson

"Braided" rug, Twisting Floss: Back in the cave days when I was in school ,we used a hand mixer, not electric and tied the ends of floss .one person held the mixer and the other held the yarn. turn the handle to twist. Could probably find one in your Grandmas kitchen.

Shirley Stuart

"Braided" rug, Twisting Floss: With all the talk about twisting threads with your Dremel reminded me of what my mother used to do. She bought a mini manual hand drill, about 9 inches long, and fit a cup hook into it to loop her thread on as it twisted. I hope that makes sense :-). A year after she figured this out, Joann's started carrying the exact same thing made "just for" cord twisting (but hers was about $10 cheaper!). I have also seen it in the Mary Maxim catalog, although not recently. Just a thought....

Sarah from Central Iowa

Twisting Floss: I believe years ago one of the miniature magazines (I *think* miniature collector) had a how-to of making the cording with strands of embroidery floss and a small electric batter mixer. It involved tying one end of the floss to the mixer, the other end of the floss to a drawer and turning the mixer on. You stopped when the cord started twisting around on itself. Then you twisted it evenly, and glued the ends. To cut a piece you determined how long you needed, glued that end and then cut through the dried glue. This way you had a fairly long piece of cording all ready made up for you. I used the method to make cording for a project when the craft store was only carrying gold and silver stuff and it just didn't match my pink theme! The thickness of the cording depends on how many strands of floss you use, and you can intertwine different colors to get a more intricate look.

Kim From Canada