Silk gauze:. I sell 24, 32, 40, 48, 54, 60, 64 and 72 count silk gauze. It is available either in 4"x4", 4"x6", 4"x8" or 5"x7" pieces or by the 1/8 , 1/4, 1/2 or 1 yard. I have just expanded my selection and the shopping cart on my site http://www.micro-stitchery.com is not updated as yet so please e-mail me privately microstitch@aol.comI also have charts for rugs on my site which you might want to take a look at.

Bobbie Schoonmaker, IGMA Fellow

Thin leather, gauze: beautiful thin leather at very reasonable prices can be obtained from http://www.littletrimmings.co.ukThey also sell, as the name implies, all sorts of fabrics, ribbons, threads etc. for miniaturists and doll makers. They have a large catalogue full of exciting things, including antique lace, plus buttons, buckles etc. This business is run by Christine Orchard, who recently took it over again (she started it in the first place and then sold it when she had twins) and she told me that she's going to get the website up and running so that things can be ordered on line. Meantime she's doing mail order.

I've never met her, but I buy my leather from her and the service is first class. I think they may be working on her website at the moment, but her phone no. is +44 (0)118 9473155. She's based in Berkshire, England.

Annie

Fuzzy paper can be had at: http://www.paper-paper.com/fuzzy-paper.html

Alice Zinn- Pt. St. Lucie FL

Looney Tune Mini Fabric: I once used my baby girls cotton undies that had itty bitty "rug rats" characters on them for crib sheets in my mini nursery.   They're great scale, cotton, and just the right amount of fabric.   I've seen Tweety undies at WalMart.   I know I sound almost as bad as the gentleman who absconds with his wife's bras, but if anyone understands, I know ya'll do.   Anyway, I've told myself recycling is a good thing...Hehehe!

MsPBody

Bunka Uses - it's great for wigging the tiniest dolls, and for gluing on as trim on doll costumes. Use it as rope to decorate a 1/2" scale Christmas tree, or make wreaths from green Bunka. Decorate mini Easter eggs, or picture frames. I'm sure other Small Stuff readers will give you 100 more uses.

Paulette in IN

Bunka: use for "embroidered" flowers by (for example) gluing a light green snippet on a darker green, topped with a bit of flower   colored bunka- it's surprisingly effective when kept tiny and smooshed flat. Perhaps I missed this idea for cording- try gluing fabric around wire.   It   helps with draping, too.

Betty in New Jersey

MiniQult: YOU DON"T HAVE TO SEW! In the world of mini's, you can glue it! Just cut out that fabric with the tiny, tiny squares on it, on any really tiny print to the size you want, plus 1/4 inch, then press the edges under that 1/4, (make two sides the same or different). Cut a piece of flannel, or fleece or any other soft fabric about 1/8" smaller than outside fabrics. Make a sandwich with the fleece in-between the 2 outside fabrics with the right side of the fabrics facing outside (* that makes sense *) Put fabric glue on the turned under fabric. this will close the sandwich together. If you can you might want to take occasional in-out stitch with floss or even regular thread just to make a knot. Leave the knot with about a 1/8" "tail". You can make these knots across the quilt wherever you want and it will make the quilt puffy, or just leave as is. I find that if you press the edges so that it hangs down on the sides, you can have it hang nicely. The lighter weight the fabric is, the better it will drape. A "handkerchief" batiste, for example,, hangs better than one of the cheaper fabrics that have a lot of sizing in it. I also, find that if you wash your fabric first before you work with it at all, it removes all that sizing that stiffens the fabric and then afterwards if you need to stiffen it at all, you can just use fabric sizing or starch to make it smooth. If you want it to permanently be set on a bed. just a bit of glue underneath will hold it down. I hate to see quilts sticking out like a board from the bed, so sometimes I use a bit of tacky gum to hold them down too. good luck.

Ruthanne in sunny, hot, (86), FT.MYERS, FL

Antique quilts: Here is a great antique quilt site that has many beautiful quilts to look at that are shown in good scale, for miniature DIY inspiration. http://www.flash.net/~ logcabin/index.htm  

Joann Swanson

Pattern Material: I often made patterns for my old dolls by cutting them first and fitting using paper toweling. It is cloth-like so it can be fitted quite easily, yet is strong enough to really use for a pattern. Have done this with mini dolls, antique, and modern in all sizes.

Anita McNary-Haynes

Checker board border: Making a checker board border could be easy with the use of a rubber stamp. Close to my heart sells, small scale checkerboard stamps. You could paint your back ground white or what ever colors you want, and then use your paint on the rubber stamp. If you do check into rubberstamps you need to keep in mind that you do not have to use the entire stamp, you can pick what you want on the stamp. One set in their catalog 4375 Alphabet frame set, has a checkerboard border with dots around the outer edge. Easily you could take your paint brush and just paint the checkerboard area. I am sure that any one you find that sells stamps would be more than happy to show you how to do that. (S120 Annie Quilt set also has a checkerboard, I have not looked into the other stamping catalogs that I have but I do know that they are out there)

Also in the catalog they carry 'texture' stamps, these would work great as table cloths, etc. Fabric stamping is easy and a lot of fun to do. Having a lot of fun putting my different hobbies together!

Theresa McCann

Quilt Shop Room Box: Check any local museum shops or stationery shops for fancy gift wraps. I once found some in a Baltimore album quilt pattern that I used over time for several "wallpaper borders" in country and Victorian rooms.Look in fabric shops' button sections for mini scissors; cut tiny circles of green felt with pinking shears and glue to red pompoms for pincushions; ink lines on flat wood coffee stirrers for yardsticks; snip off turned tops of decorative toothpicks for spools. Sometimes the quilting fabric sections have mini-quilt print patterns -- I bought a yard a few years ago and am just running out. Very easy quilts -- just stitch together with felt batting and backing, turn, stitch closed, and either machine stitch or hand-stitch along the printed design. (For me, real batting is too puffy to drape over a mini-bed or display over a quilt rack or folded in a cabinet.)

Loretta.Sniarowski

Paper to Fabric Trick:
- First step is to get the design into your computer: scan or photograph with a digital camera.
- Second step is to clean up the design: use a program like paintshop.
- Third: print it on your computer using fabric paper from a quilt shop, I understand Walmart carries this also.
- Fourth: spray fabric with a fixative for stablizing ink...do this OUTSIDE and leave it there to air.
- Fifth: ready to use.

Laurie Sisson

Joan Adams' rug patterns! needlework supplies, mini books, and more! http://www.angelfire.com/wv/minipix

Mary Lynne in Huntington, WV

Fabric, lace, trim: Thanks to everyone who responded to my request for websites that sell mini fabric, lace, trim, and hat straw. Especially Anne Gerdes, Donna Beeken, Sharon (S.Africa) and Reva. And Helen (wherever you are): I am especially grateful for a look at two of her wonderful pumpkin houses. She gave me some great ideas.
The three sites I received (and ordered from!!) are :
http://www.miniatureart.com

http://www.sandyslace.com

http://www.minidolls.com

Judi, foggy Centralia, WA

Sewing Supplies: I just received a new catalog from Home Sew, where I've been buying sewing and doll-dressing supplies for the last 25 years, and they have more interesting goodies that can be used for miniatures, then ever before. They now carry some colors of 4mm silk ribbon and lovely silk ribbon embroidered floral bands that can be used for all kinds of decorating. You'd pay triple the price if you found this stuff for sale at a miniature show. When requesting the catalog, also ask for the sample club card no. 141, because it lists 5 different European Treasure Braids, which are gorgeous embroidered ribbons. These must have a million uses in miniatures - and the prices are low: 2 yds for $2.50. I use them in historical costuming, but a few other ideas are: frame sections as if displaying needlework, pillow tops, chair seats, on cornice boards, fire screens, or panels in a room divider, table runner, small rugs, wall hangings, small upholstery, etc. The web site is http://www.homesew.com Address: Home Sew, PO Box 4099, Bethlehem, PA 18018-0099

Paulette in Southern Indiana

Draping Fabric:  I am finishing out a Willow Crest as an interior designer's studio/display/sales shop, and hope that someone (or many someones) may have a hint or two to help me solve a minor problem. I kit-bashed the house to remove all the walls in the first floor, except for two walls with big archways cut in them between the "foyer" and the rest of the first floor, which I have furnished with groupings of related types of furnishings and accessories (country, traditional/contemporary, Victorian influence, etc.), but my daughter, who is in the know about these things, says that I need more "clutter" in that room. I had planned to add to each "style" vignette a selection of fabric and wallpaper samples from which the customer could choose. My problem is, I am notoriously awkward with fabric, and can't seem to get my "samples" to drape in anything like a realistic way. I have a big leather chair in one vignette and I thought I'd just drape several fabric samples over the back and let them drape down onto the floor, for example -- but my "drapes" all look like stiff little bunches of mini fabric -- not very convincing. Over the years I have read about different methods of "draping" fabric -- wetting, forming into natural looking drapes and letting dry, spraying with hair spray, dipping in modge podge, wetting and forming a draped look over Saran Wrap, etc. -- but none of these seems to work. I have lots of "fat squares" to choose my samples from, and really want them to look natural -- does anyone out there have a fool proof method of getting the effect I want?

My second floor boasts one big room holding a wallpaper and carpeting display unit that covers one entire wall, rolled carpets leaned up against the wall, and a table and chair where the customer can sit and pore over wallpaper and fabric sample books or books on interior decor. There also is a foyer with an elevator door (I took out all the staircases and "installed" an elevator wall on all three floors), and a smaller room with another full-wall unit displaying coordinating wallpapers and a big piece of furniture stuffed with bolts and bolts of different kinds of fabric. I also made lots of fabric and wallpaper sample books that are laying about the place. The top floor is a big office with computer desk and chair, a sitting area, and a small "storage" room cluttered with odd bits and bobs of furniture and accessories. My "designer" is a gorgeous Caco doll in a smart red "wool" dress, and her "customer" is a second Caco lady dressed in a wonderful corduroy pants suit with a lovely shoulder bag. I'm very pleased with the overall effect -- but DO think I need a bit more "mess."

Any hints you can give me on the fabric issue will be greatly appreciated!

Dayle in MD

Thread cutting on the go: For those who are concerned about how to get by without scissors/nippers when traveling: Clover Products makes a round cutter that hangs on a ribbon around your neck. You supply the ribbon. I used 1/8" satin ribbon. This little cutter is about 1 1/4" in diameter. It has little notches in the casing where the blade shows through. Just run your thread over it and it is nipped off. They have them at most stores that carry sewing notions,   or http://www.clotilde.com   or http://www.nancysnotions.com     They run about $5.00 here in MT at Joann Fabrics.

Marcie, Kalispell, MT

Bargello: According to the Bargello home page, http://hal.ucr.edu/~cathy/barg/barg.html   the pattern dates back to the 17th century.  Well actually, the website says it was common in the 17th and 18th centuries, so who knows--it may be even older. The point is, like most good things it's enjoyed revivals from time to time, so I say if it looks good with your over all scheme, go ahead and use it.

Jeri Moriarty

Needlework Supplies & Patterns:  Coats have a website, multilingual with links to USA as well as European, Fun site also    http://www.coatscrafts.co.uk/en/1/procro.html

Mary Jane Doyle sells on line at http://www.minknit.freeserve.co.uk/Default.htm   Also   http://www.crossstitch.org/  Links to www.sewandso.co.uk site with more.

Not forgetting the groups with information help like Jeanette's group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MiniKnittingandCrochet/  She has book marks to sites as well as advice.

There is a good site with fun free projects at http://www.kreinik.com/HTML/freebies/kreinik_freebies.html   lovely snowflake pattern amongst so many freebies

Pauline, Mansfield, UK

Miniature Knitting: Having just spent a number of days in bed nursing an annoying cold, I managed to get some miniature knitting done and I made an interesting discovery.

Sewing up seams in miniature knitting can be a problem because the seam can add to the bulky-ness of the garment which can also reduce the quality of the finished piece.   So, a lot of miniature knitting pattern makers have devised a way to knit these patterns, for the most part, all in one piece, thereby avoiding as many seams as possible.  Still, there will be sleeves to seam up and shoulders to attach, etc.

Well, my discovery came about in sewing up a knitting bonnet from a Joy Parker pattern.   There are 2 edges of the bonnet where a cast off is done and those edges are later sewn to two other edges which "form" the shape of the bonnet.  My discovery was in sewing up the seam on the right side of the garment as opposed to sewing it up on the inside.   Because the stitches are so small when sewing the seam, it turned out wonderful.   Previous to this I had tried sewing in the same manner on the inside of the garment, using small stitches and just catching the selvage edges of the piece with the yarn.   I still ended up with a somewhat bulky seam.   It was passable, but not as flat as I would like.

So, I tested this method again on another piece, knitted shorts, again from a Joy Parker pattern.   The shorts are knit in one piece and there is a seam up the back, then the crotch and legs are sewn.   I sewed the seam up the back the regular way, but the crotch and leg seams I sewed on the right side of the garment and again, it came out great.  It appears that cast off edges sew up the best for miniature knitted garments on the right side than for a selvage edge.   Mind you, this worked well for me, I can't say it will work well for you, but you might want to give it a try. Keep your stitches small and catch as little of the cast off edge as possible when sewing up.   And of course, always use the same yarn/thread you knit the garment with to do your sewing.   It's also possible, some of you may have already done this or know this, but for those of you who don't then it could be good news for you!

Also, within the next couple of weeks, I will be launching a new site on Miniature Net.   The site will be about miniature knitting.   It will provide an extensive Resource section telling you where and how you can find miniature knitting supplies.  There will also be write-ups about knitting patterns, tips for miniature knitting and hopefully as I continue to build the site, I'll also add knitting patterns of my own.  Once the site is launched, I'll write the list to let you know.

Joy in Pointe Claire