Chain Mail
As for chain mail, look at some of the small laces. They could easily be cut apart and painted with silver or metallic fabric paint. I haven't done it yet, but I have been thinking of doing some dolls of a medieval nature and it was a thought. In one of the old DIM mags, there is a knight doll and they used lace for the chain mail. I'll have to find my old copy and see what it says.
Dale

Chain Mail
Take a lace in the pattern you want and hang it up with clothes pins on a line out side and spray it with hobby silver...let dry and you got it..(may have to spray a couple of times). to make it stiff after it is cut and set to style you can use a fabric stiffener to make it firm.
Ann K

Chain Mail
I just remember something I saw in Michael’s the last time I was there.  They have a metal mesh that is bendable. It can be placed over objects and molded to that shape. I bet it would make cool chain mail for a larger doll. One word of warning. I read a friends post on another list that said it was really sharp and you should wear gloves when using it.

I can't remember if they have a smaller mesh that could be used for mini dolls. I'll have to look next time I'm there.
Dale

Chain Mail
Have you checked out the pot scrubbers that are metal mesh? They might work for you as you can open them out and use them to make the mail.
Take care, Charlean

Chain Mail
I forgot the pot scrubbers are great chain mail. But spray them with a clear coat of sealant. Either gloss or matt this will stop any corrosion if any dampness happens.
A friend in Dolls, Ann K

Chain Mail
Making Chain mail is fun... there are several ways but the easiest is to use the back side of a loose knit fabric... dip-dye it in silver paint mixed with fabric medium so it will remain soft enough to mold to the figure... then cut out , dress figure.... if you need more "shine" ... i.e. the knight's squire was very attentive to his job and made sure his knight was all spit and polish, dry brush the mail with a bit more silver... the original mail often was a bit rusty, particularly in "sweat spots", so you can also dry brush on a bit of rust if you want. Some folks use spray silver paint but that sometimes clogs the chain weave and looks yucky...
Sammy (I'm a girl) Smith

Scotland

Draping
Today I thought that I would talk about draping. I used to hate this part of costuming but now I actually look forward to it. Everyone has their own way of draping, so what I'm sharing is what works for me.

I use a Styrofoam block which I inserted a small dowel into the center. I set the doll down over the dowel to hold her up making sure that her feet are flat on the block. I sometimes wrap the end of the dowel with some cotton batting so that the doll fits snug on it.

I personally like to arrange the folds when the material is dry. I will fine tune the folds after it is wet. I use pins called "bug pins" . I think that they are used for mounting butterflies and such. These pins are very thin and long too. I then arrange the folds using the pins to hold them and then stick the pins down into the Styrofoam.

When I'm happy with everything, I spray the material LIGHTLY with hairspray to set the folds. If you spray too heavily, your glued trims and hems will become unglued. Before you spray, it's a good idea to cover the face, hands or anything that you don't want sprayed. I use a little plastic wrap to cover those things.

I use Aqua Net. Stay away from hairsprays with additives like shine, vitamins, etc. Let it dry well before removing the pins. If there are any little holes in the material left from the pins, just scratch the hole lightly with a pin and it will disappear.

Now, some materials will darken a bit using the hairspray, if this happens I make sure that the bodice and sleeves get an application of hairspray so everything is the same color. Be sure to cover the skirt so it doesn't get a second spraying. A word of caution... Some fabrics need to be preshrunk. Test a scrap of your fabric before you even use it on your dolls!! I just found out the hard way that silk chiffon shrinks. (it's a long story) :o)
Hugs, Cindy/ CG

Draping: The sequel
I have sent pics to the picture list to help explain more about the draping. It also shows how I drape a short skirt. Since the pins aren't long enough to anchor the dress to the Styrofoam I use long toothpicks to help hold the folds. I sometimes use corsage pins in the same way as the toothpicks. You can see how I use the pins at the top of the skirt. This doll was a major salvage job!! It's funny how you start on a doll and it ends up completely different than what it was supposed to be! I hope to have her finished in a couple of days. I will post her again when she is done.

Hope this helps explain my queen talk a little better. Hugs, Cindy G.
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?username=cgates1

Earth Tones
I absolutely love green, in any shade, and the earth tones simply sing to me. Whenever, I call myself dressing an elegant doll in Victorian garb, especially elderly ladies, I pull out my stash a rich earth tones and greens, employing as many textures I desire and turn out my little creation. Granted, they don't look like the fancy, ballroom regalia of many Victorian beauties but they look very grand to me.
Pearl

Earth Tones
Earth tones work well, when the right porcelain slip shade is used. With the right combination- the Doll will bloom.
KarenJeanDolls 

Earth Tones
I was reading with interest that dolls dressed in browns and earth colors aren’t as popular. I happen to adore earth tones and love working with them. I think
the right combinations can be just so beautiful and I know there is always people who's tastes run along the same lines as mine and who will appreciate even the slightly unusual colors. There is one color green I just absolutely love but makes a lot of people cringe. I had one doll dressed in that color and I sold her right away-so you just never know.
Have a great day and thanks for looking!
Hugs, Priska

Earth Tones
I happen to LOVE earth tones on dolls, BUT I think the combination of different earth tones together is what adds the spark. A dark  brown dress can be overbearingly drab, but add say a golden brown or rusty  brown pin stripe and the effect can be stunning. I have to agree that pink,  blue , and lavender seem to be the easiest to sell, and I have found yellow  difficult - Unless you trim it with a lot of white so that the overall effect  looks almost like a pretty cake. Well, those are just my thoughts. Great  discussion! Glad I had time to take a peek! Nice day to all!  Back to my workbench!,
Tracey

Fabric
There are sources for suitable fabric, some of them members of this list, no doubt -- Michelle Mahler, Sandy's Lace & Trim, Etc. Etc., Mini Magic, but thrift shops can be a treasure trove. Look for silk or cotton lawn (e.g., Liberty of London) blouses. Hold them up by two fingers and ask yourself if they will hang well when they're cut down to mini size.
Rosemary Macedonio

Fabric
I've used Chop-Chop before but it is sold at Joanne's as 100% polyester. It's a little harder to glue but works very much like silk. I used it on Maggie (dark green). It presses and pleats wonderfully! I don't really like using polyesters, but chop-chop does work nicely and I wouldn't hesitate to buy more.
Hugs, Cindy G.

Fabric
Most of the time I buy white silk I am sorry to say from Thai silks and paint and color or print it myself.
James Peacock

Fabric
Just a fabric buying tip if there is. White silk saris from places Like the Bombay Store are so cheap and dye and paint wonderfully. The Indian shops sell wonderful trims too.
Sue

Fabric
Mini bear material is called upholstery fabric, but I have used other materials too as
fleece, stretchy velvet, wool material from old coats (works great).
Karla

Fabrics
What types of fabrics are favored for dressing mini dolls and doing soft furnishings?  
I would suggest using cottons suitable for quilts as they are light, strong and take glue well. They also have very small prints.
Laurie

Fabric Stiffness
Wash all fabric first, and use glue as sparingly as possible. I sew a lot to keep the stiffness down.

Fabric Stiffness
As for glue, use sparingly and wash your fabric first. I steam my dressed doll after dressing to get the folds right (that's a whole other tip that I'll write later) and that seems to helps take the stiffness away.

Fabric Stiffness
Another suggestion in preparing your fabric is after washing, use a fabric softener. This really works well when using cotton fabrics that are a little on the stiff side to begin with.

Feathers
Wonderful peacock feathers can be found here:  http://www.boxess.com/pfeth.htm
Marsha

French Seams
There are two versions of the French seam, the sewn version and the glued version. For the sewn version, pin the 2 pieces WRONG sides together. Sew a very narrow seam, about 1.2 the seam allowance. Trim to make it even narrower with VERY sharp scissors. Press. Now reverse the material so that the right sides are together and the raw edges are inside. Press carefully. Sew seam on the seam line. This encases the raw edges of the preliminary seam inside the regular seam, creating a tiny sort of tube of fabric on the wrong side. This method works very well on light weight fabrics but is not good for heavy fabrics.  For the glued version, put a very narrow STRAIGHT line of glue along the edge of the fabric and glue to the opposite side, right sides together. Let the glue set up, then carefully trim the seam with very sharp scissors so it is very narrow. Holding a flat pencil or piece of wood behind the seam, put glue along the trimmed seam and glue the trimmed edge flat. Press while still tacky to smooth the seam.
Sammy (I'm a girl) Smith

A French seam is used in Designer clothing mostly.  You place the right side of the two pieces you are sewing together and sew the seam, to reduce bulk in the seam when finished trim close to stitching. Turn to wrong side and sew as usual and there are no raw edges showing on the inside of the garment. This could be done with glue, but allow it to dry between each step.
Lenora

Glue VS. Sewing
I use my regular sewing machine for things like Petticoats & pantaloons. The rest of the garment depends on how complicated it is and what material I'm using. Sometimes I do hand sewing because I feel like I have more control that way. I almost always sew sleeves in by hand. The only things I ever glue are bows etc. I don't like to glue.  Probably because I'm a messy gluer, and then too, my mother who used to dress antique dolls for a local antique shop always used a needle and thread. I use fray check. I hope this helps a wee bit. I'm not a professional by any stretch of imagination.

I just dress dolls for my own amusement to people my dollhouses.
Wee Hugs, Patsy

Glue VS. Sewing
I don't sew anything that I don't have to. I use white glue; Tacky is good, designer Tacky is better. I don't recommend that Fabric Tac. It works great (but be careful cause it's messy) but over time it yellows and gets hard.

There are other white glues that are excellent. Everyone has their favorite.  Just make sure it is a flexible white glue or you'll get stiff spots!
Bev in Colo

Glue VS. Sewing
You don't have to sew much, if any, of the clothes on miniature dolls. In a pattern where it says sew, I glue!! Dressed one doll one time that was all sewed seams, clothes came off, button holes, etc. I looked at that doll and said, "I am never going to undress this doll, so why did I do all that work?" Been gluing ever since.

There are also some great pattern books for miniature dolls. I buy the Dover paper doll books, look at the pictures. Get out my patterns and see which pieces of patterns will work for that dress. In other words, I do mix and match with the pattern pieces.

Glue VS. Sewing
Mostly I machine sew.

The smallest face plate and regular presser foot rather than the zigzag ones make the fine seams easier. A fine needle helps the singer red bands for natural fibers and the gold band for the poly's.

I also find that tracing the pattern onto the backside of the fabric, sewing then cutting out makes a lot of things easier also.

Glue VS. Sewing
Glue it does not take much. I get a monoject 412 syringe to apply my glue. there are small bottles of Aleens tacky glue that have these syringes with it. the tip is curved and I
fill my syringe about 1/3 full.-never more. to keep it from drying out I put the plastic piece that holds price tags on clothes in it. Sometimes you can get these syringes from veterinarians as they use them to irrigate wounds and feed baby animals.

Glue VS. Sewing
Sewing by machine takes 2 threads, a bobbin and a top thread. Sewing by hand uses 1 thread. A seam sewn by hand will drape better than one sewn by machine. Whether you sew a seam or glue a seam is a personal choice - Some would NEVER glue, some would NEVER sew, some will use what ever will work for the particular style. Some of the modern fancy machines can do some truly tiny fancy embroidery work for petticoats etc. which can work out nicely, particularly if the over-skirt needs to give the illusion of hoops, etc... on the other hand I saw a skirt with big yellow ducks embroidered around it (obviously the machine wouldn't go smaller) that looked quite odd. The best way to chose is to use your own judgment and not be afraid to break your own rules - try something, look at it, walk away for a day or so,  come back and see it with new eyes.
Sammy

Glue VS. Sewing
To glue or to sew, that is the question...whether it is nobler....
ooops, seriously though, the answer to that is which ever works best for you... the top IGMA doll artisans are basically split right down the middle on the question, so the choice is yours... I sew by hand because one split silk thread lets the material drape better, does not stiffen the seam as much as a super fine line of glue...... machine stitching uses 2 heavier threads so doesn't drape as well... but there are some places where glue is the only way to go because the slightest hint of a stitch mark will spoil the illusion....such as the hem of an unlined skirt...

Sewing VS. Glue
As one who started sewing at the age of 10, I thought you had to sew everything. Actually, most of what you do requires glue instead. There are times when some sewing is required but they are few and far between. Try taking a doll dressing class, you will be amazed at the techniques you will learn and that will build confidence. If you are lucky enough to take a class from Dana ... she will teach you so many things. If that isn't
possible, she has a couple of books that tell many of her secrets ... well worth acquiring.
Jan

Heirloom Sewing
This is not a technical definition, but will give you an idea. French Heirloom sewing is where pieces of lace and fabric are stitched together, side by side, to form a design or pattern.

When you mention wee holes, it sound like you are referring to the use of a wing needle stitch as used in heirloom sewing, it create a row of evenly place holes. You would need to be a minimum of 1/4 from edge of fabric. I use the Serger roll hem for men, that can be done with the regular machine also. Take a lot more time and practice to keep it straight For the women handkerchiefs I use a blind stitch since lace will be added. Hope this help
Dana.

Heirloom Sewing
 I discovered heirloom sewing a few years ago, after sewing almost all my life. I felt I'd tried everything, and then I came across one of Martha Pullens' books. I was into big dolls at the time, and this opened up a whole new avenue!

Heirloom Sewing
I was amazed at how many expressed their interest in learning this style of sewing. My goal is to hopefully provide you with new information that you do not already know. It was not until I took lessons to learn smocking that I learned that a needle has a wrong side and a right side, that thread has a right direction and a wrong direction. To be honest, I wish that I had never learned about the directions of thread because every time I thread a needle I stop to make sure that I have it going in the right direction. The tip on thread is as you take the thread off of the spool it is in the right direction and will not unravel as easy, this is really more important with embroidery thread. The tip on the needle is that the right side of the eye is larger, therefore making it easier to thread.

Many of you have asked "what is French Heirloom sewing". In response I posted just a brief description, but here is a true definition:

"Heirloom sewing adapts French hand sewing to machine methods. Although an heirloom project still takes patience, practice, and careful work, with modern sewing machine technology you can now master techniques that were formerly done by hand. Projects can include small items, such as a bonnet; parts of a garment, such as a blouse yoke; or a total garment.

"Basic heirloom techniques consist of joining strips of fabrics and trims......." (See picture below)

The instructions that I am going to give you are for creating a full size project. I feel that it will be easier for you to learn this way and get the feel of using the techniques on the machine. Then once you have the techniques down you will be able to apply them to any thing that you sew.

How about if we do a pillow, you decide on the shape: square, rectangle, or round, but nothing to complicated like a star. The shape does not matter, but I would recommend a size that gives you enough practice stitching. So a pillow that is only 3" X 3" isn't going to give you as much practice as say a pillow 8" x 11", use a piece of typing paper as your pattern.

Here is a thought that I want to pass on while I am thinking about it.  Let's say you want to make a dress that has a skirt made out of rows of lace, picture in your mind Gibson Girl style, the blouse will also be constructed out of rows of lace and so will the sleeves. It is easier for you to lay of all of your laces, side by side, and stitch them together, then place your pattern pieces on this piece of "lace material" than to make just enough for one pattern piece over and over for each piece. What ever you have left over you can use on other projects.

While you are experimenting with these tips, please use inexpensive laces and fabric. You will need to practice before you actually use these techniques on your expensive batiste or silks.

One of the first fabric preparations after washing the fabric is to make straight edges to where you will never be off the grain. If you are working with batiste, snip the salvage and rip the material across – it will rip, fast, with the grain and once you have pressed the fabric it will be a straight edge. Do this for both directions of the fabric. If you are working with Swiss cotton, snip the salvage, pull a thread across to the other salvage and then cut using this missing thread area as your cutting guide. (See email Picture One)

After this, spray your fabric with starch, on both sides, and press using a pressing cloth (this will prevent scorching). This gives your fabric some body to work with while you are sewing and prevents raveling, if you are careful. Once you have the fabric pressed you will need to trim the raveling off. Place the fabric on a cutting board and with a ruler as a guide placed on the edge, use a rotary cutter. (See email Picture Two)

Spray starch all of the lace that you are working with and press. Be sure to use a cloth to prevent scorching (I have found that a man's white handkerchief works great for this, just the width of the ironing
board).

All of this will seem time consuming at first, but the preparation will save you so much time during the construction of your garment/project.  I can do yards and yards of material attached to lace or lace attached to lace in minutes. French seams that are less than 1/4 of an inch wide. Now you won't do French seams on doll clothes because of the bulk, but again it's the preparation that allows you to do such tedious
work well.

When purchasing materials for heirloom sewing or miniature garments, buy only natural fiber fabrics, cotton or silk is usually the best, the thinnest you can find. Use extra fine thread, like cotton machine embroidery thread, that will not add bulk to the seams.

For your machine needle use size 8 (60) or 9 (65). These needles are more compatible with the thread, materials and lace that you will be using. A new needle is a must and change the needle every five hours of use whether it feels rough or not. Rarely will you ever use sewing pins to hold pieces together while sewing.

Please try to never buy pre gathered lace. One, the weight is usually too heavy to begin with and second, the gathering is too bulky. Besides that, you are going to learn how to gather lace with out stitching a gathering thread in it. Lace has a thread in the header that you can gather. Look at any flat edge of lace, not the scalloped edge, and you will see two heavy threads. At the end of your lace, about 1/4 from the end, take a pin and gently pull up on the inside thread, not the one on the outer edge. Once you have this loose "gently, gently" start pulling it, it will start to gather. If you are working with a long piece of lace, work to the center of it from one end and then go to the other end and work to the center from that direction. You will not need to make your gathers tight, you want a soft ruffle, leave the gathers spaced loosely and make sure that the gathering is even the whole length. Be very gentle with this gathering thread because it is delicate and if you break the thread while you are gathering you will only have one other thread to gather with, plus it leaves the edge thinner.

By using this "built in" thread to gather with, you are: one, deleting a preparation step, stitching a gathering thread in; second, you are creating the narrowest edge to use when you attach the lace to the material or lace; third, you are cutting down on bulk because you are not adding a gathering thread. In miniature garments this is very important.

Definitions: (See email pictures Laces and Trims One and Two)

1. Insertion lace - two straight edges (picture Laces and Trims One)

2. Embroidery Insertion - a piece of fabric that has an embroidery design that is placed between lace pieces. (picture Laces and Trims One)

3. Edgings - one scalloped edge (picture Laces and Trims One)

4. Embroidery Edgings - a piece of fabric that has embroidery on the edge. (picture Laces and Trims Two)

5. Beadings - woven holes to accommodate ribbon trims (use double-faced satin ribbon in beading and for ties). (picture Laces and Trims Two)

6. Header - the flat edge of lace.

7. Entredeux - resembles hemstitching with seam allowances on both sides. Entredeux is used to strengthen your seams when you are attaching lace to material. (picture Laces and Trims 2)

In my next steps that I post I will cover rolling and whip stitching: attaching lace to material, lace to lace, and puffing. (See email Picture Samples, Samples One and Two)

Some items that you will want to have for the next set of tips:

Insertion lace;
Thin cotton fabric;
Edging lace;
Very fine sewing machine needles;
The thinnest thread that you can purchase;
Zigzag foot peddle; and
Zipper foot peddle.

If you are going to make the pillow to practice this is what you will want:

First you need to decide if you are going to cover the front and back or just the front. Purchase enough lace and material accordingly. Allow 1/4" side seams. It will be pretty to use a contrasting color material underneath the lace so the lace patterns will show up, if you are only doing the front your material will be the back of the pillow.

Choose one piece of insertion lace for your center strip, usually a wider piece than the others, you could also use an embroidery insertion for this. Then lay different lace patterns and widths on each side of the center, do the same on both sides. (The picture below will give you a good idea of how to create a pattern with your laces.)

If you want a wide ruffle around the edge you will need to select the scalloped edge one first and then choose the insertion edge lace(s) to make the ruffle the width that you want. This could be one, two, three, however many you want. I would suggest that you use the laces that you have used for the pillow cover, by doing this your ruffle will match. You do not have to use all of the laces, but some of them to make the ruffle the width that you want it. When you are buying lace and material to ruffle, measure the pattern and double it: 8 1/2 X 2 = 17 inches; 11 X 2 = 22 so for the ruffle you will need to double 39 inches X 2 = 78 inches or 3 yards and 6 inches of each piece of lace.  You could also use embroidered edging for this attaching it to your lace(s). This is where it gets expensive using the high quality laces.   So before you decide to make a ruffle that has an embroidery edging and 4 lace patterns wide use your calculator and see how much you are spending on the ruffle alone. Another idea is to find a really pretty piece of material, tapestry or an embroidered pillow top and do just a ruffle.

I hope that you have garnered some information that you did not already know. Please understand that the instructions are to teach you specific techniques used in heirloom sewing. It will be up to you to decide where you can adapt these techniques into your miniature garments.

Inspiration
it seems every time I really want a certain idea to unfold my way some thing always happens. I just made a Bride which I am sure she did not want to be a bride had to change the dress 3 times. I would get so far and it would be all wrong and I couldn't go on. It was getting to be a challenge to who would win this war. Does it work like that for others? when I finally did get her done she is really nice but now I can not get one picture of her to come out. I am going to try something different tomorrow...Different camera. I want to send a picture of her. A friend in dolls
Ann K

Inspiration
As for me - usually a piece of fabric will inspire me, then I must ponder on the style and then what kind of trims/colors and where they should go. I think for me, that that is the hardest part of creating a doll. Many times what you might picture it to look like, isn't the way it turns out. Last month I tore apart 2 dolls that were almost completed because I just hated them. My third try was satisfactory and I will post a picture of her as soon as I put on her earrings LOL

I also have many books on costumes and pictures which also can be an inspiration.
Cam

Inspiration
My dolls begin with a visit to the treasure trove ...a large closet tightly packed with bins of silks, laces, trims and the like. As I look through the various bins and drawers I pull out things, which catch my attention. After that, I narrow the selections down to what I think the next doll will need and select the doll kit which seems to have 'the look' I have in mind. Then I begin; however, the doll never finishes in the way I first envisioned ... as I proceed, the doll tells me what it needs next and I've had some wonderful surprises along the way. Each doll is a separate adventure for me.

If any of you haven't visited James' website, I urge you to do so ... amazing work. I say this speaking as one who hasn't got one sculpting bone in my body but who can appreciate true greatness.
Jan Duda

Inspiration
I work in several ways. Most times I can envision the entire piece and I work it out and like you sometimes I fail. My most recent example would be a little boy and girl fighting over a bag of planting mulch. it breaks and spills all over the place. Well, I sculpted the dolls, made the mini bag of cedar bark, even fashioned a way to make it look like the stuff had spilled out. However, when assembling it all. it just did not look natural. Sooooo the little boy ended up with a baseball, mitt and a bat slung over his shoulder and the little girl is dragging a heavy bag of mulch toward her mom who's kneeling in the garden. Much more realistic, fluid scene.

Since I have been doing shows for quite some time and I hate doing dolls I've done before. I now rely on movies, TV and plays for inspiration. This helps with the creation of a character. a look. but I always need to have my little ones doing something so I envision a scene for them and proceed from there. This works for me. In addition, I really enjoy custom orders since many will result in an exciting creation that I would never have thought of myself. A good example would be a Miss Haversham doll. I think someone recently posted their version. I just got a request for her today. This should be interesting.
Pearl

Inspiration
Here are some hints that I use (besides enjoying the positive effects of sunshine <G>).

I have a 'tear' book ... magazine photos that 'interest' me whether hair, eyes, lips, position, dress, shoes, accessories etc I tear out and put into a regular notebook. I have several of these and whenever I need inspiration to strike off I go! Now sometimes I take the hair from one, the eyes from another, the dress style from the next, and finally  the position of the 4th.

Material is also the big kicker for me. Many people get interested in getting a doll and see how she will be dressed...I get a new hunk of material and my mind is off wandering how she is going to be made.

Other options are wonderful costuming books. I take digital photos of, or scan anything (as time allows) out of these books that creates a 'to do feeling' and burn these to a CD OR simply (I know here goes again, but I LOVE this program) enter it into my Instant Recall program and when I type in 'Marie Antoinette' up comes different entries with photos so I can see which book exactly, go to my library pull out and wala!

Excellent books for ideas .... brides books for the way the dress flows, positioning, and upsweep hair dos. ART magazines with perhaps an article on a specific artist and his early works. Renaissance magazine (filled with ideas!). Civil War magazines with wonderful historical photos.....
All in all...GREAT subject! Happy Creating!
Dana

Inspiration
Sometimes when you are really stumped with a miniature project, its best to relax and play with it. Like putting a pot of something to simmer on the back burner, suddenly it becomes soup.  Dressing dolls is the same way, don't try to rush or force things. Your
creative brain side doesn't have time or language in it. That's why if you are thinking of something before you go to sleep, you often wake up with the answer.
Laurie Sisson

LACE
Gathering lace
It is the nature of lace and/or ribbon to twist. If you are upset by this, take a scrap of foam core and a straight pin...start your gathering, then stick the started end on the board and stick a pin in it to hold it for you.  When you have the required length, secure the pinned end to your fabric, catch with pins along the way and stitch into place.
Laurie

Gathering Tip
The easiest way to get action is by sewing lace on in a circle, and once on the doll, running gathering stitches through skirt to hold in place whether up in the air or sitting.
Dana

Overcast Stitch for Gathering
Now I hope I can explain this stitch. She had us use quilting thread, doubled and then knotted. You take your first stitch up from underneath the  fabric pull it through and then go over the edge and underneath the fabric  again. Just keep your stitches small (which I didn't do the first time).  When you're done, you will see your stitches going over the top of the  fabric all across to the end. I was surprised that the thread was quite  thick and doubled but it does make the gathering easy and she told us to pull  very tightly to gather the cuffs and the doubled thread assured that the  thread wouldn't break. I'm sure she only uses this thread for gathering as  we glued all the seams.  Another thing I forgot to tell you is the way she made the pantaloons. They were simply two rectangles the length of the dolls leg glued together and then trimmed with lace. She told us to slip the rectangle onto the dolls leg, pull the seam slightly apart to fit onto her body then glue the front and back seam together (leaving room at the back to sew the gathering stitch around the waist)
Cam 

More from a pattern
this is just an idea but when your looking at patterns look beyond what there  intentions are like pantaloons extended could be jeans/ shorts and a camisole top could be a strappy t shirt or extended to a t dress or night gown" underwear pattern " like this would probably be the easiest for a beginner to make . sue Atkins book has a page of these. hope this helps
Mel

Sue Atkinson patterns
I too have a copy of Sue's book...and found the fact that it was too big in bodice, too short of skirt, but the patterns themselves are wonderful to work with, the photos are great, and the drawings are beautiful! I prefer the patterns of Susan Sirkis and the patterns of Marie Wheat myself. Now on that side, they are long of dress and sparse of BOZZUM.....but with a little fitting, cutting, pasting, and TAPING, they work great! And the patterns are for grown ups!

Patterns
I keep cutting out patterns and then having to do them over the next time I want to use them. Last night I got this brilliant idea!!!! I glued an envelope inside the cover of the pattern book and when I got through with the pattern piece I put it in the envelope, marking any changes.

This is really scary!!! I'm becoming organized!!!!! Thanks Hazel for the tip on the disappearing pencil and the line of glue. Works great!!! Much better than pinning!!!!
Mini Hugs
Bev in Colo

Patterns
There are LOTS of patterns in the various back issues of the magazine...
To learn more about the magazines, please go to: www.dollsminiatures.bigstep.com
and click on the picture of the cover of the magazine and then on the various links.
viola

Pattern Adaptation
All most any basic pattern piece can be made to look "modern." If you want to dress a modern child as an example, it is easily done even from a Sue Atkins pattern. Using a pattern that Sue has in her book for a little boys trousers cut the pattern the same but use a light weight chambray material and voila you have a pair of jeans. Using a light weight knit material (a pair of cotton knit baby socks will do) and Sues pattern for a blouse you have a great looking tee shirt.

Pattern Adaptation
there are only X number of styles of necklines--collars--sleeves-- waistlines. All patterns are derivative of those few styles. some are more or less exaggerated than another. you can take any pattern and make it to suite any year style. look at any pictures in the catalog and see if you can fine the different ones. say rounded neck, collar,... cap sleeve, gathered sleeve (leg O mutton an is exaggeration of this) I wish I could draw here. But, yes I've heard of using paper towel and have used it before.

Pattern Adaptation
I'm on the digest over so am always a bit behind. Those who have posted to "alter patterns" from the center are exactly right.

I sew rather than glue my minis, because I can never get the glued fabric to be as soft as sewn. I machine sew the seams and hand sew about everything else. With machine sewing, it really, *really* does make a big difference having a new, sharp, straight, right sized needle for the fabric your using. For hand sewing minis a very short needle also makes things go easier.

Pattern Adaptation from Regular Patterns
someone once said you can take the "instructions" from a full size pattern and enlarge it to make mini costumes, too. for modern patterns, go to a fabric store and look at the patterns they sell for real clothes... on the back or sometimes inside there are tiny drawing of the pattern pieces included in the envelope... those can give you a good idea of the shapes you need to make for your dolls.
For making doll patterns out of regular patterns-there are pictures showing what the pieces look like. the are small scale drawings of the big patterns.  Enlarge these-it is a lot easier that shrinking down huge patterns :) I go to the copy shop with a doll in hand and measure the back bodice piece to the doll. If the back bodice will fit so will the rest of the pieces:)

Pattern Sizing
Any tips on altering a pattern? One tip I read said to first cut the pattern out of a paper towel and then alter it

Pattern Sizing
How would you alter say a bodice if it's too wide? Take out excess at the front center.  That way the shoulders and sleeves are not altered, to reduce the size of a bodice.

Pattern Sizing
If your bodice pattern is placed on the fold down the front, try placing the pattern a little bit over the fold. Thus cutting down the size of the fabric. You can take a little off the back sides also.  I have made as many as 4 or 5 muslin or paper towel pieces before I got the pattern to fit exactly to the doll.

Pattern Sizing
I used to take my patterns and a doll bodice to a copy place. the people were always very helpful in getting the back bodice to fit the doll. We would shrink it and lay the doll on it until it looked right to us. If the bodice piece fits all the others will too. For modern patterns you can enlarge the pieces on a people dress pattern to fit the doll -back bodice again.

Pattern Sizing
Usually if I have to alter a pattern I adjust it in the center front or the center back. To alter the front if it is on a fold just move the pattern over so it overhangs the fold a little. Hope I made sense with that statement :) Hopefully I will figure out how to get these pictures and patterns to all of you. these are patterns I have used for 20 years and they have worked so well that I do want to share them.

Pattern Sizing
When ready to dress a doll, I start looking for a pattern. well I find it and guess what wrong size. Not to worry, I have magic formula to fix that...here it is:

TO INCREASE THE PATTERN example: the size you have is 17 inches and you want 21...divide 17 into 21=1.23..set the copy machine or scanner to 123 percent.

TO DECREASE THE PATTERN
example: you have a 17 inch and want a 14 inch...divide 17 into 14 +.82....set machine for 82 percent

This works really good. just check the machine, I use my scanner ,to see if the pattern you copied is the correct size. All machines are different but I have done Barbie patterns(12)I round off to the nearest number, set my scanner(hp710)to 50percent(that’s for a 6 inch doll pattern)and they work just fine.  So give it a try. Simplicity pattern company has put out a great line of Museum Collection patterns. that are just wonderful for miniature’s. I get mine when Joann’s has their .99 cent sale...never buy patterns full price.
Vicki

Patterns
My mother was a sample maker and pattern-cutter in the big world, and this is what she did. She had a series of basic patterns, called 'blocks.' They were standard patterns to fit anyone (in real life they would be graded) for a bodice, skirt and dress with marks where darts etc would go. When the designer gave them patterns they would get the block which most near approximate to the drawing and adapt it, using it to produce an accurate pattern which could be used to mass produce the item.  so it might be a good idea to produce a library of basic patterns that could be adapted. I've been using this method for a while, and it works quite well. The block is in heavy card or light wood, as it has to keep its measurements for a while.
Lynne

rayon -- More than you ever wanted to know -- How it's made.
Rayon is a fiber made from cellulose which is natural. Rayon itself is called "Synthetic" because it's not in itself a naturally occurring fiber, but the cellulose from which it is made is natural - and often Rayon is handled like a natural fiber. Rayon refers to there the fiber made from cellulose or the material that is made from the fiber. We can thank the French for Rayon which was first produced from Cotton Cellulose in about 1884. The Frenchman who did it was Hilaire de Chardonnett (spelling) It was called artificial silk and was a big flop because it was very shiny and was very hard to clean. (although we must give credit to some British scientists who suggested that making of "artificial silk" in the 1600's Much better now, and it's made now mostly from Wood Pulp from which the cellulose is extracted. I love working with Rayon. It can be treated to simulate wool, linen, or cotton and I often think in some forms it is like silk. (I could tell you how it's made, but do you really want to know?)

I suppose rayon fibers used to make the thread from which the material or fabric is made is not in the strictest sense "natural" but it is in the truest sense "natural" because it comes from a natural source. (wut did he say?)
James Peacock

Rayon - Can Rayon be glued.
Yes, I have glued Rayon to use. Most of my work is larger than the true mini and in some "mini" sized pieces of my little women with wings(filly dills on my web site) I'm using mostly silk. My Grandmother Peacock piece (also on my web site) which I did for the white house is costumed with Rayon. The dress is Rayon and also the Apron. Some Rayon is very, very light weight and that is what I looked for that piece. I used Magna Tac for the parts which I glued. (I also sewed parts of that piece) I love going on field trips to the fabric district here in New York looking for fabric -- to see what they have come up with this year.
James Peacock

Rayon
Just my 2 cents, I love working with Rayon...it is so soft and drapey...no problem gluing for me.
Michelle Geoffrion-Mahler

Ruching
I have never made the enamel flowers before but I have done some ruching. Stacy Hofman is an expert at both! Here is how I do my  ruching. Stacy, help me out if I miss anything or if you can add more  info! :o)   I allow ribbon at least three times the length need, for example if  you need 3" of ruching you need about 9" of ribbon. Apply glue to one end and let dry. With a pin or needle, expose two threads to pull. Go slowly working the ruching down to the glued end. There are different kinds of ruching:

1. pulling a single row down the center
2. a single row near one side
3. pulling a row at both sides
4. both sides and
down the center. When you are done ruching, put a bit of glue to seal the ribbon before you cut.  Hope this helps. Hugs,
Cindy G.

Ruching
I do mine by sewing a gathering thread in the ribbon. If you do a zigzag it gives a nice look. I've sent this one before.
Tina

Silk Fabric from Blouses
I used to just go crazy buying them up but now I'm much more selective. Check to see what sort of silk you are getting. Lots of silk blouses have been treated so they can be hand washed. That silk is usually really springy and thicker which makes it hard to work with it. You want silk that wrinkles when you scrunch it up. The more it wrinkles, the thinner it is the easier it will be to work with it allowing you to drape it in a pleasing matter. (I believe that's how you tell how good a quality the silk is too-the more it wrinkles -the better)
Priska

Fabric Finds
Your friend who is looking for silk/silky printed fabric might find a suitable fabric in a silk scarf. Sometimes, you can pick them up very inexpensively at thrift stores such as Goodwill.
Jean in Apollo Beach, FL

Silk Paint
To obtain different silks in the same color tone, I use SetaSilk - it's a great silk paint - can be mixed with the dilutant for different tones, and  is permanent once heat set. Comes in several dozen colors. Best of all, it washes off your skin with water!
Whui

Silk Definitions
China Silk (habutai) - plain tightly woven very fine silk fabric.  Sometimes called tissue silk. Can be found in different weights.
Charmeuse - Very drapable fabric. Woven from a crepe yarn (twisted).  Satin on one side dull on the other. Used in women lingerie often.  Sometimes known as crepe back satin.
Taffeta - I tightly woven fabric. Usually heavier than China Silk but you can find tissue taffeta. Very crisp feel to it. It is suppose to be because of the weave but it could be because of an applied finish.  (I learned this the hard way when I tea dyed a piece and the "taffeta"  went away.) Creases and pleats beautifully.
Organza - Thin gossamer fabric with a crisp hand. Somewhat transparent. Can be used to create volume under a skirt or in a sleeve head. Makes a great overlay fabric due to it's transparent nature. It's cousin is Organdy which is made of cotton.
Chiffon - Transparent soft and lightweight. Very drapable.
Georgette - sheer crepe, heavier than chiffon and with a crinkle surface. The "crinkle is due to the twisted fibers before the fabric is woven. This is true of all "crepe" fabrics.
Michelle Geoffrion-Mahler

Slips
I sometimes use a thread from the fabric I am sewing as it is the right color and the right weight. Just pull threads. If the fabric is light enough and the slip is a flared one not gathered, cut 2 slips and then just about 1/16" from the bottom of the slip fun a bead of glue along the bottom edge, try to keep it straight and even on the right side of fabric. After it is dry turn the wrong side of the fabric together and press. Open out again and run a bead of glue from the waist of the slip to the hem and to the other side of the waist. With right sides together press the other side to the first side. What you end up with, looks kinda like 2 cones glued end to end, but then slide the under side of the slip up to meet the waist of the first side. The seams are sandwiched inside. That puts finished seams where they can't be seen. If I did not make it clear, I will try to make one and attach a picture.
Sylvia in Big D
Porcelain Doll Artist

Make the slip shorter and fasten it on the doll below the hips. If you put the pantalettes,
slips and skirt all around the waist your doll will be way too fat :) By layering underneath you will have a slim waistline.
Beth Lane

Depending on the era, you also make the slip a bit shorter so that you can add lace trim without it dipping below the hem of the dress. before machine made lace, only the super rich would trim undergarments with lace where it wouldn't show....... Now a lassie wishing to entice might whirl her skirts exposing her lacey petticoat while dancing to attract the man of her dreams...
Sammy

As in real life, slips/petticoats come in all lengths and types....Victorians wore their slips/petticoats almost the same length as their dresses.  Contemporary people? Anything goes it seems. I like my slips (this is a personal observation) about an inch shorter than my skirt.
Wolfie

Under slip
As promised ... here is how I do my under slip so that you don't need a doll stand.

You will need Wonder Under which is a fusible webbing available in the fabric and craft stores. Some very stiff pellon. and the fabric you are using for your doll's undies. I've shown you the pattern piece I use. I cut two of the pellon, three of the Wonder Under, and two of the slip fabric.
1. Fuse the two pieces of pellon together with one of the Wonder Under sheets ... the directions come with the Wonder Under.
2. Fuse another sheet of Wonder Under to one side of the pellon. Remove the backing sheet, and fuse one piece of fabric. Turn it over and repeat by fusing the fabric on the other side. You now have the finished slip fabric.
3. Assemble your doll and glue her pantaloons in place. Then wrap the slip into a cone, as you can see in the picture. Glue the overlap area about 2/3 up from the hem. Let dry. Then slide the doll in and glue the slip to the dolls hips. You don't want any extra bulk around the waist.
4. After it dries and is secure, trim the slip with lace or whatever you prefer and begin to dress your doll. I always make a pretty soft petticoat to go over the stiff under one ... I just think it's prettier that way.  It's really quite easy and it's nice to have your doll
be able to stand on her own. I hope you find this helpful.
Jan

Shoe Laces
I took a piece of white sewing thread and pulled it thru Velverette glue and then took my tweezers and arranged the thread to look like laces. Took forever as this was my first try at it.
Linda Stokes

Filing patterns
I use to use envelopes for my patterns also but now I am using a 3 ring binder with the clear pockets (report) so now I can see what I am looking for easy
mel

Sweater
Sweater question - for cuffs and collar, I would use gross- grain ribbon as it has that weave look to it. Another thing might be finding a baby sock the same color and cutting off pieces to make the cuffs and collar edges.
Bev in Colo

Sweater
One nice trim edging is to use a needle and SINGLE thread, run the thread just under the weave in a spiral fashion, and draw the material tighter around the wrist. More scale than adding anything to it.
Laurie Sisson

I have often used grosgrain for cuffs too, if I can find a matching color. Another thing that works is to cut a strip from regular cotton knit. Fold it in half... then s-t-r-e-t-ch it across the doll's arm for cuffs.. Glue it stretched out. Some materials, when stretched, take on a "ribbed" look.
viola

I only use silk threads for mini sewing. Since the costuming is so small, you
>must use really tiny stitches to maintain a neat appearance. The silk thread
>helps to accomplish that. It works so much better with the finer
silk fabrics
>too.
>Pearl

I use silk thread too whenever possible... A gal showed me how to untwist it into strands so it is super-duper fine years ago... and have used her technique ever since. the English ultra fine needles #12 and up are wonderful for working on silk... misery to find around here though...
Sammy

Trimming Fur/ Velvet Embossing
Greetings everyone!  Today I would like to share with all of you how to scale down real fur and how to emboss velvet. I used both of these techniques on Sarah.   Embossing velvet is done using a rubber stamp and an iron. I chose a fairly large stamp that had a intricate design because I wanted the whole gown to have a pattern. You could also choose to have a single design like a rose strategically placed on the gown.

Cut your pattern pieces out of your velvet. Place velvet piece nap side down on the rubber stamp that is placed rubber side up, position as desired. Lightly mist the back of the velvet with water. Use a dry iron set at medium and press and hold for about 10-20 seconds right on the back of the velvet. Don't do a side to side motion. Lift the iron carefully. You may want to use some tweezers to hold down the velvet when you lift the iron up. The velvet tends to lift off the stamp and you don't want the piece to shift. The rubber might give off a slight odor but it should take the heat, but I would pretest the
rubber first before embossing. If your iron has steam vents, use a portion of the iron without the vents or use a Teflon pressing cloth. That's it! This design is not permanent, so you don't want to get it wet. I was able to do some draping on the gown using hair spray but sprayed VERY lightly.

Now for the fur... I've only used fur one time and this is just the way I worked the fur. There might be better ways, but I was happy with my efforts. I chose mole fur because it is soft and short haired but I still had to scale the fur down for better proportion.  Some of you are probably wondering what a mole is... All I know is that it's a little larger than a mouse and considered as a pest. The pelts are about 3" x 5". I should mention that all this work was NOT done on the whole pelt at one time but done on individual pieces previously cut from the pelt using little patterns that I made.

To scale the fur down, start by brushing the fur up against the nap so the fur is sticking up. You are basically "petting" the fur the wrong way. Then with small sharp scissors, start giving the fur a "hair cut". Cut a little at a time, trying to blend the cuts into one another. (I hope that makes sense) Dog groomers call it "scissoring" . You are actually sculpting the fur with your scissors. Lay the fur down with your hand to check if there are any jagged spots in your cutting and to check the length of the fur. Brush up the fur again and do some more cutting and blending until you are happy with the look.  It takes some time and practice to get it to look right.  Mole fur is not expensive, so you may want an extra one to practice with. Here is a link where I found some mole fur. They have other furs and feathers too.  http://www.straitsflyfishingoutfitters.bigstep.com/
Hope this talk was a bit of a help. :o) I'll be happy to answer any questions that you may have. It's been a little confusing having two Cindy’s on the list, so it was suggested to me that I could be referred to as CG on the list. I thought this was a wonderful idea, so when posting to me on the list, address it to CG. :o)
Hugs, Cindy Gates/CG

Fur
If you use the fur off an animal muzzle (the pelt around the face and mouth) you will not need to cut it down. You can sometimes purchase mink heads on eBay from those old stoles. The fur is very short around the face of the animals and works well on miniatures.
Regards, Valerie