Awwwww … So CUTE!
I really enjoyed checking out the links on About.com: Miniature’s list of the Top Eight Sources for Dollhouse Needlework Kits. The majority of these kits are done on 40 count silk gauze, so I was a bit surprised not to see Threads Through Time listed. (I can’t find a website for Threads Through Time; if anyone knows of it, please let me know what it is! 
) However, perhaps that’s because Threads Through Time doesn’t advertise to the dollhouse market (that I know of).
Anyway, I wanted to share Lesley Shepherd’s picks for miniature needlework with you because I think you’ll enjoy looking them over as much as I have.
I particularly enjoyed Janet Granger Designs and MicroStitchery (click on “Stitchery Paraphernalia”) because of the teeny tiny display stands they have available for customers to use to display their miniature needlework in their dollhouses. Too bad the prices for these items aren’t anywhere near teeny tiny, LOL!
I had no idea there were so many options out there for miniature needlework. These people creating items for the dollhouse market haven’t done much to market to the stitching market … Maybe that will change now because I think a lot of their designs are really fantastic!
Of course, there is nothing that says you HAVE TO stitch something on that small of a count. If you fall in love with one of these itty bitty patterns but aren’t comfortable stitching it on 40 count for whatever reason, stitch it on whatever fabric count you prefer.
By the way, I learned a hint from a friend several years ago which has made stitching on 40 count MUCH easier for me. Instead of stitching on 40 count silk gauze, which is very difficult to see, and which requires you to stitch the entire background, consider stitching on 40 count fabric with the fabric being the color you want the background to be. I find this so much easier to see (even when using a dark colored 40 count fabric!) than working on gauze — and since I don’t have to fill in the background, there is also a LOT less stitching to do.
Technorati Tags: miniature, needlework, dollhouse, doll, silk gauze, 40 count, Lesley Shepherd, Threads Through Time, MicroStitchery, Janet Granger Designs