Dolls that get played with get dirty. The oils from your hands cause dirt and dust to stick. Fortunately, vinyl is one of the easiest materials to take care of and restore. Even dolls that are just displayed will need a good cleaning every once in a while. It is a good idea to strip the clothes off of a doll periodically even if it has just been standing on a shelf. This gives you a chance to check for damage such as dye from the clothes bleeding onto the body or marks from a doll stand.

    Baby wipes are a marvelous way to clean off light soil -- they're pre-moistened with a mild detergent and they are thin enough to get into places like little nostrils and between fingers.  If you don't have any baby wipes handy, a damp, soft cloth works well. Use a little dish washing liquid, like Dawn, if needed. My favorite cloth for this is a thin, soft, cotton baby washcloth that I keep just for this purpose.

    Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to get into crevices like mouths, ears and between fingers.

    If the soiling is difficult to wipe off with just a cloth and mild soap, the next thing I reach for is baking soda. The mild abrasive texture will remove all but the toughest scuffs and stains. (The powder in the skin care kits sold by Pleasant Company is just baking soda.) Touch your damp cloth to the baking soda to pick a little up then just rub gently. Be careful around painted areas because even a mild abrasive can rub off paint. Wipe the vinyl off with just water once you're done scrubbing with baking soda.      If your doll has any greasy or sticky spots, you might want to try a product called Formula 9-1-1 from Twin Pines. The folks at Twin Pines are knowledgeable about the chemistry of vinyl dolls and their products are made specifically for them. And they work. If you like fixing up old dolls and do it fairly often, it's worth investing in some Twin Pines products.    A Dolly's World also makes a "Doll and Wig Cleaner" which I have not tried.     Another choice for tough marks is a Buf-Puf. This is a round, white facial pad that you can find in any drug store, even (they cost around $4). These are gentle (they are meant to be used on skin, after all) but should remove even the most stubborn scuffs. Don't use them on painted areas and do not rub too hard anywhere or you may scratch or dull the vinyl. Do not use kitchen scrub pads; they are much too abrasive.     Finally, if you still have marks on the doll, try a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. These pads have a cleaning chemical in them (which is why I use them only for stubborn marks) but they often work wonders. Magic marker, for instance, can often be taken off with a Magic Eraser after other methods fail.    These cleaning tips should help you remove just about any dirt and grime from the vinyl parts of the doll. Sometimes, however, a stain can penetrate into the vinyl. Ink from markers or pens, dye from clothes and mildew are the most common sources of stains. For this type of deep cleaning you need more than elbow grease, you need chemicals.

Quick and Easy Christmas
Decorating

1. Simple really is quite pretty and sophisticated for the holidays. Add a red bow to a basket, spray some pinecones gold, or spritz some glitter on a candle.



2. Use swags as the base for floral decorations. Swags come go on the mantle, over a door, cover the corner of a door, or be placed flat on a table for a centerpiece. Swags are available made from most materials from evergreen to grapevine.



3. Quilts can act as a quick tree skirt or table clothe and add a special country flavor to the room!



4. Cookie cutters make perfect napkin ring holders during the holidays and all through the year.



5. Glass ornaments aren’t just for the tree! Fill up baskets, candy dishes, and other containers with the shiny fun balls that symbolize the holidays. A special touch is to add light; a small string of lights makes the ornaments glow!



6. Don’t just use fresh evergreen for florals. Add other delights like boxwood, holly, ivy, ferns, and even bare tree branches plain or sprayed white.



7. Run out of wrapping paper? Use the Sunday comics. Use a plain box and stamp it with fun prints. Use fabric. Freezer paper sprayed with glitter. Use your imagination!



8. Why just pour plain old shelled nuts in the nut bowl when you can spray them gold or silver!



9. Some more great ideas for gift wrap: brown or white lunch bags with iron on transfers or stenciled, recycle 2 liter bottles that you have foiled, or create a holiday basket with lots of sparkle.



10. Need more ornaments for the tree? Why not add some family treasures? Some old mittens, grandma’s handkerchief, dad’s old pipe, some of the children’s small toys, a favorite teddy bear, a string of buttons and baby booties. Can you think of more??

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Linen Some linens are washable, while others are dry clean only. Washable household linen, handkerchiefs, and linen apparel can be washed easily and become softer with use. White linens should be dried in the sun, if to help them to keep their whiteness. Generally speaking, dry cleaning is recommended for drapery linens, upholstery linens and decorative linens. Linen fabrics may need frequent pressing, unless treated for crease resistance.
Made from flax, a vegetable fiber
Characteristics: Comfortable, good strength, twice as strong as cotton, hand-washable or dry-cleanable, crisp hand, tailors well, absorbent, dyes and prints well, lightweight to heavyweight, no static or pilling problems, fair abrasion resistant.

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Cotton
Cotton can be easily laundered. It can withstand high temperatures. Any good detergent can be used to wash cotton. Chlorine bleach can be used safely on cotton whites. Use color safe bleach on dyed cottons. Since cotton fibers are fairly inelastic cotton fabrics may wrinkle easily. And, fabric may need frequent pressing. However, cotton fabric can be treated with a wrinkle resistant finish to create a more resilient fabric/garment. The label will tell you if this finish has been applied. A higher heat setting is needed in the dryer to dry cotton. Cotton will take much longer to dry than less absorbent fibers. Cotton can be ironed with a hot iron and does not scorch easily.
Nature made cellulosic
Characteristics: Comfortable, soft hand, absorbent, good color retention, prints well, machine-washable, dry-cleanable, good strength, drapes well, easy to handle and sew.

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Compiled in the following list are some of the most common fabrics available to the home sewer. Take a few minutes to review this list before you go shopping. Another great help is to read pattern directions carefully. Most patterns will recommend fabric choices that work best with the design. Picking the right kind of fabric can make a big difference in the long-term care and upkeep of a project.

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Acetate
Should be dry-cleaned. Some knits are washable. If laundering is indicated, use the following guide: Hand wash in warm water with mild suds. Do not twist or wring out the garment. Do not soak colored items. Press while damp on the wrong side with a cool iron. if finishing the right side use a pressing cloth. Circular knits should be laid flat to dry. Note: acetone and other organic solvents, such as nail polish remover and perfumes containing such solvents, adversely affect Acetate.
Made from wood pulp or cotton linters
Characteristics: Luxurious appearance, crisp or soft hand, wide range of colors, dyes and prints well excellent drapeability and softness, shrink, moth, and mildew resistant, low moisture absorbency, relatively fast drying, no pilling problem, little static problem. Most acetate garments require dry-cleaning.

Quick & Easy Chic Purses

Clutch bag
1. Use any proportion (bag shown is 10-1/2 inches by 6-1/2 inches). Cut flap area no wider than finished bag width.		2. Bind edge of flap, adding three button loops. Sew side seams to make a pouch. 3. Box the bottom corners.

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Great ways to decorate with left-over candies

Wrap star

Guests can snip off the candies on this colorful wreath. What you need: Scissors, white embroidery floss, hard candy (in the wrapper), tape. To make: Cut several lengths of embroidery floss. Tie center of floss around one end of candy wrapper, leaving two loose ends. Holding wreath between your knees, tie wrapped candy onto wreath, knotting floss in back. Repeat. To make the wreath fuller, use tape to add a few extra candy pieces.

Mint Condition

For a more traditional flavor, combine peppermint and spearmint starlights.

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Showcase your favorite festive creation in this yummy gingerbread doll house storage cubby that you paint yourself! Place it on your mantle or hearth for a homey holiday decorating touch.

	Wooden Doll House Acrylic Paint, Buckskin Brown  Acrylic Paint, Raw Sienna Snowtex Foam Sheet, White Christmas Foam Shapes, Peppermints Paint Brush Craft Stick Craft Glue

	Paint entire doll house Buckskin Brown-let dry.        Use Raw Sienna to paint edges and inside corners (about ¼-inch ) to look like gingerbread. Paint spots with Raw Sienna as seen in photo. Let dry.        Cut length of foam to fit roofline of house about 1-inch wide and wavy to look like snow. Glue in place.        Adhere foam candies along roofline with craft glue.   Please check out my store for sewing patterns and craft books.  Crafty Gifts etc      Use craft stick to add Snowtex to corners and roof line of house as desired. Let dry.

Q Why don't patterns fit like ready-to-wear? I wear a size 6 in ready-to-wear and refuse to believe I am a size 10 in patterns.

Many people have trouble with fit because they can't break the "ready-to-wear" habit. What do we mean? It means you have to forget about what size you are in ready-to-wear, and reconcile yourself to the fact that your pattern size will be different. "I know I'm a size 10 so why can't I just buy a size 10 pattern and know it will fit?" You can't! Think about the last time you went shopping for ready-to-wear clothes. Did all the size 10 garments fit you exactly the say way? We're sure they didn't.

Simply put, when it comes to size, there is no consistency among ready-to-wear manufacturers.  Use the same basic body measurements to draft the corresponding pattern size, regardless of the fashion style or designer logo that appears on the pattern. This means that once you have determined your correct pattern size and know what pattern adjustments you need, making the necessary changes on the pattern tissue becomes an automatic and routine part of your sewing.

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