Ask Vicki...

What are the essential supplies needed to start making Dinky Babies?

Christen-

This is a great question and a very important one. The most important thing if you are making a Dinky Baby is the fabric. The patterns were designed to be used with craft velour (only found on the website or any doll supply website). You will not find this fabric in any fabric store.

The other items that will make your experience in Dinky Baby doll making a success are light weight interfacing - used for tracing the pattern. You can use the traced pattern over and over again and will last for years. This also preserves the paper pattern (many of which are printed on both sides).

A set of sculpting needles is essential-the 5 1/8 inch needles are the perfect size for sculpting the face and the body, the 2 1/2 inch needles are great for the fingers and toes and even for sewing on the yarn hair. Embroidery needles are something you probably have on hand, but are also needed to embroider the eyes.

The thread I personally use is called Dual Duty and the color I use is natural (unless you are making an ethnic Dinky Baby). This thread can be found in any fabric store and maybe even at Wal-Mart.

The stuffing is an important part of making a Dinky Baby. The body arms and legs can be stuffed with poly fil or anything similar. The head, since it is the most important part of the doll, should be firmly stuffed. I like using a denser type of stuffing for the head, anything with bamboo in it will work, two other great ones to use are Mountain Mist(c) or Morning Glory(c). These stay put and do not shift and provide a firm feel so the head will hold it's shape.

Just use inexpensive embroidery floss for the eyes and mouth. Silk is not good.

Those are the essentials other then the normal things you already have on hand such as scissors, sewing machine and the usual sewing supplies.

If you have the above items and a Dinky Baby pattern and the other items called for on that pattern you should have all you need to make a Dinky Baby. Good luck and keep making those Dinky Babies.

Vicki-