Today’s tutorial is not for the beginning sewist. There. Now you’ve been warned!

But if you’re suddenly feeling panicked because you were really excited about watching the video on how to make my Curvy Barbie™ crop top pattern, don’t get your dolly knickers in a bunch! I’ve got another tutorial on the way, to show you how to make the crop top without all these fancy embellishments.

But for today, I want to show you how to alter a shirt pattern to fit a doll who might be a little curvier than the traditional Barbie™. In the video, I show you that you should fold the pattern to shorten its back closure; only fold the pattern if you’re using my Curvy Barbie™ shirt pattern, which is actually designed to overlap for snaps. Therefore, if you’re wanting to alter a normal-sized Barbie™’s shirt pattern to fit Curvy Barbie™, Ideal’s vintage Tammy Doll, or perhaps the lovely Lammily Doll, then I’d keep the original pattern as-is and add your button hooks (button loops) to the bias tape exactly as shown.

In other words, if you’re altering a regular pattern, don’t fold the pattern as the video shows.

Also, you don’t have to cover your buttons with cloth to make these button hooks work. They’ll work just fine on a regular Barbie-sized button. I actually put together this tutorial for a fellow fashion designer (she designs for human beings instead of dolls though), because she wanted to know more about how to make button hooks for cloth-covered buttons. Here’s a shout-out to Vendula!

Need help printing my patterns? This link will take you to a tutorial showing you how to download my free, printable patterns.

If you’re wondering why I make patterns and tutorials without charging a fee, please visit the “Chelly’s Books” page, and that should explain my general motivations. Overall, I love to sew, design doll clothes, and embroider, and I think it’s important to share my talents with the world, so others can learn to do what I do.

Want to show your appreciation for my free patterns and tutorials? Please do so by liking, pinning, tweeting, and/or somehow sharing this tutorial video with others.

Did you know Chelly Wood has designed patterns for the Lammily doll company? She has! And this website will tell you more about Lammily, if you’re curious. Also, this link will take you to Chelly’s patterns on the Lammily website.