This is a preview of what I’ll be making with you this week. I’ve created a new series on my YouTube channel, in case you haven’t heard. It shows the absolute beginners how to do everything from sewing a hem to adding lace to fabric.

This doll dress, which is designed for 4.5 inch (11 cm.) dolls like Mattel’s Chelsea™ doll (and similar sized dolls), looks complicated, but it’s really not. I must say it’s not as easy as the Polly Pocket™ dress we made two weeks ago or the Petite Barbie™ dress we made last week.

However, this folk dress is pretty darn easy, as doll dresses go. You don’t have to hem the collar because we’re using simple felt, and I just attached the lace directly to the bottom of the fabric without hemming.

These tutorials and patterns have been created in response to a number of requests I received for patterns that grandmothers could use to teach their grandchildren to sew (and a few adults who just want to learn to sew for their own children’s dolls). I’m trying to keep this series as simple as can be.

Sleeves can be a little tricky, which is why I’ve said this week’s pattern and tutorial are just a wee bit harder than the ones I’ve made over the past two weeks.  Not hard, just trickier because of the sleeves.

But if you managed to make the Polly Pocket™ dress or the Skipper™/Petite Barbie™ dress, then you’re ready for this next step! I hope you drop by later this week to have a look at my free pattern and tutorial.

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For those of you who already feel comfortable with the basics of sewing for dolls, check out my new Gallery Page, where you can pick an outfit for a doll, click on that picture, and the link in the caption will take you to all the free, printable patterns and free tutorials you’ll need to make that outfit.

If you want to see all of my Easy-Sew Projects for Kids as soon as I post them, check out my playlist of tutorials for the beginning sewists on my YouTube channel. It includes video tutorials showing you how to do a basic straight stitch when sewing by hand, how to use the whipstitch to hem a garment, how to sew on snaps, and even how to design your own doll clothes patterns, for those who are new to design and alterations.

Feel free to pin, like, or tweet about my free patterns and tutorials.

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.

And in case you haven’t heard, I have also designed commercial patterns for Lammily LLC. They have some new dolls in their line, including a new male doll, so you might want to visit the Lammily website to see what they’ve got going on.