If you would like to print your patterns using Google docs, please view the video above.
If you prefer to use Microsoft Word, please view the video below.
This second video (the one just above) is a bit older than the top video, so please be aware that the instructions may be a little off, due to updates to the MS Word program. However the basic concept is the same.
As these videos become outdated, please help me notice the problem, by leaving a comment at the bottom of this blog post. When necessary, I will create updates to this post for your convenience.
If you’re a person who needs a lot of help when using technology, please consider this: in most places all over the world, your public library offers the free use of computers, and your librarian is usually a willing instructor/ helper. In fact, librarians in the 21st century consider “tech assistance” a large part of their job!
So you might consider visiting your public library to get help with printing my patterns.
I think you’ll find that your librarian will be more than willing to assist you, and the cost of printing at your public library is very minimal.
Additional Information:
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Some of my followers have wondered what motivates me to give my patterns away for free.
First of all, I’m a librarian by trade. Librarians love free stuff! We believe that the more a person knows, the more enriched their life will be. So it may sound kind of crazy, but I want ChellyWood.com to become a sort of library of free patterns that help people learn to sew doll clothes.
If you’d like to learn more about my motives, feel free to visit my Chelly’s Books page.
My Gallery Page is the easiest way to search through all of my patterns to find what you want. Each image on the Gallery Page takes you to links for patterns and tutorials.
Need help printing my patterns? This link offers a tutorial showing you how to download and print my FREE patterns using Google Docs. (For the older print-a-pattern tutorial, which uses Microsoft Word, click here.) To review my difficulty scale (demonstrating how hard or easy a pattern is by the number of flowers displayed), take a look back at this blog post.
Please note: you must enlarge my patterns to fit a full-sized piece of American computer paper (8.5 x 11 inches or 216 x 279 mm) without margins, before printing. These designs use a scant 1/4 inch seam (4 mm to be exact).
My patterns are now available through “Creative Commons Attribution.” This means that I created my patterns (and therefore I own rights to them), but I’m willing to share them with everyone who will tell people about my website.
Here are some helpful ways to tell the world about my patterns:
- You can pin them on Pinterest.
- You can like them on Facebook.
- You can tweet about them.
- Use any other form of social media that appeals to you!
Are you new to sewing? I’ve got a 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.
In case you haven’t heard, I have actually designed some commercial patterns for Lammily LLC. You might want to visit the Lammily website to see what they’ve got going on.
If your question wasn’t answered here, feel free to submit a question. I’m always happy to help my followers find what they need, so they, too, can make amazing doll clothes and crafts.
I just found this website through a google search! I just want to thank you for doing what you do!! My 10 year old is desperately wanting to sew Barbie clothes and sometimes I feel like I don’t know where to start. Your site is going to help us with that! Thank you again. It is much appreciated!
You’re very welcome, Brenda. You may also find it helpful that my YouTube channel, ChellyWood1, has a playlist of easy doll clothes sewing and crafting tutorials for the absolute beginner. This particular playlist includes videos designed especially for children who are learning to sew. These are titled “Easy-Sew Projects for Kids” and these videos were specifically designed to be truly simple for children. Here’s a link to the playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1RWS4CEUFrTiCEAAjW8xlMcn1PcQ1Swt
ridiculous what you have to do just to save and print a pattern
Hi Colleen. Thank you for the comment.
I’m working behind the scenes to convert all of my patterns to PDFs to make the printing process a little easier. However there are literally hundreds of patterns on this site, so the conversion project is going to take me a while. 🤪
On the flip side, this website began as a private journal, wherein I documented my doll-related crafts (time I spent with my daughters crafting and teaching them to sew doll clothes), and I’m amazed at how much the popularity of my website has grown over the years! So yes, I should have posted the very first patterns as PDFs, but I never imagined that this website would become a hub of free patterns for doll collectors all over the world. So I’m playing “catch-up” on my older patterns (the ones I made with my daughters years ago).
Sorry for the inconvenience.
Its free….literally free. She is generous enough to keep it free!!!
I am still stuck on printing the patterns? Do they print on a regular size sheet of paper? What size paper to print on – you don’t mention anything about that! You are busy explaining stuff that already explains itself! How can I print the letter s for the right size – tape two pieces of paper together but the pattern doesn’t allow for that l. I am thankful and can’t wait to get creating but I am getting a feeling of defeat if I can’t get passed the first step! A little more explanation of the actual printing would be helpful for me!
Susan
Hi Susie. I’d like to help you, but it will really help if you’d let me know which of my hundreds of free patterns you’re trying to print.
Here’s why: Most of my patterns are available to print as a simple PDF. For these, you don’t need to make any alterations to the patterns. Just tell your computer or laptop or tablet to print the pattern.
However, the older patterns (the ones that date back to when this website was more of a blog about my personal sewing journey) may still only be available in the JPG (image) format. This page — the page where you’ve left your comment — is designed to help anyone who is trying to convert the JPG images to a printable pattern.
You said you don’t know what size paper to use.
The vast majority of my free patterns have been designed for an American market, which means they are designed to print on American printer paper, which measures 8.5 by 11 inches. These patterns have a note on them that says, “This pattern is designed to be printed on 8.5 by 11 inch standard American paper.”
There are a select few patterns on my website which have been designed for a British or international audience. These are patterns for doll clothes that fit dolls you would primarily find in the United Kingdom. I’m working with some pattern testers from the UK right now to try to perfect these PDF patterns, which when tested and adjusted as needed, will be made for A4 paper (typical printer paper throughout the world, outside of the United States).
So if you do see this comment, will you please let me know which pattern you’re trying to print? It may be much simpler to print than you realize. I can better help you, if I know which pattern you’re working with.