Can you mix-and-match vintage doll clothes patterns? #SewingProject #DollClothesPatterns

A Made-to-Move Barbie with fair complexion and jet black hair stands in the middle of this photo. She wears a handmade raglan-sleeved pink shirt and a handmade jumper-style dress (in the American sense of "jumper" as a dress with strappy appearance at the top of the dress). She also wears white plastic sneakers. To the doll's right is Simplicity doll clothes pattern 8281 -- a vintage pattern for making doll clothes that would fit Barbie, Quick Curl Barbie, Farrah Fawcett dolls, and Cher dolls. On the doll's left is vintage Tressy doll clothes Simplicity pattern number 5731. The ChellyWood.com logo appears in the upper left hand corner of the photo.
Please visit ChellyWood.com for free printable PDF sewing patterns and tutorial videos for making doll clothes to fit dolls of many shapes and all different sizes.

In the image above, my Made-to-Move Barbie is modeling a jumper-style dress with a raglan sleeved blouse. These two patterns didn’t come in the same envelope. In fact, they actually came from two different eras in history.

My Simplicity 8281 vintage sewing pattern is from 1977 while my Simplicity Tressy doll wardrobe pattern number 5731 was published in 1964, more than ten years before.

Can you guess which items came from which pattern envelope? Scroll down to the bottom for the answers!

And yes, you absolutely can mix and match patterns from different envelopes, but I do suggest keeping all pattern pieces well-separated.

The photo shows a close-up of the cover of a Simplicity 8281 fashion doll clothes pattern. The following outfits are pictured in the artwork shown here: View 1 is a wedding dress with ruffle and veil; view 2 shows a floor-length cape with lace trim; view 2 also shows a tank top with layered long skirt; view 3 shows the same tank top with a pair of pants; view 4 shows a cottage core style dress with a ruffle and short, strappy bodice; view 5 shows a wrap-around skirt with a raglan-sleeved dressy shirt that has side darts; view 7 shows sweat (athletic) pants and an athletic jacket with collar; and view 6 shows a long-sleeved T-shirt with a vest and gaucho pants (referred to on the pattern as "culottes").
Please visit ChellyWood.com for free printable PDF sewing patterns and tutorial videos for making doll clothes to fit dolls of many shapes and all different sizes.

If you’ve ever ordered patterns on eBay, or if you’ve ever inherited patterns from a family member, you may have opened up your pattern envelope to discover that the shirt pattern from Simplicity 8281 may appear inside the envelope for Simplicity 5731.

Yup. I’ve certainly had this happen a time or two.

The image shows a close photo of Simplicity Tressy Doll Clothes Pattern 5731 (Copyright 1964). The doll clothes patterns offered in this pattern set include a long green ball gown with 1960's bodice style; a knife pleated skirt with a 3/4 length sleeve shirt; a pajama; a pair of pedal pusher pants with a 3/4 length sleeve shirt; a ruffled blouse with an American style jumper; a V-neck dress that goes above the knee; a swing coat with 3/4 length sleeves.
Please visit ChellyWood.com for free printable PDF sewing patterns and tutorial videos for making doll clothes to fit dolls of many shapes and all different sizes.

So that’s why it’s a good idea to keep all of your pattern pieces well separated — even keep the envelope sealed for Simplicity 5731 while you’re sewing the shirt from Simplicity 8281 — so you don’t accidentally drop one pattern piece inside the other envelope!

For more helpful tips and pointers on keeping your vintage doll clothes patterns well organized, you might want to revisit my tutorial video called, “How to Repair and Store Old Patterns.”

And now, here’s the answer to the challenge question I gave you at the start of this blog post… Which patterns are being worn by my Made to Move Barbie in the first photo? These two:

This image varies slightly from another photo similar to it, so bear with me as I describe it. A Made-to-Move Barbie with fair complexion and jet black hair stands in the middle of this photo. She wears a handmade raglan-sleeved pink shirt and a handmade jumper-style dress (in the American sense of "jumper" as a dress with strappy appearance at the top of the dress). She also wears white plastic sneakers. To the doll's right is Simplicity doll clothes pattern 8281 -- a vintage pattern for making doll clothes that would fit Barbie, Quick Curl Barbie, Farrah Fawcett dolls, and Cher dolls. On the doll's left is vintage Tressy doll clothes Simplicity pattern number 5731. A blue arrow points from the raglan sleeved shirt that the doll is wearing to the image of the same shirt on the Simplicity 8281 doll clothes pattern. A red arrow points from the doll's handmade jumper (pink with multicolored polka dots) to the doll jumper worn by Tressy on the vintage simplicity 5731 doll clothes pattern. The ChellyWood.com logo appears in the upper left hand corner of the photo.
Please visit ChellyWood.com for free printable PDF sewing patterns and tutorial videos for making doll clothes to fit dolls of many shapes and all different sizes.

Most of the commercial patterns I display and talk about here on ChellyWood.com are also available for sale on eBay. However, if you’ve never purchased a pattern on eBay before, it’s a good idea to read the article I wrote called, “Tips for Buying Used Doll Clothes Patterns on eBay.” It will save you time, money, and will likely prevent buyer’s remorse.

And by the way, if you use the links I’ve provided to make your eBay purchase, this website will receive a small commission, which helps fund the ChellyWood.com website, so I can continue to provide you with all the free patterns and tutorial videos offered here.

In case you haven’t heard, my Creative Spark class, “How to Alter Doll Clothes Patterns” is now live on the Creative Spark platform. You can sign up any time you want!

And don’t panic if it seems like too much to take on right now — sometimes our lives get really busy. I get that. But for any class on Creative Spark, you don’t have to sign up any time soon. Just sign up when you’re ready.

If you’re interested in taking my paid course, you will pay a one-time fee, and there’s no specific time limit to access your course. You can just take your time and learn at the pace that suits you.

To read more about my free sewing patterns and tutorials, please visit the “Helpful Tips” page.

Disclaimer/Credit/Affiliate Marketing Link:

*ChellyWood.com earns money by linking to JoAnn Fabrics, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and other online affiliate programs. Links provided above may be affiliate links. For a full list of my affiliate programs, and to understand how cookies are used to help this website earn money, please see my “Privacy Policy” page.

Chelly Wood and the ChellyWood.com website are not affiliated with the pattern company or companies mentioned in this blog post, but Chelly finds inspiration in the doll clothes designed by these pattern companies. To purchase patterns from Simplicity, McCall’s, Butterick, Vogue, or other pattern companies shown and discussed in this blog post, please click on the links provided here. These links below the “Disclaimer” section do not help raise money for this free pattern website; they are only offered to give credit to the company that made these patterns.

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