Let’s share! What are you working on this summer? What sewing projects do you have underway?
Leave your summer sewing project descriptions in the comments section to give inspiration to everyone who reads this blog post!
See the pile of vintage sewing patterns at the top of this post? That’s what I’ve been working on…
I found all of these lovely uncut, vintage doll clothes patterns on eBay in a store owned by CreativeDaisy, and she has more of these wonderful patterns, along with dolls and other collectibles!
You should go check out her store!
I was especially thrilled to find the vintage Sunshine Family patterns (see purple arrow above). I do have quite an extensive collection of vintage-to-modern doll clothes patterns — and of course, I’ve made a few Sunshine Family doll clothes patterns of my own (see image below) — but I had never seen the McCall’s Sunshine Family patterns before.
So this summer I’d love to make some of the projects from the McCall’s 4716 Sunshine Family pattern set.
And while I sew, I love to listen to Patsy Cline. That’s why I just had to buy the McCall’s 7137 Barbie Western-themed doll clothes!
If you’re not familiar with Patsy Cline, here’s one of my favorite songs by her, which may help you feel inspired to sew as well:
Just look at that gorgeous dress Patsy’s wearing in the thumbnail for that video! A lot of her videos show her in beautiful, amazing, vintage garments! And did you know her mother made a lot of Patsy Cline’s stage clothes?
Soooo inspiring!
But in the pile of doll clothes patterns I bought from CreativeDaisy, the one that truly inspired me — and I’ve already started to sew adorable little outfits with this set — is the Simplicity 5861 Skipper set.
I can’t even begin to tell you how impressed I’ve been with this set of Skipper patterns from Simplicity.
One of the problems I’ve found with Skipper pattern is that they often fit a little big on Skipper. This is true, even with more modern Skipper patterns.
Maybe designers are afraid they’re going to fit too tightly. I don’t know what the deal is, but Simplicity 5861 has, so far, had an amazing fit to each of the garments I’ve made so far.
And while working with these vintage Skipper patterns, I’ve been inspired to create my own version of some of these patterns too. Watch for those Chelly Wood-made patterns around Christmas time or maybe in early 2024.
Another project I’d like to make this summer is a matching Skipper and Barbie vintage outfit set.
In the summer, it seems like I’m always drawn to gingham, so I bought some black gingham fabric quarters to work with.
As you can see in the image above, this Simplicity 5673 vintage Barbie pattern has a jumper along with a shirt with a collar and 3/4 length sleeves that actually looks very much like the Skipper version of the same outfit from Simplicity 5861.
But I’m not sure this jumper set is what I want to make for Barbie and Skipper using black gingham fabric. Instead, I might make ankle pants and a short-sleeved shirt. Or maybe a dress with a bolero jacket.
I’ve already made these cute ankle pants, and I love how they fit my vintage 1963 Skipper:
But enough about my summer projects. What are YOU working on? What videos do you watch or what music do you listen to when you’re sewing?
Inspire the rest of us! Please leave comments!
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Do you wish you could afford to buy more doll clothes patterns, but your budget just doesn’t allow you to? If so, my Creative Spark class, “How to Alter Doll Clothes Patterns” may be just what you need to make my free doll clothes patterns into the patterns you’d like to buy.
I also have a class called “Design Your Own Doll Pants Patterns from Scratch.” In this class, which costs only $19.99, you will learn how to create your own pants patterns, including leggings, fly-front jeans, elastic-waist pants, and overalls.
With any class on Creative Spark, you don’t have to follow a schedule. Just sign up when you’re ready.
It’s a one-time fee for the course, and there’s no specific time limit to finish your course. You can just take your time and learn at the pace that suits you. So go check out my paid courses on Creative Spark, using this link!
As always, feel free to pin, like, or tweet about my free patterns and tutorials. You’re welcome to share any of the images from today’s blog post on social media.
To read more about my free sewing patterns and tutorials, please visit the “Helpful Tips” page.
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To honor the trademark rights of the doll companies mentioned in this blog post, I am including links to their websites here. Please feel free to visit their website and consider purchasing one or more of the dolls mentioned.