Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Uncategorized

Learning to sew with Simplicity 8281 doll clothes patterns #VintageDolls #DollClothesPatterns

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.

I can’t look at Simplicity 8281 without getting a happy feeling in my heart of hearts. I have so many memories associated with this wonderful doll clothes pattern!

It dates back to 1977, but I don’t think I owned the pattern until closer to 1979. I would have been about 12 years old then, and I remember making the yellow sundress a lot of different ways and using many different fabrics.

Simplicity 8281 gave me early opportunities to work with lace, eyelet and tulle (esp. when making the wedding dress), it helped me understand ruffles, and it inspired some of the patterns I have created for ChellyWood.com today.

Through the links you find below, I’d like to share some of the lessons I’ve learned from this pattern, as well as some of the sewing concepts I’ve developed as a result of the many times I’ve used this pattern to make doll clothes over the years.

As you can see by the long list of blog post topics above, Simplicity 8281 has filled my life with many happy sewing memories!

In this image, we see the Chelly Wood doll (actually a Spin Master Liv doll wearing a grey dyed wig, blue glasses, a long-sleeved white shirt with black printed flowers, and a pair of black pants with white Mary Jane shoes) holding up the Simplicity 8281 fashion doll sewing pattern, which was published in 1977.
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.

*Please note: when you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include Amazon, JoAnn Fabric, Etsy, and the eBay Partner Network. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. To learn more about how my website uses affiliate marketing, please visit the website’s Privacy Policy page.

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.

For more of my free tutorials, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, ChellyWood1.

If you would like to make a donation to this free doll clothes pattern website, please click here. There’s also a “Donate” button in the main menu.

For anyone who would like to expand their dolls’ wardrobes, you should really check out my “How to Alter Doll Clothes Patterns” course and my “Design Your Own Doll Pants Patterns from Scratch” classes on the Creative Spark online learning platform. Here’s my bio page on their website, where you can learn more.

This image shows four rows of artist's renderings of doll clothing items. The top row shows four different styles of pants. The second row shows four different styles of shirts. The third row shows four different styles of skirts. The fourth row shows four different styles of dresses, with skirts in long, short, and mid-length styles. The text reads at the top, "Classes in Doll Clothing Design" followed by this paragraph: "Have you ever wished you could create patterns of your own? Click on the links to Chelly's online courses below, to learn more about her paid courses in doll clothing pattern design techniques."

For 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.

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

Disclaimer/Credit/Affiliate Marketing Link:

*Please note: when you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include Amazon, JoAnn Fabric, Etsy, and the eBay Partner Network. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. To learn more about how my website uses affiliate marketing, please visit the website’s 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.

6 thoughts on “Learning to sew with Simplicity 8281 doll clothes patterns #VintageDolls #DollClothesPatterns”

  1. I used to sew clothes for my daughter’s barbie doll from that pattern. I think I might still have it somewhere in the house.

    Reply

  2. My father used this pattern, a pattern with a jumpsuit for Ken, and his crochet skills to fill a shoe box with clothes for my Christmas present as a child. I recently bought 8281, but it only has page one of the instructions. Do you have any suggestions for getting a copy of the complete instructions?

    Reply

    1. Oh no! Don’t you hate that? Me too!

      When I get a pattern with no instructions, I wait for another partial pattern to come up on eBay and just buy a second pattern. A lot of times, if the seller knows it’s a partial pattern, they ask a lower price. But you have to watch for those deals and be sure to email them to make sure it has the instruction page you need.

      Best of luck to you!

      Reply

      1. Have you heard of dailydoll.shop? They offer pdfs of vintage patterns. I’m researching the site to make sure it is legit. Thanks for your help!

  3. Have you heard of dailydoll.shop? They offer pdfs of vintage patterns, and I’m investigating to make sure they are legit.

    Reply

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