At the end of last month, I did a blog post on how to tell when a sewing pattern is not for beginners, subtitled “Part 1” and today I’m continuing that discussion. It’s not just a lecture, mind you, it’s a discussion! So please add your comments at the bottom. Other visitors to this website will see your comments and learn from them too!

Furthermore, I actually scheduled this blog post for September 9th, but there must have been a power outage or something with my web hosting service because for some strange reason, it just didn’t post when it was scheduled to. So Part 3 posted before I noticed that Part 2 had been skipped. Sorry about that!

And now for my disclaimer statement: some of the links on this page are affiliate marketing links. What does that mean? Find out more on my Privacy Policy Page. For example, though, as an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

During week #1 of this series we took a look at this pattern from this Simplicity doll clothes pattern #4654, which is a fantastic pattern for those of us who have been sewing for a while. However, in the image below, I’ve underlined some key terms that tell us this isn’t the ideal pattern for the absolute beginner.

I’ve underlined some of the recommended fabrics on the pattern, and I want to talk about why these fabrics aren’t ideal for beginners.

First let’s talk about denim.

Now denim can come in many thicknesses and different styles, including stretch denim, faded denim, print denim, and more. Most of us think of denim as “jeans” or “dungarees” fabric.

If you’re working with lightweight denim, it should be fine for a beginner, but if you’re using an old pair of jeans which have been turned into scrap denim, you’re going to need a denim needle for your sewing machine.

Maybe you’re familiar with using a denim needle. That’s fine, but I can tell you that most beginners struggle to use a denim needle correctly. When my daughter was in high school (and both my daughters started sewing as young children, I might add), I remember the first time she tried sewing her jeans with a denim needle. How did that go?

She broke the needle.

I mean, she didn’t ruin the machine at all, but it was frustrating for her when the needle broke. It takes a lot of practice to get used to sewing with denim, and I would recommend starting with lightweight denim and working your way up the scale of fabric thickness gradually, while you learn.

Furthermore, on the cover image of the Simplicity pattern, we see the overalls-style jumper has top stitching, which is tricky to do correctly, even on a fairly lightweight denim. Beginners inevitably end up with wobbly lines instead of topstitching that goes straight across. But hey, you’ll never get better at it until you give it a shot!

On my patterns, I’d definitely give that overalls-dress four flowers because it strikes me as a somewhat challenging project.

If you’d like to learn more about my system of labeling patterns with difficulty levels, please click here.

The other fabrics that were recommended on this Simplicity 4654 doll clothes pattern included knits / jersey / 2-way stretch / stretch terry. These are all stretchy fabrics.

Any way you look at it, stretchy fabrics are going to be challenging for a beginner. Yes, it helps a lot if your sewing machine has a walking foot and you know how to use it, but again, I’ve learned by watching my two daughters as they went through the stages of learning to sew. Stretchy fabric is not something you want to start with.

Now some of my three-flower patterns use stretch fabrics, but you’ll notice that in my tutorials for T-shirt projects, I suggest sewing your stretch fabrics by hand.

When you hand stitch a stretchy fabric, you have a lot more control of where the fabric goes. You can prevent the fabric from rolling in places you don’t want it to roll, when you sew it by hand.

But most beginners want to get done with their projects lickety-split, so I recommend starting with 100% cotton for your first doll clothes projects. It is, by far, one of the easiest fabrics to work with. Felt is the only fabric I can think of that’s easier.

Here’s a list of other fabrics that I do not recommend for absolute beginners:

• Satin
• Crinoline
• Terrycloth
• Velvet
• Corduroy
• Silk
• Leather
• Chiffon
• Organdy
• Georgette
• Voile
• Organza

A lot of polyesters can be tricky too, so if the material feels slippery in your hands or if it frays easily, I’d pass that one by. With some polyesters, you have to adjust your stitch length, and even then, you may end up with bobbin issues due to the fabric’s ability to easily fray. (Fray can get stuck down in your bobbin.)

There’s a product called Fray Check that can help, but polyester is still not the best fabric for beginners, due to its often slippery texture.

But on the flip side, you’ll never learn how to sew those difficult fabrics unless you give them a try. If you’d like some tips and pointers for working with these, there’s an article over at Wunderlabel that might help called, “3 Most Difficult Materials to Sew With and Tips to Make It Work.” Click there for a link to the article.

Now I took another look at the specs on today’s Simplicity pattern, and if I were a beginner trying to tackle this pattern, I’d use cotton fabric without a nap (see this earlier post for what that means) to make Dress F, which looks to be pretty do-able if you were using cotton to make it.

This Simplicity doll clothes pattern #4654 has a copyright of 2005, so it’s probably not in production anymore. But if you wanted to purchase one, I bet you could find it on eBay.

If you’re not sure how to buy used patterns on eBay, you might want to check out this blog post, in which I offered my advice for purchasing used patterns online.

Join me again next week for yet another blog post offering tips for beginners!

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.

Look, I know you’ve probably already heard about it, but my “How to Alter Doll Clothes Patterns” course on the Creative Spark online learning platform will teach you how to alter pants, skirts, dresses, and shirts too. If you haven’t looked into it yet, you can click here to learn more.

I also have a new course on the Creative Spark Online Learning platform which teaches you how to design your own doll pants patterns from scratch, including leggings, overalls, and fly-front jeans. Click here to check out that new course, which is only $19.99!

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.

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

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.