In my inbox, from time to time, I get questions about how to sew an item of doll clothing that I’ve designed, how to design a specific item of doll clothes, or generally how to improve one’s sewing game. Back in the middle of December, I received the following question from someone named Kim:
“Since I’m a beginner… you know how a mother bird teaches their babies to fly and once their babies learn how to fly, the mother bird lets them do it alone? My question is: will [your online paid courses help me] learn ways to see my own styles for the ideas I have in mind?”
Kim’s question was in reference to the online classes I teach in doll clothing design. How advanced do your sewing skills need to be, in order to make the most of my online courses?
This was a great question, and I think you’ll be surprised by my answer because I was genuinely honest about it. Here’s what I said in my email, in response to Kim’s question:
I love your analogy of the mother bird, but I think a better analogy might be an art student. We begin in kindergarten, learning how to finger paint. By the end of first grade, we learn to use scissors and cut out shapes from construction paper.
From there, we may pick up drawing, painting with acrylics, and painting pre-made ceramics. After many years of practice, perhaps by high school or college, we may be able to sculpt or make lovely watercolor paintings.
We will have learned our niche — the area of artwork that suits our natural talents — and we will be able to envision a masterpiece and create something akin to what we have in mind. But that’s not at all possible when we’re still in kindergarten.
We learn in stages, you see.
In my day job, I’m an art teacher and librarian, so I have a very realistic outlook on this. You can’t expect to make your doll clothes look like masterpieces if you only started sewing a year or so ago. With practice, though, you will improve your skills. It takes time, a passion for what you’re learning, and a willingness to keep adding new skills to your base of knowledge as you go along.
Will my “how to design doll clothes” course help you learn ways to turn the doll clothes that you imagine into doll clothes patterns that are masterful? It sounds like a cop-out, but the real answer is… maybe. It’s going to depend upon how much training you’ve already gotten and how much you still have to learn.
It also depends upon how complex your ideas are.
Maybe set a goal for the New Year, to learn 12 to 15 sewing techniques by 2026. Then reward yourself with the class for having achieved the goal!
You can find a lot of free tutorials with just the sewing “basics” on the “Helpful Tips” page.
Kim’s original email had four different questions, which some of you might also be wondering about. In future blog posts, I plan to address each of her questions. But if you also have a question about sewing or designing doll clothes, feel free to submit your questions in the comment section below.
I also have a snail mail business address, as shown above, if you’d like to reach out to me that way.
And thank you, Kim, for allowing me to post this Q and A for other folks to benefit from. You’re very generous!
For anyone who is truly ready to expand their dolls’ wardrobes beyond the patterns you’ve already collected in your sewing adventures, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to check out my “How to Alter Doll Clothes Patterns” course and my “Design Your Own Doll Pants Patterns from Scratch” class on the Creative Spark online learning platform. Here’s my bio page on their website, where you can learn more.
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. You can check out my Creative Spark courses, using this link.
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Chelly Wood and the ChellyWood.com website are not affiliated with any of the doll or toy companies mentioned or shown in this blog post, but Chelly enjoys designing her doll clothes to fit a variety of dolls. To learn more about the doll companies mentioned in today’s post, please visit the doll or toy company’s website.
Michelangelo in his late 80s said he was still learning.
Practice is helping a lot with sewing as knowledge. I have found some doll clothes I have made last year and only few are good, if I had to make them again I’d certainly make them differently.
Every pattern can teach something.
And what I’m sewing today will probably look not so good next year.
I’ll certainly need your course. My new Bionic Woman doll is driving me crazy! She is so big… only the Butterick 6664 pattern is of some help.
And no pattern is available anywhere.
I had to buy few original clothes.
It’s lovely to hear Kim experience, thank you for sharing it with us.
Yes, I thought Kim’s email would be helpful to other people. Glad to hear this blog post provided helpful information and wasn’t just me tooting my own horn with excessive promotion! (I try not to do that.)