Ken Patterns, Miss Revlon, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sindy, Tammy Doll Patterns

What are you working on? Tell me about your sewing projects! #SewingProject #Motivation

A Spin Master Liv doll that's supposed to look like the real doll clothing designer, Chelly Wood, sits at her desk in an office. She's watching a sewing tutorial and thinking about sewing (according to the thought bubble over her head). Beside her desk is an old fashioned Barbie carrying case. Her desk is cluttered with books and other projects. Her tiny bookshelf is seen behind the desk.
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 my day job as a school librarian, we just got done administering standardized tests (an extremely stressful for time for both students and staff), so I found myself feeling a bit unmotivated over the weekend. In my sewing room, I have a bunch of irons in the fire, but I spent more time watching other people’s sewing videos than I did with my own sewing projects.

So in today’s blog post, I’ll share some of the projects I’ve started but haven’t finished, and I’m hoping all of you will leave comments that inspire me to shake off the sluggishness and re-join the motivated sewists out there! Please leave a comment letting me know what YOU are working on, and how much fun you’re having with it — or what your struggles are, if that’s the case.

*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, 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.

Image 1 shows an unfinished doll dress made for Ideal Tammy from Simplicity 4883. Image 2 shows a table with paper patterns cut out and piled up. Then an arrow points from these patterns to an image of a vintage Miss Revlon doll wearing a sun dress that's too big for her. In image 3, we see a vintage 1969 Ken wearing handmade trousers (pants) and a handmade checkered dinner jacket. An unfinished collared shirt is lying on cutting mat beside him, along with a finished black and white striped ascot. The text reads, "Works in Progress." The Ken clothes are from vintage Advance 2899 doll clothes patterns for Ken, Barbie's boyfriend.
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.

The image above shows the projects I have on the drawing board at this time.

  • In Figure 1, we see yet another version of the View 1 sheath dress for Ideal Tammy dolls, which I’ve made before for both Tammy and Sindy, using Simplicity 4883. I truly love that dress!
  • Figure 2 shows the patterns I’ve been designing for my 20 inch Miss Revlon doll. They’re all cut out and waiting for the next step, while poor little Miss Revlon waits around in the frumpy-looking sun dress that I made for my 28 inch Barbie.
  • Figure 3 shows a project I’ve wanted to make for a long time… an outfit that uses my Advance 2899 pattern for Ken.
A photo of Ken vintage doll clothes patterns from Sew-Easy by Advance, pattern #2899 shows the following outfits for Ken (top row starting on the left): a blue short-sleeved shirt with collar and a pair of drawstring white pants; a boat-neck charcoal colored T-shirt with maroon bermuda shorts; a white bathrobe; (bottom row from left) khaki trousers with a long-sleeved white shirt that has a collar and single front pocket; a brown dinner jacket; a pair of yellow pajamas including a collarless pajama shirt and pants.
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.

Once I get the whole outfit done for Ken, I’m hoping to try it on a number of other male dolls, just to see what other dolls can use this pattern.

I’m hoping it will fit my BTS doll!

A BTS doll is shown in its original packaging.
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’ll let you know, once I find out. I may also try these clothes on some of the other male dolls I have, like Skipper’s boyfriend, Kevin, Spin Master Jake, etc…

So now that you’ve seen what I’ve been working on, it’s your turn! What projects do you have underway? And how’s it going for you? I look forward to hearing your inspirational stories!

I also look forward to commiserating with those of you who sometimes face struggles in your sewing adventures. Motivation is my biggest struggle right now…

This image of a turquoise blue sewing needle pulling purple thread away from a line of cross-stitching is used as a divider between sections of a blog post.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, 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.

4 thoughts on “What are you working on? Tell me about your sewing projects! #SewingProject #Motivation”

  1. Hi Chelly, I want to work on sewing projects like the halter dress from Simplicity 6697, clothes from Simplicity 4702 and Simplicity S9769 this month and all summer long. I haven’t been able to do this for a year due to personal and financial reasons. Plus the disappointing news about Joann Fabrics locations closing. Hope you understand that.

    Trisha

    Reply

    1. I do understand. I’m a little behind on my own projects, as it mentions in this blog post, and I, too, was heartbroken by the closing of my local JoAnn’s. 💔

      Reply

  2. My last sewing project, well, it failed. I was working on a Barbie t-shirt with repurposed material, the one that you offer, but I found the making of it too complicated for my sewing skills. I wish you had a simpler pattern for a Barbie tee, like the one you have for an 8 inch doll. I think I’ll try to find a pattern that is just the classic T-shaped one, that we only have to sew the side seams and then hem everything. So currently I’m making an Adirondack-inspired mini chair for my new Ken doll.

    Reply

    1. Débora Domingues thank you for your honest comment! I’ve been thinking about making a simpler, T-shaped T-shirt for Barbie dolls, and your comment has inspired me! Over the next few months I will try to create one, but it may be later this year before you see the final product. (Sometimes it takes longer than that because I usually test my own patterns a couple of times before I finalize them.)

      Best of luck on your chair project! I hope it brings a happy smile to your face when completed… 🙂

      Reply

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