For your free patterns and tutorial videos, please scroll down to the second set of bullets.
I’m wrapping up my 1950’s retro Barbie and Ken set, which includes free patterns and sewing tutorials for making Barbie’s poodle skirt, blouse, petticoat and bolero, along with Ken’s dinner jacket, trousers, and 1950’s style short-sleeved shirt with a collar and pocket.
Today’s tutorial video shows you how to make the little blue bolero that Barbie wears in my stop-motion dance number with Ken. Tomorrow I’m planning to post all of the parts and pieces for this ensemble (esp. the Barbie outfit) in one location, so I can link to it from the main Barbie doll clothes FREE pattern gallery.
Before we dive into this project, I need to make my required disclaimer statement: As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. To learn more about how affiliate marketing works on my website, please go to the Privacy Policy page. Thank you!
It has been almost a full year since I posted the video above, announcing that this ensemble was coming up, and with today’s bolero project, I’ve finally posted the last of the sewing tutorials associated with this set.
One of the reasons it took me so long… well, it’s kind of a long story. Last summer I had a YouTube sponsor lined up, and I promised him I’d save this Barbie poodle skirt set for the publication of his ads on my channel. And then Florida (where he lives and works) got hit with one hurricane after another.
After that, he didn’t answer my emails or messages. I waited a full year before giving up on him. He and his family are in my prayers. You never know what a person’s story might be, so prayer is all I can do at this point. As I type this, I’m saying yet another prayer for him and his family. God bless them.
Of course I’ve already posted the poodle skirt, its petticoat, and the blouse, which are shown above.
If you’d like to make the charming 1950’s style outfit for Ken, I have all the free patterns and tutorials for that on my website as well. Please click here to find those doll clothes patterns. You can also download and print the free patterns for Barbie’s poodle skirt, top, and petticoat at this link.
To make today’s puff-sleeved bolero for Barbie and similar-sized fashion dolls, you’ll need a bit of cotton fabric or cotton polyester blend fabric. In my video tutorial, I also mention the Fiskars Mini Stitchers scissors and chopsticks, both of which are useful things to own if, like me, you spend a lot of your time making tiny little doll clothes!
And if you’re new to my website, this video will explain how to navigate around the site, to find the free doll clothes sewing patterns you’re looking for.
*Today’s patterns will fit these dolls:
- Queens of Africa Dolls
- Momoko dolls
- modern and Made-to-Move Barbie dolls
- vintage Barbie dolls
- vintage Francie dolls
- Liv dolls
- Pedigree Sindy dolls
Here are your free, printable PDF sewing patterns and tutorial videos for making the outfit shown at the top of this page:
- Free printable PDF sewing pattern for an 11 inch fashion doll’s bolero jacket
- Tutorial video showing how to make the bolero is shown at the top of today’s blog post
- How to do a whipstitch
- How to do a backstitch
- How to gather fabric
- How to use a needle threader
- How to do a basic straight stitch
- How to choose fabric
- How to tie a knot using a needle and thread
- How to press seams open, using a hot iron
- How to sew rickrack
- How to use selvage
- How to attach ribbon to doll clothes
- Tips on sewing with lace
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.
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.
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.
Queens of Africa dolls are products offered by the Slice by Cake company, which holds the trademark for them (™). They were designed by Taofick Okoya. Please visit the Queens of Africa website to learn more about their company and its trademarked toys, books, and fashions.
Momoko dolls are products offered by Petworks, which holds the trademark for them (™). Please visit the Momoko Dolls website to learn more about their company and its trademarked toys.
Barbie, MTM Barbie, Francie, and Vintage Barbie dolls are products offered by Mattel, which holds the registered trademark for them (™). Please visit the Mattel Toys website to learn more about their company and its trademarked toys.
Liv dolls were products designed and distributed by the Spin Master company, which still makes dolls and toys today (although the Liv dolls are no longer in production at the time of this blog post). The Spin Master company held the trademark for the Liv Dolls (™). Please visit the Spin Master Toys and Games website to learn more about their company and its trademarked toys and games. Please be aware that the Chelly Wood animated doll is a Spin Master Liv doll that has been re-painted and had its wig colored to appear to look like the real doll clothing designer, Chelly Wood. This was done as a creative project by Chelly’s daughters, and the Spin Master Toys and Games company was not involved in the doll’s makeover in any way.
Disney Princess dolls are products offered by the Disney corporation, which holds the trademark for them (™). Please visit the Disney Toys website to learn more about their company and its trademarked toys.
Sindy dolls were originally created by Pedigree Dolls & Toys, but they have been made by other manufacturers including Hasbro, Vivid Imaginations, and New Moon. Currently (at the time of this blog post) a limited number of the newest version of these dolls is being manufactured by Kid Kreations of Staffordshire, England. I haven’t tried my doll clothes on this newer version, but sewists have told me my Tammy doll patterns do fit the vintage Sindy dolls created by Pedigree Dolls & Toys. Please visit one of these toy companies’ websites to learn more about the toys they produce. The Sindy dolls are trademarked and as such, it should be noted that Chelly Wood and ChellyWood.com are not affiliated with either Pedigree or Kid Creations. However Chelly has enjoyed designing doll clothes that will fit these dolls along with others in a similar size range…