Various sewing and crafting notions like thread, a tape measure, scissors, and a writing utensil swirl around the words "Sewing Vocab" in a thumbnail frame. This is the default thumbnail for the sewing picture dictionary (or sewing glossary with pictures) on ChellyWood.com, a website that offers free printable PDF sewing patterns for making doll clothes to fit dolls of many shapes and all different sizes.
Crafts and Hobbies, Glossary of Sewing Terms with Pictures, Sewing Chat, Tips for Beginners, Tutorials: Sewing Basics

Glossary of Sewing Terms with Pictures: Buttons

DEFINITION: A type of fastener that usually passes through a hole or uses a loop as a method of closure. This is my own definition. Of course you can google this term to find other definitions as well. A lot of people who are new to sewing doll clothes struggle to find tiny buttons that are ideal for making dolls’ clothes, so today I’ll give … Continue reading Glossary of Sewing Terms with Pictures: Buttons

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McCall's 6260 vintage Barbie patterns: view A shows a ponytail Barbie wearing a pink gingham dress with lace skirt overlaid and a matching pair of pink gingham panties (shown below the doll on a silver graphic line); View B shows a silver evening gown (strapless) with matching stole and a pink ribbon tied at the waist; View C shows a pink swing coat with very large pockets and lots of buttons; View D shows an orange Kimono style bath robe with white trim and a white belt tied at the waist; View E shows a pair of high-waisted black pants with a little bolero style pink top over the top of them; View F shows a blue bikini with tiny pink polka dots.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie

How to Store and Preserve Vintage Sewing Patterns

Today’s topic is near and dear to my heart. If you’re a regular follower of my blog, you’ll know that I own quite a collection of old doll clothes sewing patterns. Many of them are featured in my Monday sewing lessons, all of which can be found on this page. Over the years, I’ve gotten better and better at preserving my vintage sewing patterns, and … Continue reading How to Store and Preserve Vintage Sewing Patterns

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Thumbnail shows GI Jo in dress pants, a shirt with a collar, and a tiny formal tie. Free patterns at ChellyWood.com. He wears a pair of wine colored Oxford wingtip dress shoes with a slight heel.
12-inch doll clothes patterns, A4 Printer PDF Patterns, Daily Patterns, GI Joe, Ken Patterns

Here’s how to make easy elastic waist trousers, for GI Joe, Action Man, and other muscular dolls/action figures… #GiftsForBoys #SewingMom

Scroll down to the third set of bullets for the free PDF sewing patterns. A long requested item, today’s video tutorial shows how to make a simple pair of elastic-waist trousers for muscular action figures in the 12 inch range. If you’re new to sewing, this is a relatively easy project to complete. Today’s trousers pattern will have a shorter inseam than the ones I’ve … Continue reading Here’s how to make easy elastic waist trousers, for GI Joe, Action Man, and other muscular dolls/action figures… #GiftsForBoys #SewingMom

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The Chelly Wood doll (a Spin Master Liv doll that has been OOAK-made over to look like the real Chelly Wood) points across her sewing room at an ironing board upon which an unplugged iron rests.
Crafts and Hobbies, Fan Mail, Props and Dioramas, Sewing Chat, Tips for Beginners

What type of ironing board do you use when you’re sewing? #iSew #BeginnerSewing

Every now and then, one of my blog or YouTube followers will reach out to me with a really clever question. That’s the case with the question I’m answering in today’s blog post. But I’d like to hear your responses as well, so when you’re all done reading what I have to say on the topic of ironing boards, please take a moment to leave … Continue reading What type of ironing board do you use when you’re sewing? #iSew #BeginnerSewing

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Beside the McCall's 2970 pattern, a list of dolls that will fit this tiny fashion doll sewing pattern can be read as follows: Dawn, Dale, Glory, Rock Flowers, Tutti, Lori, Nan, Posie, Kim, Donna, and the final name, Pippa, is followed by a question mark. The text at the top of the image says, "Who can wear it?" and the envelope's patterns include each of the following outfits for these tiny 6 inch fashion dolls: View A is a halter dress; View B is a long-sleeved long dress with lace trim; view C is a long-sleeved short dress (above the knee) with a full skirt and the dress bodice has a collar; view D is a tunic, pants, and long vest; View E is a nightgown or bathrobe; View F is a cape with hood.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Snapstar Dolls, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie

How to turn one dress pattern into two dress patterns #MeMadeMonday #SewingTips

In addition to the View B dress from McCall’s 2970, my Snapstar doll can also wear a number of outfits I designed to fit the Bratz dolls. So if you came here looking for free doll clothes patterns for your Snapstar dolls, please click here. But today’s blog post is actually about how to expand one doll dress pattern into more than one. Read on … Continue reading How to turn one dress pattern into two dress patterns #MeMadeMonday #SewingTips

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"Do a Pick." Image shows Fair Hair Barbie wearing a midi length skirt with suspender like straps and a ruffle over a soft white blouse with puff sleeves. "What will Barbie wear to the Farmer's Market?" Click the thumbnail to experience the video and its choices from the Best Buy fashions in the Beautiful World of Barbie brochure.
Do a Pick! Game, Doll Play Videos, Vintage Barbie

Let’s Do a Pick — What will Barbie wear to the farmers’ market? #DoApick #vintageToys

Today’s “Do a Pick” game features the following: Best Buy 3343/8620 (the midi skirt with straps) Best Buy 3206 (the long skirt with bonnet) Best Buy 3208 (the business suit) You’ll notice the thumbnail for today’s video and the first bullet above seems to imply that there’s not a hard-and-fast rule about which Best Buy number matches the midi length skirt that has a ruffle … Continue reading Let’s Do a Pick — What will Barbie wear to the farmers’ market? #DoApick #vintageToys

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A woman's fingers place tiny shoes on a cylindrical platform or plinth. The shoes include a pair of rose colored pumps, a pair of hot pink Mary Janes, and a pair of purple oxford shoes. This image accompanies an article on Chelly Wood dot com, which discusses the tiny shoes for dolls both in present day and in history.
Doll Shoes, Sewing Chat, Uncategorized

Do you have a favorite pair of doll shoes? If so, which ones? #DollShoes #BarbieStyle

If I had to get rid of all my dolls’ shoes and only keep one or two pairs, I’m sure I’d choose my Momoko doll shoes. Momoko is a doll that’s popular with adult collectors in Japan. Because she’s primarily collected by adults, her shoes have awesome detailing. The boots that appear at the top of today’s blog post are designed for Momoko. Check out … Continue reading Do you have a favorite pair of doll shoes? If so, which ones? #DollShoes #BarbieStyle

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The image shows a quilted frame surrounding a photo of the McCall's doll clothes pattern number 5462 for Barbie and other 11 inch fashion dolls. An arrow points from the view G pattern for a T-shirt to a modern Barbie wearing a cropped-front tee shirt with side slits. The text above these images says, "T-shirt alteration." The Chelly Wood dot com logo appears in the lower right corner of the image.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Tutorials: Sewing Basics

How to Alter a T-shirt Pattern, to Make a Crop Top w/McCall’s Crafts 5462 Doll Clothes Patterns #DollClothes #SewingPatterns

The jeans my Barbie is wearing in the image at the top of today’s blog post were made using my own jeans pattern, which can be easily downloaded for free as a PDF, right here. But today I want to talk about how I altered this T-shirt pattern, making it a high-low crop top, using McCall’s Crafts pattern number 5462 (a Barbie wardrobe from the … Continue reading How to Alter a T-shirt Pattern, to Make a Crop Top w/McCall’s Crafts 5462 Doll Clothes Patterns #DollClothes #SewingPatterns

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The photo of Chelly Wood shows a woman with blond hair turning white. She wears glasses and a denim jacket. She poses with her hand resting against her cheek, while her arm, bent at the elbow, rests against the back of a wooden bench (outside the frame of the photo). The frame includes lines of stitching, a button, and a tan linen background, indicating that the woman pictured is best known for her sewing accomplishments.
Crafts and Hobbies, For Sale in the Store

Who is Chelly Wood in real life? Today’s video gives you a big peek behind the scenes! #IRL #SewingTutorials

  I’ve noticed my YouTube channel’s growth rate has slowed down a bit, and I began to wonder if people who briefly viewed my tutorial videos were uninterested because they thought it was AI generated, especially since I don’t show my face until the end of most of my videos. So I designed this video to make it obvious that there’s a real person behind … Continue reading Who is Chelly Wood in real life? Today’s video gives you a big peek behind the scenes! #IRL #SewingTutorials

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Thumbnail featuring a Topper Dawn “Angie” 6 inch fashion doll beside a dress form labeled “Tape Measure Tuesday.” The thumbnail includes text: “With doll clothing designer, Chelly Wood,” accompanied by the Chelly Wood dot com logo. The image is bordered by white rulers against a sky blue background. Click this image and it will link you to an infographic of all the sewing measurements for making doll clothes to fit the Topper Dawn dolls. Angie wears a handmade one-piece pink swimsuit.
Doll Measurements, Tape Measure Tuesday, Topper Dawn Dolls

What are the sewing measurements for Topper Dawn 6 inch fashion dolls? #TapeMeasureTuesday #VintageToys

Scroll down for clarifications to each measurement. Today’s infographic offers the sewing measurements for Topper Dawn dolls, a vintage 6 inch doll from the 1970’s. Of course, if you’re looking for free sewing patterns to fit your Dawn doll, I have a whole gallery of them! Just click here to see all my free sewing patterns for Dawn and her friends. Please note: when you … Continue reading What are the sewing measurements for Topper Dawn 6 inch fashion dolls? #TapeMeasureTuesday #VintageToys

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Chelly Wood doll stands next to the pattern envelope for vintage Simplicity 9097, a 1970s era wardrobe for Barbie dolls. Among these patterns are the following ensembles: view 1: a wedding dress with empire waist, high collar, and bell sleeves; view 2: a similar evening gown shown in purple; view 3 a mod dress with pleated skirt and sleeveless bodice; view 3 B: the same mod dress shown with a short cape and scarf; view 4: a turtleneck blouse with raglan sleeves and a long skirt; view 5: the same blouse with a pair of trousers and a long, below-the-hip length vest.
Creatable World Dolls, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Topper Dawn Dolls, Vintage Barbie

How to Sew Dolls’ Shirt Collars so They Look Natural #Sewingtips #CreatableWorld

Shirt collars can be especially tricky when you’re making dolls’ clothes. Are there any tips for making a collar lay nicely on a doll’s shirt? Yes, there are, and that’s the topic of today’s blog post. I know I’ve written about this topic before, but it gets brought up pretty regularly. Please forgive me if this is a repeat for you. Before I go on, … Continue reading How to Sew Dolls’ Shirt Collars so They Look Natural #Sewingtips #CreatableWorld

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Thumbnail shows GI Jo in dress pants, a shirt with a collar, and a tiny formal tie. Free patterns at ChellyWood.com. He wears a pair of wine colored Oxford wingtip dress shoes with a slight heel.
12-inch doll clothes patterns, A4 Printer PDF Patterns, Broad Ken, Daily Patterns, GI Joe, Ken Patterns

Here’s how to make a shirt with a collar, for GI Joe, Action Man, and other muscular dolls/action figures… #FreePatterns #GreatBritishSewingBee

  Scroll down to the third set of bullets for the free PDF sewing patterns. Today’s video tutorial took me a very long time to make! It has been in the wings (a work in progress) since December of 2025. As you’ll hear about in the video, I faced some challenges. And this project is not for the beginners out there. (Sorry!) I’ve marked it … Continue reading Here’s how to make a shirt with a collar, for GI Joe, Action Man, and other muscular dolls/action figures… #FreePatterns #GreatBritishSewingBee

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Free Sewing Patterns! Disney princess 13 inch toddler doll models a handmade red flannel nightgown with lace trim at the bottom. Click the thumbnail to learn more.
13-inch doll clothes patterns, 14-inch doll clothes patterns, 15-inch doll clothes patterns, A4 Printer PDF Patterns, Baby Alive, Daily Patterns, Disney Princess Dolls, Hearts for Hearts Girls, Wellie Wishers Patterns

Make a summer nightgown for Disney Princesses with today’s free doll clothes sewing patterns @ ChellyWood.com #SummerFun #SewingMom

Scroll down to the third set of bullets for the free PDF sewing patterns. Sometimes I create a new pattern for one doll and later discover that it also fits other dolls. If I remember correctly, I first designed this cute little sleeveless flannel nightgown pattern to fit the Baby Alive 12 inch baby dolls. It was a Valentine’s Day blog post. And then I … Continue reading Make a summer nightgown for Disney Princesses with today’s free doll clothes sewing patterns @ ChellyWood.com #SummerFun #SewingMom

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Discover Sewing Magic with Chelly Wood's Doll Clothes Sewing Pattern Creations! Inside a charming quilted frame, a unique Chelly Wood doll (a creatively transformed Spin Master Liv doll featuring a grey wig and custom face paint) strikes a pose, pointing at three vibrant purple question marks. Dressed in a red check gingham short-sleeved shirt and black trousers, the doll accessorizes with a red gingham handkerchief securing her silver grey hair and completes the look with black flats. Click to explore ChellyWood.com, your go-to resource for free, printable PDF sewing patterns to craft stylish doll clothes for dolls of all shapes and sizes. Dive into the sewing community and enhance your skills today!
Creatable World Dolls, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Sunshine Family Dolls, Tips for Beginners

Are there any sewing patterns for 10 inch Creatable World dolls? Yup! #CreatableWorld #Sewcialists

As you can see in the images above, I’ve been working with the McCall’s 4716 doll clothes sewing pattern, which was designed to fit the Sunshine Family dolls, and in today’s blog post, I’m going to tell you what I’ve learned while sewing it. We’ll look at how the small overalls fit my Creatable World dolls, and I’ll offer some suggestions to make alterations as … Continue reading Are there any sewing patterns for 10 inch Creatable World dolls? Yup! #CreatableWorld #Sewcialists

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On a lilac background, tiny toy trains carry presents and candy canes to an unknown destination. This colorful fabric was entered in the Merry Maximalist design contest by fabric designer, Chelly Wood, on the Spoonflower website.
Crafts and Hobbies, Fabric, For Sale in the Store

Let’s talk fabric! #FabricStash #Spoonflower

  Today’s video shows me making (designing) one of my Spoonflower fabrics in the early stages. The focus of the video is on how I create a digital paint palette in Canva. And by the way, another one of my fabrics (see the image below) has been entered in the Spoonflower design contest. If you get a chance to, please go vote for “Candy Canes … Continue reading Let’s talk fabric! #FabricStash #Spoonflower

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