Category: Barbie Patterns

Here you’ll find free, downloadable, printable sewing patterns for Mattel’s Barbie and other 11 inch fashion dolls.

What will Barbie and Ken wear in the dollhouse display? Do a Pick. Which one? Ken wears a grey suit to match Barbie's "Mainly Rain" coat and hat. Click the thumbnail to play along.
Do a Pick! Game, Doll Play Videos, Vintage Barbie, Vintage Ken

Let’s Do a Pick — Clean your room! (And your Barbie’s dollhouse…) #DoApick #vintageToys

Today’s “Do a Pick” game features the following: Scenario A: Barbie wears “Golden glitter”, Best Buy 3340 Ken wears “Mainly for Rain” grey suit, Best Buy 8618 Scenario B: Barbie wears “Mainly for Rain” long red coat, Best Buy 3338 Ken wears a fur-trimmed Sherpa jacket with matching pants, Best Buy 8617 (I got the number wrong in the video) Scenario C: Ken wears red … Continue reading Let’s Do a Pick — Clean your room! (And your Barbie’s dollhouse…) #DoApick #vintageToys

Chelly Wood6 Comments
With a quilted frame around it, we see a section of a McCall's vintage fashion doll clothes sewing pattern for making a cape that will fit a fashion doll like Barbie and similar-sized dolls.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie

How to Sew a Welted Arm Opening in a Cape

As I type this first sentence, the ground outside my sewing room window is wet with early morning rain. It smells lovely out there! But this means fall is underway, here in the northern hemisphere, so it might be a good time to do a blog post on cape-making. Specifically, today’s post will show you how I made a welted opening in a cape, so … Continue reading How to Sew a Welted Arm Opening in a Cape

Chelly Wood4 Comments
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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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

Chelly Wood2 Comments
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

Chelly Wood4 Comments
Doll Measurements, Made to Move Barbie, Tape Measure Tuesday

Tape Measure Tuesday — What are the sewing measurements for Made-to-Move Barbie? Here you go! #TapeMeasureTuesday #MTMbarbie

Today’s infographic gives you all the sewing measurements for a Made-to-Move Barbie (sometimes abbreviated as MTM Barbie). I can’t believe I’ve waited so long to include these measurements in my Tape Measure Tuesday feature! I’ve designed plenty of outfits for MTM Barbies of course, but when I asked everyone to offer feedback on which dolls they’d like measurements for, I was really surprised when someone … Continue reading Tape Measure Tuesday — What are the sewing measurements for Made-to-Move Barbie? Here you go! #TapeMeasureTuesday #MTMbarbie

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Do a Pick. What will Barbie wear to pick up a new Siamese kitten? Barbie is shown in “Sweater Girl” from a 1961 Barbie and Ken brochure (catalog). This is a thumbnail for a Barbie DoApick game at ChellyWood.com
Contests, Do a Pick! Game, Doll Play Videos, Fabric, Vintage Barbie

Let’s Do a Pick — Taking Barbie to pick up a new Siamese kitty! #DoApick #vintageToys

Today’s “Do a Pick” game features the following: Sweater Girl #976 Registered Nurse #991 Open Road #985 What’s the story behind this game? When I was a kid, whenever it was playtime with dolls, we would lay out all our dolls and their clothing items. Then we would “do a pick.” That’s where you take turns picking which doll or dolls you’ll play with and … Continue reading Let’s Do a Pick — Taking Barbie to pick up a new Siamese kitty! #DoApick #vintageToys

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McCall's 2970 doll clothes sewing patterns. Click the thumbnail for the article which talks about which dolls (including Topper Dawn and Pippa) will fit in this tiny six inch doll's wardrobe. Article available to read at chellywood.com
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie

Can Strawberry Shortcake dolls and Lottie dolls fit in McCall’s 2970 sewing patterns? #MeMadeMonday #VintageToys

As you can see in the image above, the McCall’s 2970 miniature fashion doll wardrobe pattern was designed to fit a number of different six to seven inch fashion dolls. But this pattern came out in the early 1970’s. A lot of dolls have been made since then that may very well fit the clothes in this pattern. Today’s blog post addresses how well the … Continue reading Can Strawberry Shortcake dolls and Lottie dolls fit in McCall’s 2970 sewing patterns? #MeMadeMonday #VintageToys

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This thumbnail reads, "Chelsea" and includes an image of a dress form mannequin with a purple tape measure draped over its shoulder. On the dress form mannequin it says, "Tape Measure Tuesday." Beside the dress form mannequin stands a little Chelsea doll (made by Mattel) in a one-piece bathing suit. Click on this thumbnail for the Mattel Chelsea doll's sewing measurements.
5-inch doll clothes patterns, Chelsea, Doll Measurements, Tape Measure Tuesday

What are the sewing measurements for a Mattel Chelsea doll? #TapeMeasureTuesday #SewingMama

Scroll down for clarifications to each measurement. 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 … Continue reading What are the sewing measurements for a Mattel Chelsea doll? #TapeMeasureTuesday #SewingMama

Chelly Wood2 Comments
In a quilted thumbnail is the cover image of Simplicity 6006, a doll clothes pattern for making a plush Holly Hobbie doll and plenty of pioneer style dresses for her. This image comes from Chelly Wood dot com.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie

Little House on the Prairie and Holly Hobbie – are they related? #HistoricalFiction #LittleHouse

When people talk about the 1970’s, they usually reference a time when everyone dressed like hippies, went to Woodstock, and lived at ashrams. I was a little girl in the 1970’s, yet I don’t remember any of that hippie-dippie stuff. Not really. I mean, my cousins grew their hair out long and played guitar, but that was about it. What I remember is this: every … Continue reading Little House on the Prairie and Holly Hobbie – are they related? #HistoricalFiction #LittleHouse

Chelly Wood7 Comments
With a quilted frame around it, we see a section of a McCall's vintage fashion doll clothes sewing pattern for making a cape that will fit a fashion doll like Barbie and similar-sized dolls.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie

Why do so many doll clothes patterns include a cape? Here’s why… #barbiestyle #barbiecollector

Before I write a blog post like this one, I usually go to the internet to see if other people have already written on this topic. I do this to make sure I know my facts, and frankly, it’s a good idea to do a little pre-research on what has already been said so that my content adds to the conversation. It surprised me to … Continue reading Why do so many doll clothes patterns include a cape? Here’s why… #barbiestyle #barbiecollector

Chelly Wood19 Comments
Framed by a turquoise blue and purple quilted frame, we see the shabby envelope for McCall's teen fashion doll pattern number 3429, with a close-up of its view A (a body suit with wrap-around pants) and view B (a swimsuit) doll clothes sketches. The ChellyWood.com logo appears alongside the pattern.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie

How to make Barbie a swimsuit / bathing suit with McCall’s “Teen Fashion Doll” sewing pattern 3429 #SewingHacks #SummerSewing

The state of Idaho, where I live, is in the northern hemisphere. That means it’s summertime here, so it makes sense to do a blog post on swimsuits! Sorry for the terrible condition of my pattern in today’s blog post. Not only is the envelope in bad physical condition, but when I purchased it, this pattern was also missing quite a few pieces. But it … Continue reading How to make Barbie a swimsuit / bathing suit with McCall’s “Teen Fashion Doll” sewing pattern 3429 #SewingHacks #SummerSewing

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A platinum blond 5 inch Chelsea doll (Barbie’s little sister) wears a handmade blue dress made of lace, cotton, and felt. For free patterns and tutorial videos to help you make another one like this dress, please visit Chelly Wood dot com.
5-inch doll clothes patterns, Chelsea, Whole Costumes for Dolls

Sew a dress for little 5 inch Chelsea dolls with today’s free patterns! @ ChellyWood.com #freepatterns #miniatures

Scroll down to the third set of bullets for the free PDF sewing patterns. Earlier this week, someone on YouTube left a kind message under the original version of today’s video: “I miss the voiceover.” Well, as it says in my video, I took @ThePaleWarrior’s advice and remastered that older video to include voiceover and some additional animations, just to make the overall video more … Continue reading Sew a dress for little 5 inch Chelsea dolls with today’s free patterns! @ ChellyWood.com #freepatterns #miniatures

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A 16 inch Tonner doll and a 17 inch Barbie model the same leopard print one-piece bathing suit on pool-themed stationery. Free patterns for making their swimsuits can be found at Chelly Wood dot com.
15-inch doll clothes patterns, 16-inch doll clothes patterns, 17-inch doll clothes patterns, 17-Inch Endless Hair Princess Doll, Daily Patterns, Tonner Doll Clothes, Tutorials: Sewing for Dolls, Whole Costumes for Dolls

Free swimsuit doll clothes patterns for a BIG Barbie and 16 inch Tonner dolls! #DollCollection #GrannyCrafter

For your free patterns and tutorial videos, please scroll down to the second set of bullets. Today’s tutorial video and free sewing pattern are for more advanced sewists. You can see that I’ve given the pattern five flowers on my difficulty scale (see below), because this swimsuit does have a lining. To learn more about how the difficulty scale works, please click here. Before I … Continue reading Free swimsuit doll clothes patterns for a BIG Barbie and 16 inch Tonner dolls! #DollCollection #GrannyCrafter

Chelly Wood2 Comments