This image is a quilt-like square with the Chelly Wood logo turned on its side. Beside the logo, we see a photo of Simplicity doll clothes pattern 8466 from the late 1960's or early 1970's. The dolls on the cover of this pattern are dressed in various fashions including one long dress pattern that uses an empire waist.

Learning to sew with Simplicity 8466 vintage Barbie doll clothes pattern #VintageBarbie #DollClothesPatterns

I had so so much fun sewing the red satin dress in this Simplicity 8466 doll clothes pattern! I’ll never forget that feeling of satisfaction, when it turned out perfectly! Just have a look: It looks pretty similar, doesn’t it? Wow. I couldn’t have been more pleased… I’ve created blog posts that describe how I made this satin dress, and over the years, I’ve talked … Continue reading Learning to sew with Simplicity 8466 vintage Barbie doll clothes pattern #VintageBarbie #DollClothesPatterns

The image shows a turquoise blue cotton fabric with the words "inspirational jazz for sewing doll clothes" across the top, followed by three circular photos showing a vintage Skipper doll modeling handmade doll clothes. Below these three circular photos is a larger rectangle, highlighting each outfit Skipper wears in the music video: pants with a 3/4 length sleeve shirt; a 50's style dress with bolero, and a pair of plaid shorts with a matching top. Musical notes dance across the lower right corner of the thumbnail.

New music video to inspire your crafts… With Skipper Simplicity patterns 5861!

  Sometimes I make doll clothes using other people’s patterns. I take lots of pictures, but what can I do with those pictures, since it’s not my pattern to offer up for free on this website? Today I decided to make another “Sewing Inspiration” video, using Simplicity’s 5861 doll clothes patterns for vintage Skipper, which I’m really enjoying making! As a fan of jazz, I … Continue reading New music video to inspire your crafts… With Skipper Simplicity patterns 5861!

A quilted frame surrounds Simplicity Tressy Doll Clothes Pattern 5731 (Copyright 1964) along with the Chelly Wood dot com logo.

Learning to sew with Simplicity 5731 vintage Tressy doll clothes pattern #DollCollector #DollClothesPatterns

Do you see that blue price tag of 50 cents on my Simplicity 5731 Tressy doll clothes pattern? That’s literally how much I paid for these patterns, and this pattern set was cut, but only missing one piece; it was in a nearly-perfect envelope; and the directions were all there, in tact, and in perfect condition. Oooh! What a find! I must have had a … Continue reading Learning to sew with Simplicity 5731 vintage Tressy doll clothes pattern #DollCollector #DollClothesPatterns

The image shows a Mattel Barbie doll with dark chocolate complexion modeling a beautiful white wedding dress with thin spaghetti straps and a very full skirt. The text reads "free pattern" and the Chelly Wood dot com logo appears in one corner of the turquoise blue background frame.

How to sew a beautiful (but kind of easy) wedding dress for Barbie w/free patterns @ ChellyWood.com

  For your free patterns and tutorial videos, please scroll down to the second set of bullets. I honestly believe today’s sewing project is not too difficult, even for those of you who are just getting your feet wet, when it comes to sewing. The trickiest part is sewing the bodice to the thickly gathered skirt, but as long as you’re using high-quality felt for … Continue reading How to sew a beautiful (but kind of easy) wedding dress for Barbie w/free patterns @ ChellyWood.com

Learning to sew with a vintage Holly Hobbie plush doll pattern #HollyHobbie #DollClothesPatterns

Have you ever made a plush doll? Well I have. In fact, this Holly Hobbie doll and clothing pattern provided me with the patterns for making my first plush doll, and I have happy memories of working with this pattern. To read what I’ve written about this pattern in past blog posts, just click on a title below that sounds interesting to you: Tips for … Continue reading Learning to sew with a vintage Holly Hobbie plush doll pattern #HollyHobbie #DollClothesPatterns

This is the thumbnail for a #DoApick game, in which we choose which doll and which doll dress we want to take to a 1970’s square dance. The image shows a vintage Skipper in a white top and red floral skirt. To play along, click on the image and view the YouTube Shorts video to choose which doll and which outfit you would choose from a selection of three options. The background behind the cell phone image is purple with a rainbow of clouds in green, yellow, and blue arching behind the cell phone, reminding us of a bygone era. The text reads, “Do a Pick” followed by “at a square dance.”

Let’s Do a Pick — Take your Barbie Dolls to a Square Dance!

  If you weren’t alive in 1972, then you probably think the early 70’s were all about hippies and Woodstock. But actually, pioneers were in fashion, and a favorite TV show for family viewing was Little House on the Prairie. I remember my parents participating in square dancing as a fun event for couples, and it was very popular from 1972 all the way through … Continue reading Let’s Do a Pick — Take your Barbie Dolls to a Square Dance!

Surrounded by purple fabric with tiny white polka dots, we see a photo of a repainted Ken doll wearing a grey haired wig, a muffin cap, and a fancy Renaissance tunic with trousers. The text overlay says, "free pattern" and the ChellyWood.com logo appears in the lower left corner.

Pattern update for Ken doll’s Renaissance style muffin cap — and how You can help find pattern errors!

*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, JoAnn Fabric, 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 … Continue reading Pattern update for Ken doll’s Renaissance style muffin cap — and how You can help find pattern errors!

Image of "Sew-Easy Patterns by Advance" vintage Mattel, Inc. Toymakers Barbie doll clothes sewing pattern #2895 with the ChellyWood logo, surrounded by a variety of quilting fabrics in turquoise blue and purple.

Learning to sew with Sew-Easy by Advance 2895 vintage doll clothes patterns for Barbie #VintageBarbie #DollClothesPatterns

The Sew-Easy by Advance doll clothes patterns in my collection are among some of my all-time favorites because they’re just… well… SO vintage! The projects in this Advance 2895 envelope have inspired me to create new patterns, they have taught me techniques I’d never seen before, and I’ve written articles on this website, sharing the tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way. If you’d … Continue reading Learning to sew with Sew-Easy by Advance 2895 vintage doll clothes patterns for Barbie #VintageBarbie #DollClothesPatterns

The image shows a doll's feet wearing a pair of satin shoes with foam soles. The shoes are made of pink satin with a pink craft foam sole. The text reads, "free pattern" over a square cotton fabric frame made of purple cotton fabric with tiny white polka dots. The Chelly Wood dot com logo appears in the upper right hand corner above the photo of dolls' shoes.

Let’s make a pair of shoes for 13 inch Barbie or Judy Littlechap dolls w/today’s free shoe pattern!

  For your free patterns and tutorial videos, please scroll down to the second set of bullets. *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, JoAnn Fabric, Etsy, and the eBay Partner Network. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying … Continue reading Let’s make a pair of shoes for 13 inch Barbie or Judy Littlechap dolls w/today’s free shoe pattern!

The image shows a doll dressed as a mermaid. The doll is seated or swimming in a turquoise blue pool of water. The text reads, "Did you play with dolls in the water?"

Did you play with your dolls in the water?

These two doll-friends really remind me of myself and my cousin, Virginia. I was always afraid of the water, whereas Virginia would dive in the minute we got out of the car! Virginia and I took our dolls to the beach, built sand castles for them to live in, and played like our Barbies were mermaids in the ocean water. The American Girl dolls, like … Continue reading Did you play with your dolls in the water?

The simplicity 4510 Barbie wardrobe includes everything a lady would need for a honeymoon: a bikini, a swimsuit coverup with super short skirt; a dining-out dress with a one-shoulder bodice and pencil skirt topped with a tulle over-skirt; a 3/4 length sleeve jacket with matching A-line skirt underneath; a plaid hostess-style dress with a ribbon for a waistband; a nightgown with lace bodice; and of course the wedding gown, which is very 1960's in its style, with a fitted bodice that has short sleeves and a square neckline, flowing into a full, long skirt that has a very large ribbon tied around the waist (and a veil connected to the head with a tiny ribbon at the top).

Learning to sew with Simplicity’s vintage Barbie bridal honeymoon doll clothes pattern 4510 #vintageBride #DollClothesPatterns

I’m calling today’s vintage Barbie pattern, the “bridal honeymoon set” because Simplicity 4510 has everything a fashionable lady of the 1960’s would need, if she was going to get married and enjoy a vacation honeymoon! There’s a swimsuit, a coverup, a lace-top nightgown, an evening gown for dinner parties, a jacket and skirt for a shopping day, an everyday dress, and of course, a beautiful … Continue reading Learning to sew with Simplicity’s vintage Barbie bridal honeymoon doll clothes pattern 4510 #vintageBride #DollClothesPatterns

Here we see a thumbnail with the heading: the Barbie movie: what did you think? Below the heading is a theater filled with hot pink seats and a movie projector running in the background. The Chelly Wood dot com logo appears in one corner. This is the thumbnail image for Chelly Wood's review of the Barbie movie.

Okaaay… So I went to the Barbie movie, and yes, this blog post has spoilers.

I suppose I’m a bit of a prude when it comes to Barbie. There was so much hype about this movie, that I wasn’t going to go see it. I mean, I started sewing for Barbie when I was literally three years old. I’ve had a relationship with this doll longer than the CEO of Mattel has been alive. They couldn’t possibly make a movie … Continue reading Okaaay… So I went to the Barbie movie, and yes, this blog post has spoilers.