Category: Vintage Barbie

An Ida B Wells doll from Mattel's Inspiring Women collection wears a jacket from Simplicity 1242 while standing beside an image of the Simplicity 1242 doll clothes sewing pattern for Barbie dolls.
Curvy Barbie, Fabric, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie

Duplicating Donna’s Jacket with Simplicity 1242 and an Inspiring Woman, Ida B. Wells #Sewing #WomensHistory

As I’ve said in my earlier blog posts, I was so moved by the people I met in Chicago at the IANDS conference, that I created doll clothes to represent each of the people I met while I was there. This doll is meant to represent a woman named Donna. I worked with her in the IANDS bookstore about three times, as a volunteer, and … Continue reading Duplicating Donna’s Jacket with Simplicity 1242 and an Inspiring Woman, Ida B. Wells #Sewing #WomensHistory

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A strawberry blond curvy Barbie doll models an animal print blouse that has three-quarter length sleeves and side darts. The text says, "free shirt pattern!" beside the Chelly Wood dot com logo.
11-inch doll clothes patterns, A4 Printer PDF Patterns, Barbie Patterns, Curvy Barbie, Daily Patterns, Vintage Barbie, Whole Costumes for Dolls

Make your Curvy Barbie an animal print blouse, PLUS details about my trip to Chicago! #BookStore #Fashionista

  Scroll down to the third set of bullets for the free PDF sewing patterns. If you regularly follow my blog posts, you may recall that I attended the IANDS conference in Chicago, back in August. I was so inspired by the people I met at that conference, that I’ve begun the process of designing doll clothes to match the fashionable outfits worn by the … Continue reading Make your Curvy Barbie an animal print blouse, PLUS details about my trip to Chicago! #BookStore #Fashionista

Chelly Wood5 Comments
Advance 2896 with quilted frame and Tall Barbie in Halloween dress standing nearby. the doll is shown in profile. Her long hair is accentuated by this side view, and you can see that the dress has a belt that ties in the back. On the pattern envelope this dress is most like the one pictured in View 5.
Fabric, Holiday Crafts, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie

When your pattern doesn’t fit on the fabric, what do you do? #SewingTips #couture

We’ve all had it happen. You’re thinking, “A fat quarter should be enough to make this little doll dress. Right?” You get home, start pinning the pattern pieces onto the fabric, and then… “Oh crap.” That fat quarter isn’t quite long enough for the skirt’s ruffle (or whatever piece still needs pinning). What can you do? Before I go on, I need to make my … Continue reading When your pattern doesn’t fit on the fabric, what do you do? #SewingTips #couture

Chelly Wood4 Comments
The DoApick thumbnail (do a pick thumbnail) is purple with a rainbow and cloud graphic behind a cell phone, featuring a photo from a vintage Mattel doll clothes catalog. Today’s photo features a vintage Skipper doll modeling a yellow dress with multicolored rickrack trim. Click on this thumbnail, and the link will take you to the “Do a Pick” game, which you can play by viewing (and listening to) the story scenario dealing with realistic activities children enjoyed with dolls, back in the early 1970’s. Leave a comment to play along.
Do a Pick! Game, Doll Play Videos, Vintage Barbie, Vintage Skipper

Let’s Do a Pick — Take Skipper to Church #DollLovers #DollCommunity

Today’s “Do a Pick” game features the following: Best Buy Skipper Fashion #8610 (yellow dress with rickrack trim) Best Buy Skipper Fashion #3373 (red floral skirt with white cotton top) Best Buy Skipper Fashion #8611 (traditional schoolgirl outfit) 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 … Continue reading Let’s Do a Pick — Take Skipper to Church #DollLovers #DollCommunity

Chelly Wood2 Comments
Thumbnail image shows the front of pattern envelope Simplicity 8281, plus a close-up of Simplicity 8281's View 6 culottes, vest, and long-sleeved tee shirt. In the middle, between the pattern envelope and the close-up of a doll wearing the View 6 gouchos (culottes) vest and t-shirt, we see a bubble cut Barbie wearing the handmade outfit. Exactly as printed on the envelope cover, the gouchos / culottes and vest are sky blue, while the long-sleeved T-shirt is made of a red and white striped jersey fabric with narrow one-eighth inch wide stripes. The dolls shoes are red classic pumps.
Fabric, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie

Are denim vests back in style in 2025? #SewingPodcast #FashionHistory

I started my 7th grade year in the fall of 1979, and I distinctly remember owning an outfit that included a denim vest. It came with a pretty ruffled skirt made of tan denim, a white top made of lightweight cotton, and a tan denim vest with cream-colored topstitching. My aunt, Harriet, took me on a shopping spree just before school started, and she bought … Continue reading Are denim vests back in style in 2025? #SewingPodcast #FashionHistory

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Thumbnail image shows the front of pattern envelope Simplicity 8281, plus a close-up of Simplicity 8281's View 6 culottes, vest, and long-sleeved tee shirt. In the middle, between the pattern envelope and the close-up of a doll wearing the View 6 gouchos (culottes) vest and t-shirt, we see a bubble cut Barbie wearing the handmade outfit. Exactly as printed on the envelope cover, the gouchos / culottes and vest are sky blue, while the long-sleeved T-shirt is made of a red and white striped jersey fabric with narrow one-eighth inch wide stripes. The dolls shoes are red classic pumps.
Fabric, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie

How to sew raglan sleeves by hand #VintageSewing #HandSewing

As most of my regular followers know, when it comes to making clothes for dolls, I really like to sew by hand. If I’m using a slippery or curly fabric, like satin or jersey, I definitely prefer sewing by hand. For today’s project — a raglan-sleeved Barbie shirt–I sewed it from start to finish, using a number of different hand stitches. And this blog post … Continue reading How to sew raglan sleeves by hand #VintageSewing #HandSewing

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The image shows a quilted frame around the Chelly Wood doll (really a re-painted Spin Master Liv doll that looks like the doll clothing designer, Chelly Wood), and a thought bubble displays that she is having red and white striped jersey fabric thoughts.
Creative Spark Online Learning, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Vintage Barbie

How do you stop obsessing about a project? #SewingProjects #VintageBarbie

  My brain has been stuck on the idea that I need to sew the red and white striped T-shirt from my Simplicity 8281 vintage doll clothes pattern for not just months, but YEARS now. Of course I have other, more important projects underway. And now it’s time for my disclaimer statement: many of my links are affiliate marketing links. As an Amazon Affiliate, I … Continue reading How do you stop obsessing about a project? #SewingProjects #VintageBarbie

Chelly Wood7 Comments
An image shows a cell phone displaying a vintage Mattel Francie doll. The doll is dressed in a brown winter coat with a matching hat and belt. Behind the cell phone, a rainbow with yellow, turquoise blue, and green colors creates cloud-like curves against a purple background. The screen displays the text "Do a Pick," indicating the name of the game, with a subtitle that reads "New coat for back to school," suggesting the game's theme focuses on buying a new coat for the fall school season.
Do a Pick! Game, Doll Play Videos, Vintage Barbie

Let’s Do a Pick — Back to School Coats for Francie or Skipper! #BarbieGames #BarbieFun

Today’s “Do a Pick” game features the following: Francie’s brown coat with collar and matching hat, Best Buy #8646 Francie’s long red and white coat with matching purse, Best Buy #3368 Skipper’s red velvet coat with furry collar, Best Buy #8613 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 … Continue reading Let’s Do a Pick — Back to School Coats for Francie or Skipper! #BarbieGames #BarbieFun

Chelly Wood1 Comment
With a quilted purple and blue frame, a photo of a Made to Move Curvy Barbie with bright pink Anime-style hair stands next to and looks down at vintage 8281 Simplicity Barbie doll clothes pattern, which contains the patterns for making the very same raglan-sleeved shirt or blouse that the Made-to-Move Curvy Barbie is wearing. She also wears a miniskirt that is not pictured on the envelope for Simplicity 8281 vintage Barbie doll clothes patterns. The ChellyWood.com logo appears to the side of the photo.
Curvy Barbie, Fabric, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie, Vintage Ken

What are raglan shirts? — Here’s a quick explanation! #Sewing #HandmadeWithLove

In the image at the top of today’s blog post, Ken is modeling a handmade raglan-sleeved T-shirt, but what, exactly, does “raglan” mean? Well, in today’s blog post, we’ll dig deep into the differences between a set-in sleeve and a raglan sleeve, looking at doll clothes sewing patterns for both kinds. If you’re wondering about the history of the word “raglan” (AKA its etymology), I’ll … Continue reading What are raglan shirts? — Here’s a quick explanation! #Sewing #HandmadeWithLove

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A Chelly Wood doll (a Spin Master Liv doll that has been OOAK re-dressed, re-painted, and had its hair dyed to look like the real doll clothing designer Chelly Wood stands beside a photo of a McCall's 9061 vintage sewing pattern for baby and toddler dolls. The Chelly Wood doll wears a red check shirt and black trousers with a pair of flats. Her hair is tied in a red check handkerchief and she wears dark cat eye glasses.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie

How can I tell if McCalls 9061 vintage patterns will fit my AG dolls? I have 2 methods! #SewingTips #SewingHacks

When you look at a vintage pattern, do you sometimes wonder whether or not it will fit your modern dolls? Nobody wants to waste time making, for example, the nightgown in View E above, if they’re not sure it will fit. Right? In today’s blog post, I’m going to show you a couple of tricks I use to test a pattern before I start sewing … Continue reading How can I tell if McCalls 9061 vintage patterns will fit my AG dolls? I have 2 methods! #SewingTips #SewingHacks

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The Chelly Wood doll (AKA Spin Master Liv doll) stands next to the vintage Barbie sewing pattern Advance 2896. This thumbnail image is surrounded by a purple and turquoise blue quilted frame.
Fabric, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Uncategorized, Vintage Barbie

How to use 2 small squares of fabric to make a #Barbie shirt! #SewingFun

What can you do with small squares of leftover fabric? You can make a Barbie shirt, of course! And in today’s blog post, I’m going to show you exactly how I took two squares of leftover fabric and turned them into a simple Barbie shirt with a pocket. *Please note: when you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, … Continue reading How to use 2 small squares of fabric to make a #Barbie shirt! #SewingFun

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Today's do-a-pick game shows Francie wearing a red head scarf, blue tank top, and bell-bottom jeans. It's "Picnic fashions for Francie" for today's theme for the DoApick game!
Do a Pick! Game, Doll Play Videos, Vintage Barbie, Vintage Francie

Let’s Do a Pick — Taking Francie on a picnic– What to wear? #DoApick #vintageDolls

Today’s “Do a Pick” game features the following: Blue gingham sundress, Best Buy #8644 Jeans and blue tank top, Best Buy #3365 Brown skirt with brown gingham shirt, Best Buy #8647 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.” … Continue reading Let’s Do a Pick — Taking Francie on a picnic– What to wear? #DoApick #vintageDolls

Chelly Wood2 Comments
Free patterns for a Barbie bolero, blouse, and poodle skirt can be found at ChellyWood.com (Chelly Wood dot com). This is a lovely 1950's style sock hop ensemble, designed to fit 11 and 1/2 inch fashion dolls like Barbie.
11-inch doll clothes patterns, Barbie Patterns, Daily Patterns, Made to Move Barbie, Vintage Barbie, Whole Costumes for Dolls

Free Barbie and Ken 1950s doll clothes sewing patterns @ ChellyWood.com! #FreePatterns #SewingProject

For your free patterns and tutorial videos, please scroll down to the second set of bullets. As you can see in the image at the top of today’s blog post, Barbie and Ken are now ready to go to their high school sock hop, dressed in 1950’s attire. The poodle skirt project is one that was requested many years ago, and it includes a long-sleeved … Continue reading Free Barbie and Ken 1950s doll clothes sewing patterns @ ChellyWood.com! #FreePatterns #SewingProject

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Ken holds Barbie in a warm embrace from behind, as Barbie models a bright blue bolero with puffed sleeves and cuffs. The text reads as follows: "Free bolero pattern" and in the corner of the image, we see the logo for Chelly Wood dot com, a website that offers free printable PDF sewing patterns for dolls of many shapes and all different sizes.
11-inch doll clothes patterns, Barbie Patterns, Daily Patterns, Made to Move Barbie, Tutorials: Sewing for Dolls, Vintage Barbie

How to Make a Barbie Bolero Jacket with Cuffs #Sewing #BarbieStyle (free sewing pattern)

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 … Continue reading How to Make a Barbie Bolero Jacket with Cuffs #Sewing #BarbieStyle (free sewing pattern)

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In this purple thumbnail, Barbie has her arms spread out like she's twirling around in her orange poodle skirt and white long-sleeved shirt. The text reads "Free pattern!" next to the Chelly Wood dot com logo.
11-inch doll clothes patterns, Barbie Patterns, Daily Patterns, Made to Move Barbie, Tutorials: Sewing for Dolls, Vintage Barbie

Sew a long-sleeved shirt for Barbie with today’s free patterns & tutorial video #SewingTutorial #Barbie

For your free patterns and tutorial videos, please scroll down to the second set of bullets. This project has been on my list of requests for quite some time. It’s a long-sleeved shirt for fashion dolls like Barbie. And yes, my doll clothes sewing patterns are free, just as today’s article title states. I have a list of all the dolls that will fit this … Continue reading Sew a long-sleeved shirt for Barbie with today’s free patterns & tutorial video #SewingTutorial #Barbie

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