A teenage girl displays a handmade rail fence doll-sized quilt in pink, burgundy, and off-white. To her left is an American Girl Kaya doll, and to her right is an 18-inch platinum blonde Madame Alexander doll. Each doll is dressed in flannel nightgowns with bunny slippers, perfectly matching the quilt's size. The scene is set in a pink-themed girl's bedroom, with the chellywood.com logo visible in one corner.

Here are a couple of Christmas gift ideas you may not have considered…

It might look like AI made the image above, but actually, I used my Canva account to put together that image, in the form of a digital collage. However the quilt is another story. It’s entirely made by hand, with careful hand stitching, by my mother-in-law, Anita. At 18 by 22 inches, this rail fence style doll quilt is the perfect size for 18 inch … Continue reading Here are a couple of Christmas gift ideas you may not have considered…

Recycled fabrics are used to form the circular arrows of the recycle symbol.

Christmas Gift Idea: Support Afghan Refugees by Purchasing a Christmas Tree Ornament from SilaiWali

  I know that many of you create doll clothes using recycled clothing, which is so admirable! We all want to see that kind of change in the way humans use the earth’s resources. But during the holiday season, it’s easy to slip back into our old habits, buying plastics and non-recycled goods, as we try to fill the Christmas stockings of all our kids, … Continue reading Christmas Gift Idea: Support Afghan Refugees by Purchasing a Christmas Tree Ornament from SilaiWali

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.

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

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.

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

Dolls for OOAK or repairs. Images show two Obitsu dolls, a smattering of Monster High arms and hands, doll heads (some vintage), and a pile of nude doll bodies. ChellyWood.com logo appears in the corner. These items are up for sale in Chelly Wood's eBay store.

Do you do OOAK or doll repairs? #DollChat #OOAK

I’ve been going through my closet, finding things I never seem to have time to work on, and putting them up for sale in my eBay store. I’ve sold several NIB dolls over the past year, some doll shoes, and a number of accessories. But over the weekend I listed all the goodies I had in my OOAK/doll repair rubber tub. (The tub is not … Continue reading Do you do OOAK or doll repairs? #DollChat #OOAK

Is Chelly Wood still teaching online classes? On a computer screen, we see the Chelly Wood doll standing in her sewing room.

What’s going on at ChellyWood.com? Are things changing? #SummerPlans #SummerCraftProjects

I’ve had a few big changes in my life lately, and I wanted to be open and honest about them. So today’s blog post answers the questions, “What’s going on at ChellyWood.com?” and “Are things changing?” Some of the biggest changes in my life lately are a.) My father passed away, b.) I retired from my job as a school librarian, and c.) I’ve been … Continue reading What’s going on at ChellyWood.com? Are things changing? #SummerPlans #SummerCraftProjects

The image shows the size of these teeny-tiny miniature overalls clasps, as compared to a woman's hand. Each piece is so tiny, it's like the head of a straight pin!

Where do tiny clasps for dolls’ overalls come from? We should all be aware…

A few years ago, I added an item to my “Shop” page: closures. One of the items I linked to were clasps for Barbie-sized (or smaller) dolls’ overalls, and at that time, I did a blog post a lot like this one because I like to be open and honest about where these notions come from. At that time, I was buying my overall clasps … Continue reading Where do tiny clasps for dolls’ overalls come from? We should all be aware…

Thumbnail shows Moana wearing a handmade summer outfit including a pink gingham top over a lightweight denim skirt with ribbon and lace trim. Her handmade shoes are cotton high tops. For free patterns, please visit “10 inch dolls” at Chelly Wood dot com, a website with hundreds of free doll clothes patterns for dolls of many shapes and all different sizes.

Make a Denim Skirt with Lace and Ribbon Trim for Moana 10 inch Dolls with Today’s Free Pattern @ ChellyWood.com #MoanaDoll #SewingMoms

  Scroll down to the third set of bullets for the free PDF sewing patterns. This pattern was first posted for 10 inch dolls as a fourth-of-July celebration skirt. To see that video, click here. If you live in the States, you know that Independence Day is right around the corner, so I thought I’d inspire you with that version of today’s skirt as well. … Continue reading Make a Denim Skirt with Lace and Ribbon Trim for Moana 10 inch Dolls with Today’s Free Pattern @ ChellyWood.com #MoanaDoll #SewingMoms

In a purple square frame, a photo of spilled straight pins appears under the words "straight pins".

What size straight pins should I use? #SewingTips #BeginnerSewer

Sewing for dolls is a great way to break into sewing, for those who’ve never sewn before, so it probably won’t surprise you that I get questions about very basic concepts in my inbox now and then. Someone reached out to me in 2025 with the question, “What size straight pins should I use?” And I thought, That’s a good question to address in a blog … Continue reading What size straight pins should I use? #SewingTips #BeginnerSewer

The thumbnail image shows a purple patch sewn onto a turquoise cloth. The words "doll clothes sewing chat" are written in the center of the purple patch. Floating in a circle around the patch are graphics of various sewing notions, from scissors, to a tape measure, to bobbins, to thread, and more. This feature on Chelly Wood dot com, is an open discussion about a sewing concept. The article will begin with a definition of the sewing concept, and then a discussion question will follow. This is a great place for people to ask questions about and/or give advice on sewing concepts related to making doll clothes.

What is the right side in sewing? A quick guide… #SewingTips #EasySewingProjects

I’ve recently had some sewing newbies reach out to me, including one dad who’s teaching his daughter how to sew. Way to go, to all the dads out there who are learning to sew right along with their kiddos! And a question I often get from people who are new to sewing is this: What does “right sides together” mean in your videos? So today … Continue reading What is the right side in sewing? A quick guide… #SewingTips #EasySewingProjects

On a purple cotton fabric square background, the words "free pattern" are written above the ChellyWood.com logo. Beside these texts is a photo of a platinum blonde vintage Skipper doll from the 1980s modeling a short-skirted yellow sundress with straps. (Sometimes spelled sun dress.) To locate and print this doll dress for your vintage skipper dolls, go to Chelly Wood dot com. Other dresses and doll clothes patterns are available for free on this free doll clothes sewing pattern website as well.

Make straps for a doll’s dress the quick and easy way with today’s YouTube Shorts video #Sewingtutorial #SewWithMe

  I just returned from my vacation in Arizona, California, and Nevada. When I got back, I had a partially finished video tutorial showing how to make a long, strappy, purple sun dress for Skipper, but I discovered that today’s video (which I wanted to reference in the purple sun dress video) had never been posted to YouTube as a Shorts video before. I thought … Continue reading Make straps for a doll’s dress the quick and easy way with today’s YouTube Shorts video #Sewingtutorial #SewWithMe

The thumbnail image shows a purple patch sewn onto a turquoise cloth. The words "doll clothes sewing chat" are written in the center of the purple patch. Floating in a circle around the patch are graphics of various sewing notions, from scissors, to a tape measure, to bobbins, to thread, and more. This feature on Chelly Wood dot com, is an open discussion about a sewing concept. The article will begin with a definition of the sewing concept, and then a discussion question will follow. This is a great place for people to ask questions about and/or give advice on sewing concepts related to making doll clothes.

What are your thoughts on autistic Barbie?

  I’m a big fan of Sam Bentley’s Good News channel, and this month (which is Autism Awareness Month), he did a news story on the new Barbie with autism spectrum. Have you heard about this Barbie? She’s very articulated! What are your thoughts on this Barbie? Personally, I’m excited to see all the facets of diversity that Mattel is offering these days. People come … Continue reading What are your thoughts on autistic Barbie?

On a purple background, the text reads "VOTE!" and it shows a person's hand dropping a ballot into a voting box.

I’ve created another fabric on Spoonflower. Can you vote for it please? #Challenge #SewingLove

  I’m still on Vacation. As I type this, I’m in a hotel room in San Dimas, California. So to keep things simple while I’m away, I’ve created some short videos of me painting honeymoon hibiscus flowers. Before I left on this vacation, I used some painting software to remove the white background from behind the flowers I painted, adding leaves in abundance (also these … Continue reading I’ve created another fabric on Spoonflower. Can you vote for it please? #Challenge #SewingLove

The thumbnail image shows a purple patch sewn onto a turquoise cloth. The words "doll clothes sewing chat" are written in the center of the purple patch. Floating in a circle around the patch are graphics of various sewing notions, from scissors, to a tape measure, to bobbins, to thread, and more. This feature on Chelly Wood dot com, is an open discussion about a sewing concept. The article will begin with a definition of the sewing concept, and then a discussion question will follow. This is a great place for people to ask questions about and/or give advice on sewing concepts related to making doll clothes.

What are you doing in your sewing practice, to keep things sustainable? #EarthDay #Recycle

I think all of us know that our earth is in need of a relaxing day at the spa, right? Tomorrow is Earth Day, and in years past, I’ve done official “Earth Day Challenge” activities. You can view those here and here, if you’re interested in seeing what those challenges looked like. Before I go on, I need to make my required disclaimer statement: As … Continue reading What are you doing in your sewing practice, to keep things sustainable? #EarthDay #Recycle

Velcro or snap fasteners? Which one do you prefer and why? #SewingChat #Sewcialists

When it comes to fasteners, most people have a favorite. As a seamstress, installing a zipper isn’t my favorite thing. As a little girl, my least favorite was the hook and eye because I never seemed to be able to get them fastened. But for many people who sew doll clothes, they’re either a Velcro fan or they prefer snaps. Which one is your favorite? … Continue reading Velcro or snap fasteners? Which one do you prefer and why? #SewingChat #Sewcialists