Category: Old Patterns from Chelly’s Collection

In this thumbnail, a text at the top reads "How to 'unbraid' tiny doll braids" while a photo below shows a Disney princess Anna toddler doll with a tiny braid sticking up above her head on the left and on the right of her head, a similar braid has been successfully unraveled. The Chelly Wood dot com logo appears in the lower left corner of this thumbnail image.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Uncategorized

How to Unbraid a Doll’s Braided Hair

I found this little wild child at my local Goodwill store, and bought her for $2.50 American. As you can see in the images above, she had clearly been played with a lot and generally loved by a child. The biggest challenge with cleaning this doll was her hair. Those tiny braids! But I have found a way to unbraid a doll’s braided hair that … Continue reading How to Unbraid a Doll’s Braided Hair

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The image shows a close up of the McCall's 9449 small baby and toddler doll pattern published in 1968. This image was part of a vintage pattern discussion on the ChellyWood.com website on Martin Luther King Day, in January of 2023. The patterns were shown to fit modern-day baby alive dolls.
12-inch doll clothes patterns, 13-inch doll clothes patterns, 14-inch doll clothes patterns, 15-inch doll clothes patterns, 16-inch doll clothes patterns, 18-inch doll clothes patterns, American Girl Doll Patterns, Baby Alive, Baby Doll Patterns, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection

Learning to sew with McCall’s 9449 “toddler doll clothes” pattern #VintageSewing #DollClothesPatterns

The blog posts I’ve written about my McCall’s 9449 “toddler doll clothes” patterns are some of my best blog posts, in my humble opinion. There’s just so much to say about this pattern! And I discovered that it fits not only my 15 inch dolls, but also my 12 inch Baby Alive — well, kind of. Click on the relevant blog posts below to learn … Continue reading Learning to sew with McCall’s 9449 “toddler doll clothes” pattern #VintageSewing #DollClothesPatterns

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This thumbnail image shows three handmade doll clothes outfits: on the left is a pair of pants with a shirt that buttons in front and has three-quarter length sleeves; in the center is a circle skirt dress with a bolero; and on the right is a pair of shorts with a short-sleeved shirt. The text reads, "summer projects: what did you get done" and below the doll clothes it says, "Please share!"
Crafts and Hobbies, Holiday Crafts, Interviews With Crafters, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection

Did you get some of your summer sewing goals accomplished?

At the start of July, we shared our summer sewing goals and summer doll projects in this blog post. At that time, I was hoping to make some of the doll clothes from the McCall’s 4716 Sunshine Family pattern set (the purple arrow in the image above points to it), and I was planning to make a few things for Barbie too. However, I got … Continue reading Did you get some of your summer sewing goals accomplished?

Chelly Wood6 Comments
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).
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Vintage Barbie

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

Chelly Wood2 Comments
In this image, the Chelly Wood doll holds up McCall's "teen doll" pattern #3429 which was published in 1972. In the blog post at ChellyWood.com, where this pattern is discussed, Chelly Wood (a doll clothing pattern designer) asks the question, "Do you prefer to come up with your own fabric concepts, or do you like to choose a fabric that matches the illustration on the front of the doll clothes pattern?" The Chelly Wood doll is actually a Spin Master Liv doll that has been made over to look like the actual doll clothes pattern designer, Chelly Wood.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Vintage Barbie

Learning to sew with McCall’s vintage Barbie doll clothes pattern 3429 #sewvintage #DollClothesPatterns

Today’s retro fashion doll pattern, McCall’s 3429 from the 1970’s has definitely given me some challenges — especially with that swimsuit (aka bodysuit) pattern! But as I worked with the McCall’s 3429 pattern, I learned a lot along the way. Today’s blog post gives you an opportunity to learn from my sewing adventures with McCall’s 3429! Read about the struggles I had with the swimsuit/bodysuit in … Continue reading Learning to sew with McCall’s vintage Barbie doll clothes pattern 3429 #sewvintage #DollClothesPatterns

Chelly Wood5 Comments
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Uncategorized

If you collect Dawn, Pippa, or other 6-inch fashion dolls, your help is requested…

*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 If you collect Dawn, Pippa, or other 6-inch fashion dolls, your help is requested…

Chelly Wood4 Comments
Here we see the full front display of Vogue Craft Pattern #9964, which offers patterns for making doll clothes that will fit a vintage Tutti, vintage Skipper, Vintage Barbie, Bubble Hair Barbie, and vintage Midge dolls.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Vintage Barbie

Learning to sew with reproduction Barbie doll pattern Vogue 9964 #VintageSewing #DollClothesPatterns

If you’ve followed this blog for a while, you’ve probably noticed that I enjoy sewing commercially-made vintage Barbie patterns. But what about the reproduction patterns that are so popular? One of the first reproduction vintage Barbie patterns I remember buying is Vogue Crafts 9964. But what did I learn from this pattern? In the following blog posts, I share the lessons I’ve learned form Vogue … Continue reading Learning to sew with reproduction Barbie doll pattern Vogue 9964 #VintageSewing #DollClothesPatterns

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Framed by a purple and blue quilt, we see three cabbage patch dolls dressed in handmade doll clothes. This looks like it is a photo from the front of a commercial pattern. There's a "Goodwill" sticker on the front as well, indicating that the pattern was purchased from a second-hand store. The ChellyWood.com logo also appears on the image to the side of the pattern photo.
Cabbage Patch doll clothes patterns, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection

Learning to sew with Cabbage Patch doll clothes patterns #CabbagePatch #DollClothesPatterns

At the time of this blog post, I only own two Cabbage Patch doll clothes patterns. There’s Butterick 6934, which appears above, and it offers three styles of dresses for Cabbage Patch dolls. And then there’s Butterick 6508, which offers pants, shirts and overalls for Cabbage Patch dolls. These patterns have inspired my own pattern designs, as you’ll see when you read the articles I’ve … Continue reading Learning to sew with Cabbage Patch doll clothes patterns #CabbagePatch #DollClothesPatterns

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Framed by a blue and purple quilt, the ChellyWood.com logo accompanies a close-up image of Simplicity 4883 Ideal Tammy doll clothes patterns and a pattern for making a shoe box closet that would work for most 11 inch or 12 inch fashion dolls like Ideal Tammy, Mattel's Barbie dolls, Rainbow High dolls, and dozens of other fashion dolls in this size range.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Tammy Doll Patterns

Learning to sew with Simplicity 4883 for Tammy dolls #DollCollector #SewingChat #DollClothesPatterns

Every time I look at Simplicity 4883, I am warmed by happy memories of childhood! This is the pattern that taught me how to sew doll clothes, and I remember being as young as 10 or 11 years old and using this pattern to create outfits for my fashion dolls. I literally sewed every single outfit from this pattern by the time I had turned … Continue reading Learning to sew with Simplicity 4883 for Tammy dolls #DollCollector #SewingChat #DollClothesPatterns

Chelly Wood4 Comments
Framed by a purple and turquoise blue quilt, here we see a photo of vintage Ken doll clothes pattern number 2899 from Sew-Easy Patterns by Advance. Over the top of the vintage Ken doll clothes pattern, the words "BTS doll" are followed by a question mark. The ChellyWood.com logo appears beside the photo, to the left of the photo.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Vintage Barbie, Vintage Ken

Learning to sew with Advance vintage Ken doll clothes sewing pattern 2899 #VintageSewing #DollClothesPatterns

I wish I had time to make every outfit in this set of patterns! Sew Easy by Advance 2899 for vintage Ken dolls has got to be one of the rarest doll clothes patterns in my collection. Check out the cravat in View 1! It has tiny paisleys on it! Ooh, he’s a dapper fellow… Today’s blog post gives you an opportunity to revisit the … Continue reading Learning to sew with Advance vintage Ken doll clothes sewing pattern 2899 #VintageSewing #DollClothesPatterns

Chelly Wood2 Comments
The image shows Simplicity 18" doll clothes pattern #4654 which includes patterns for making a lined hooded raincoat or coverup, a tank top and skort, a short-sleeved everyday dress, a sunny sleeveless top with capri pants, a T-shirt with cargo pants, and a crop top with skort or shorts. There's also an 18-inch doll pictured on the pattern wearing a denim jumper with overall straps. The doll wears a striped tee shirt under the overall-style jumper. (This is "jumper" in the US sense of the word -- not a "sweater" as we'd say in the US, but more of a dress with the style of overalls). The watermark on this photo reminds us to visit ChellyWood.com for free, printable sewing patterns for making doll clothes to fit dolls of many shapes and all different sizes. This image also has a header that says, "Today's topic of discussion: what makes a pattern difficult for beginners?" And in fact, if you navigate to the link to the article that accompanies this image, doll clothing designer, YouTuber, and writer Chelly Wood discusses all the features that make this particular pattern difficult for a beginner who is just learning to sew. This article is designed to help anyone who teaches sewing classes, is teaching another person how to sew, or people who are, themselves, just learning to sew, what to avoid when purchasing store-bought patterns.
18-inch doll clothes patterns, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Tips for Beginners

Learning to sew with 18 inch doll clothes pattern Simplicity 4654 #Sewing #DollClothesPatterns

When I first uploaded this photo, it was part of a series that answered the question, “How can you tell when a pattern is not for beginners?” People often think that sewing for a bigger doll will be easier than sewing for a smaller doll, but that’s not always true. With Simplicity 4654, you would be sewing for an 18 inch doll — usually a … Continue reading Learning to sew with 18 inch doll clothes pattern Simplicity 4654 #Sewing #DollClothesPatterns

Chelly Wood2 Comments
On a blue background, we see a pair of yellow ankle pants for a very small doll -- handmade by Chelly Wood -- and the words "Summer projects!" This is a thumbnail for a blog post about summer sewing projects for people who enjoy sewing doll clothes.
Crafts and Hobbies, Holiday Crafts, Interviews With Crafters, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection

What are you sewing this summer? Let’s share for inspiration! #Summer #Sewing

Let’s share! What are you working on this summer? What sewing projects do you have underway? Leave your summer sewing project descriptions in the comments section to give inspiration to everyone who reads this blog post! See the pile of vintage sewing patterns at the top of this post? That’s what I’ve been working on… I found all of these lovely uncut, vintage doll clothes … Continue reading What are you sewing this summer? Let’s share for inspiration! #Summer #Sewing

Chelly Wood10 Comments
In this image, the Chelly Wood doll (a Spin Master Liv doll with a Chelly Wood makeover) holds up the McCalls Crafts pattern number 5462. The image is framed by a blue and purple quilt.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Vintage Barbie

Learning to sew with McCall’s vintage Barbie doll clothes pattern 5462 #sewingalterations #DollClothesPatterns

Back in May, I did a whole series of blog posts on the shirts from McCall’s 5462 Barbie and Ken doll clothes patterns from the 1980’s. Believe it or not, the shirts in views G and B are tremendously easy to sew and to make alterations to. Why? You don’t have to attach a sleeve! But I’ve actually written other blog posts on this versatile … Continue reading Learning to sew with McCall’s vintage Barbie doll clothes pattern 5462 #sewingalterations #DollClothesPatterns

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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, Vintage Barbie

Learning to sew with McCall’s vintage Barbie doll clothes pattern 6420 #sewvintage #DollClothesPatterns

Do you know what’s amazing about the McCall’s vintage Barbie doll clothes pattern #6420? It’s double-sided! Yup! There are images of the different doll clothes you can make on both the front AND the back of this pattern envelope. Can you believe it? Check out the other side: As you can see, it’s got a swimsuit pattern, an underpants pattern, and Ken’s felt shoes– whoa! … Continue reading Learning to sew with McCall’s vintage Barbie doll clothes pattern 6420 #sewvintage #DollClothesPatterns

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Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Vintage Barbie

Learning to sew with McCall’s Crafts pattern number 4400 #sewing #DollClothesPatterns

If you’re looking for a wide variety of patterns for Barbie, McCall’s 4400 has some great options. It offers three styles of pants, four evening gown styles, a wedding dress, a cape, business attire with two totally different looks, and a cute shorts-with-top casual summer outfit. Wow! What a selection! Clicking on the links below will help you revisit my blog posts on McCall’s 4400 … Continue reading Learning to sew with McCall’s Crafts pattern number 4400 #sewing #DollClothesPatterns

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