These are primarily non-doll-related sewing tutorials. For example: how to backstitch; how to sew snaps; etc…
Here on ChellyWood.com, I often get questions about teaching kids to sew. I do have a playlist on my YouTube channel dedicated to this topic, but I mostly sew by hand and my videos are primarily about sewing doll clothes. So what if you want to teach your child to use a sewing machine? What if you want to teach him/her to sew something other … Continue reading #FridayFollow: #Teaching #kids to #sew with @CraftyGemini
When I’m sewing for a doll as tiny as the 6.5-inch American Girl doll, I always feel like it’s a shame to buy a full yard of fabric for such a tiny little doll. Sure, I can use fat quarters from JoAnn’s Fabrics and Crafts, but sometimes you want to get a selection of jersey fabrics that all match. That can get expensive! So here’s … Continue reading Find matching #fabric using this unusual #crafty #hack: underwear packs!
Last week I showed you how to design your own bodice. Did you notice, in that tutorial, that Moana’s bodice was decorated with a strip of blue? What was that blue stuff? It was bias tape! I often recommend learning to sew with felt, if you’re an absolute beginner. But the drawback to making dolls’ clothes out of felt is the fray factor. Felt is … Continue reading How to #Sew Bias Tape
With my vacation behind me, I’m gathering up some ideas to share in next week’s blog posts. So if you’ve been anxiously waiting new patterns and tutorials, hopefully you won’t be disappointed when next week rolls around. Meanwhile, I’m posting this video about rickrack trim. It offers a few creative ways to use rickrack that perhaps you hadn’t thought of! If you like my … Continue reading What is rickrack trim? A #tutorial @ ChellyWood.com for #crafting w/#dolls
I grew up in a family full of seamstresses. So to me, shopping for fabric was no more difficult than buying a piece of candy at a convenience store. But to the absolute beginner, the cutting counter at a fabric store can seem a little daunting. I designed this step-by-step guide for buying doll clothes fabric, keeping in mind that some people are brand new … Continue reading How to Buy #Fabric for #Sewing #Dolls’ Clothes
Last Thursday I posted a video showing you how to design your own felt bodice. To turn your felt bodice into a dress, all you need is a skirt. This tutorial video will show you how to gather fabric for a skirt, so you can design your own “prom” or “quince” dresses for dolls of many shapes and sizes! You may be thinking, “Oh… is … Continue reading How to gather a #doll’s skirt @ ChellyWood.com
I’m on vacation this week, but while I’m gone, the blog is automatically posting some of the tutorials that I frequently mention in my videos. Today’s tutorial is one of the newer ones, but it is an essential skill to have whenever you make doll clothes that use elastic for the waistband. If you’re getting tired of all the re-posted material on my blog, you … Continue reading How to pull elastic through a casing when #sewing #dolls’ clothes
Today’s video tutorial is original and all-new! Yes, I’ve been on vacation, so I’ve sort of put my blog on back-burner for a while. But today I’m showing you something new and wonderful! It’s a tutorial that gives you a brief taste of the methods I use for designing simple bodices, including how I design the darts. Sewists — followers on this blog especially … Continue reading How to make #darts when designing an #EasySew #Felt #doll’s bodice
The doll clothes pictured in this video are some I’ve been working with to re-design and re-develop lately. So watch for more on that! This is a re-post of one of the tutorials that is often mentioned in my videos. I’m re-posting it because I’m actually on vacation right now. Want to follow my vacation online? If I have any sewing adventures to share, I’ll … Continue reading How to #Sew #Dritz Snaps on #Dolls’ Clothes @ ChellyWood.com
Here we have a tutorial for the backstitch. I love this stitch because it’s so versatile and easy to create! When you see me sewing by hand in my videos, I’m almost always using the backstitch. This is a re-post of one of the tutorials that is often mentioned in my videos. I’m re-posting it because I’m actually on vacation right now. Want to follow … Continue reading Use the #Backstitch when #sewing by hand @ ChellyWood.com
Occasionally people who are new to sewing ask me questions that are old-hat to those of us who are long-time sewists. One question I was recently asked is, “How do you hem a garment without a sewing machine?” I use the whipstitch to hem most of my garments. It’s a fairly easy stitch, and it creates a nearly invisible hem. Here’s how it’s done: This … Continue reading How to Whipstitch a Hem @ ChellyWood.com #embroidery #sewing #crafts
Have you ever finished sewing a doll dress and decided your finished product seemed to be missing something? Perhaps that something was a ribbon! As you’ll see in this video, there are lots of great uses for ribbons when sewing doll clothes. Some are functional parts of the garment, and others are just there to add a little splash of color to an otherwise too-simple … Continue reading #SewingBlogger Thursday: How to Use Ribbon With Doll Projects
