Category: Tutorials: Sewing Basics

These are primarily non-doll-related sewing tutorials. For example: how to backstitch; how to sew snaps; etc…

This image is part of a series of blog posts about how to sew doll clothes collars. This image is part of a series of blog posts about how to sew doll clothes collars. A purple and blue frame surrounds a vintage doll clothes pattern, with the words above stating "Doll Clothes Collars Part 4". In the photo we see the cover of a doll clothes pattern for Skipper dolls from the 1980's or 1990's, and her shirt has a ruffled collar. The ChellyWood.com logo appears at the bottom of the image.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Tips for Beginners, Tutorials: Sewing Basics

5 Ways to Make Doll Clothes Collars that WORK (Tip #4) @ ChellyWood.com #SewingTips #DollClothesPatterns

Collar Tip #4: Use Felt Making a doll’s dress, shirt, coat, or jacket out of felt does double duty to make a doll’s collar easier to sew. First, you can avoid hemming everything, including the sleeves and the outer edges of the garment itself. Second, you won’t have as much trouble getting that collar to lay like you want it to. However, you may have … Continue reading 5 Ways to Make Doll Clothes Collars that WORK (Tip #4) @ ChellyWood.com #SewingTips #DollClothesPatterns

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This image is part of a series of blog posts about how to sew doll clothes collars. This image is part of a series of blog posts about how to sew doll clothes collars. A purple and blue frame surrounds a vintage doll clothes pattern, with the words above stating "Doll Clothes Collars Part 3". In the photo, we see an 18 inch doll like the American Girl doll sporting a pink "sunday best" style jacket with a collar. The ChellyWood.com logo appears at the bottom of the image.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Tips for Beginners, Tutorials: Sewing Basics

5 Ways to Make Doll Clothes Collars that WORK (Tip #3) @ ChellyWood.com #SewingTips #DollClothesPatterns

Look closely at the collar that my Ken doll is wearing in the image above. Do you notice anything strange about the collar? Zoom in. Do you see that little white circle under his collar? That’s actually the head of a straight pin. Uh-huh. His collar wouldn’t stay down for the photo shoot, so what did I do? I pinned it down! What works better … Continue reading 5 Ways to Make Doll Clothes Collars that WORK (Tip #3) @ ChellyWood.com #SewingTips #DollClothesPatterns

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This image is part of a series of blog posts about how to sew doll clothes collars. A purple and blue frame surrounds a vintage doll clothes pattern, with the words above stating "Doll Clothes Collars Part 2". In the photo beneath these words, we see Ken and Barbie dolls wearing variations on the typical Hawaiian shirt. The ChellyWood.com logo appears at the bottom of the image.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Tips for Beginners, Tutorials: Sewing Basics

5 Ways to Make Doll Clothes Collars that WORK (Tip #2) @ ChellyWood.com #SewingTips #DollClothesPatterns

Today’s blog post is “Part 2” of my series on how to create collars for your doll clothes that actually WORK. So you’re sewing a collar for your doll, and what you want to avoid is that awful won’t-lay-flat thing we’ve all had to deal with: Last week we learned that adding lace is one way to avoid the Halloween-witch collar, and as you can … Continue reading 5 Ways to Make Doll Clothes Collars that WORK (Tip #2) @ ChellyWood.com #SewingTips #DollClothesPatterns

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This image is part of a series of blog posts about how to sew doll clothes collars. A purple and blue frame surrounds a vintage doll clothes pattern, with the words above stating "Doll Clothes Collars Part 1". In the photo beneath these words, there are two Crissy dolls (one is African American / Black and the other is Caucasian with very long blond hair done up in a pony tail) and they are both wearing a lace collar with their 1970's attire. The ChellyWood.com logo appears at the bottom of the image.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Tips for Beginners, Tutorials: Sewing Basics

5 Ways to Make Doll Clothes Collars that WORK (Tip #1) @ ChellyWood.com #SewingTips #DollClothesPatterns

Today’s blog post is the first in a series of five blog posts that will teach you how to create collars for your doll clothes that actually WORK. In the coming weeks, watch for each of these tips and tricks on sewing doll clothes collars for dolls of every shape and size. Let’s face it, making a teeny tiny shirt’s collar look right is crazy-hard! … Continue reading 5 Ways to Make Doll Clothes Collars that WORK (Tip #1) @ ChellyWood.com #SewingTips #DollClothesPatterns

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The image shows the Chelly Wood doll (a repainted, re-wigged Spin Master Liv doll) sitting at her computer, looking at the website, ChellyWood.com, and there's a pink arrow pointing to the computer from words above the image that say, "free doll clothes patterns!"
Crafts and Hobbies, Daily Patterns, Interviews With Crafters, Links, Tutorials: Crafts, Tutorials: Sewing Basics, Tutorials: Sewing for Dolls

How to find free doll clothes patterns for dolls of many shapes and sizes @ ChellyWood.com #SewWithMe #DollClothesPatterns

At the start of July, I revised the layout of this website to include alphabetical order of the different dolls’ brand names. So I thought it would be wise to update the video that shows how to find free patterns on this website. Are you lovin’ all this free stuff from ChellyWood.com? Please show your support by telling people about ChellyWood.com. That’s what the “Creative … Continue reading How to find free doll clothes patterns for dolls of many shapes and sizes @ ChellyWood.com #SewWithMe #DollClothesPatterns

Chelly Wood6 Comments
On a blue background, we read the words "Why don't my seams match?" overlapping a photo of fabric that has been sewn askew.
Interviews With Crafters, Tutorials: Sewing Basics, Tutorials: Sewing for Dolls

Why don’t my seams match up? 10 tips from doll clothing designer Chelly Wood #SewingTips #DollClothesPatterns

I’ve done a number of different “sewing tip” blog posts on the ensemble you see in the image above, but what you may not have noticed is that my seams didn’t always match up when I made these garments. “What?!” you say. “How can that be? You’re the expert!” When you sew doll clothes, and especially when sewing very small doll clothes, you can expect … Continue reading Why don’t my seams match up? 10 tips from doll clothing designer Chelly Wood #SewingTips #DollClothesPatterns

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On a purple background, we see a woman's fingers holding a recently sewn strap under the title "straps and belts" on a purple square background.
Interviews With Crafters, Tips for Beginners, Tutorials: Sewing Basics, Tutorials: Sewing for Dolls

Tips for Sewing Tiny Straps and Belts with Chelly Wood #SewingTips #DollClothesPatterns

The arrows in the image at the top of this page point to the feed dogs on a sewing machine. These are the “teeth” that grab the fabric and move it along when you press your foot against the pedal that makes your sewing machine move. Those of us who have been sewing doll clothes for a while have run across the problem of not … Continue reading Tips for Sewing Tiny Straps and Belts with Chelly Wood #SewingTips #DollClothesPatterns

Chelly Wood2 Comments
With a purple and turquoise fabric quilt frame, we see see two doll clothes patterns for Mattel Skipper dolls inside the frame with a woman's torso over the top. The woman, who wears a yellow blouse, has her hands up and her shoulders shrugging, with a curious look on her face. There are question marks dancing around her. The ChellyWood.com logo appears to the side of these images.
10-inch doll clothes patterns, 9-inch Dolls, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Skipper Patterns, Tutorials: Sewing Basics

Not all Skipper patterns are alike! #BuyerBeware #DollClothesPatterns

As the heading for today’s blog post states, “Not all Skipper patterns are alike!” You see, Skipper has undergone quite a few changes over time. The earliest rendition of Skipper was a nine-inch doll with no bust and a fairly inflexible body. Here’s my vintage Skipper, modeling a poodle skirt:   In the 1980’s, she became taller but still didn’t have much of a bust.  During … Continue reading Not all Skipper patterns are alike! #BuyerBeware #DollClothesPatterns

Chelly Wood2 Comments
On a purple cotton background with tiny white polka dots, we see the words "why snaps?" and beneath this heading, a photo of a woman's hand holding a package of 12 Dritz snaps. In the corner of this image is the ChellyWood.com logo.
Crafts and Hobbies, Interviews With Crafters, Tutorials: Sewing Basics

Why I love Dritz sew-on snaps (and how to read a Dritz snaps card)! #SewingOnline #DollClothesPatterns

Yesterday I did a blog post asking you which one you liked better: Velcro, or snaps, for the back closure of your doll clothes garments. Although I use both kinds of closures, I prefer snaps, and as I have said many times before on this website, I prefer Dritz snaps to other brands. That’s because Dritz snaps come on a cardstock sheet, so you can … Continue reading Why I love Dritz sew-on snaps (and how to read a Dritz snaps card)! #SewingOnline #DollClothesPatterns

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Crafts and Hobbies, Fan Mail, Interviews With Crafters, Tutorials: Sewing Basics

Velcro or snaps? Which one do you prefer and why…? #SewingChat #DollClothesPatterns

Velcro. It’s that fabulous hook-and-eye stuff that you can sew onto fabric, making a doll dress or shirt’s back closure easy for children to take off and put back on. But is it the best closure method for your doll clothes? In today’s blog post, I’m going to explain when I use Velcro for my doll clothes and when I use snaps. Plus, at the … Continue reading Velcro or snaps? Which one do you prefer and why…? #SewingChat #DollClothesPatterns

Chelly Wood5 Comments
With a close-up photo of Made to Move Barbie's Bermuda shorts from the back, we can see the double-stitching detail around the pocket, the fact that the tank top is lined with a burgundy-on-white print cotton fabric, and the tank top closes at the back with red Velcro. The words that slant across this image sideways say, "make room for a pocket." The ChellyWood.com logo appears in the lower right hand side of the image.
11-inch doll clothes patterns, Barbie Patterns, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Tutorials: Sewing Basics

A sewing tip: something to think about when you add a pocket! #SewingTips for #DollClothesPatterns

Yesterday I did a blog post showing you how I made a pair of Bermuda shorts from my Simplicity 7928 doll clothes pattern, along with my own reversible tank top pattern, which is, of course, free on this website. As I said yesterday, I’ve found that I can learn a lot by sewing other people’s patterns, and I especially love to take other people’s patterns … Continue reading A sewing tip: something to think about when you add a pocket! #SewingTips for #DollClothesPatterns

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On a turquoise blue cotton background, we read the words "how to use a needle threader" and beneath these are images of a needle and a traditional tin threader. In the lower left corner is the ChellyWood.com logo.
Crafts and Hobbies, Tutorials: Crafts, Tutorials: Sewing Basics

How to use a needle threader for hand-sewing doll clothes projects @DritzSewing #DollClothesPatterns #SewingTips

In spite of the tiny sewing machine that often appears in my doll clothes tutorial videos, I actually sew a lot of my doll clothes by hand. I find that hand stitching gives you greater control when sewing tiny items. If you’re ever struggling with a sleeve or zipper attachment, I recommend switching from your sewing machine to sewing by hand. It may actually save … Continue reading How to use a needle threader for hand-sewing doll clothes projects @DritzSewing #DollClothesPatterns #SewingTips

Chelly Wood2 Comments
This is a collage of fabrics in various prints in solids, including all of the following colors: maroon, pink, white, orange, and a burgundy wine color.
Crafts and Hobbies, Tutorials: Sewing Basics

How to Choose Mix-and-Match Fabrics for a Doll’s Wardrobe @ ChellyWood.com #DollClothes #Fabrics

I had so much fun this weekend! Yesterday’s blog post gave you a bit of a preview, but here’s what happened in greater detail. A lot of people don’t know this, but I’m lactose intolerant. That means I can’t drink cows’ milk. (Don’t worry; I’m going to get to the fabric part! I promise!) However I can drink goats’ milk. And last spring a local … Continue reading How to Choose Mix-and-Match Fabrics for a Doll’s Wardrobe @ ChellyWood.com #DollClothes #Fabrics

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The image shows someone doing needlework in a hoop with three skeins of embroidery floss beside them, in the colors blue (top), green (center), and red (bottom). The words at the top of the purple-background-square frame say, "how to thread an embroidery needle" and these words are, indeed, underlined with an embroidery needle.
Tutorials: Sewing Basics, Yarn and Embroidery

How to Thread an Embroidery Needle Tutorial Video From ChellyWood.com #EasterCrafts #DollClothesPatterns

I made this video in 2015, and my records show that it was first posted here, on ChellyWood.com, on 12 November 2015. For those of you who know me in real life, that’s why I look so much younger in this video! For those of you who just started to follow this website, don’t worry! The quality of my videos has gotten better over time! … Continue reading How to Thread an Embroidery Needle Tutorial Video From ChellyWood.com #EasterCrafts #DollClothesPatterns

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Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Tips for Beginners, Tutorials: Sewing Basics

Ah, the power of tulle! #FunWithFabric #DollClothesPatterns

Today I want to explain the many uses of tulle in my blog post, but before I begin, I need to make my disclaimer statement. First, as an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Second, I belong to other affiliate marketing programs as well. Please read more about how affiliate marketing works on my Privacy Policy page. Quite some time ago, I used my … Continue reading Ah, the power of tulle! #FunWithFabric #DollClothesPatterns

Chelly Wood2 Comments