The text at the top of this image says "10 ways to use ribbons with doll clothes" and under the text, is an image of a variety of ribbon spools in a number of different sizes and colors.

Here are 10 ways to use ribbons when sewing doll clothes…

When I did a recent search for photos of doll clothes with ribbons, here on my website, I discovered that I have uploaded 240 images in the website’s archives, showing the many ways you can apply ribbons to doll clothes. Holy smokes! I’ve sifted through those archived photos and done a quick study of them. And here, in some semblance of order, are the top … Continue reading Here are 10 ways to use ribbons when sewing doll clothes…

This image is a quilt-like square with the Chelly Wood logo turned on its side. Beside the logo, we see a photo of Simplicity doll clothes pattern 8466 from the late 1960's or early 1970's. The dolls on the cover of this pattern are dressed in various fashions including one long dress pattern that uses an empire waist.

Learning to sew with Simplicity 8466 vintage Barbie doll clothes pattern #VintageBarbie #DollClothesPatterns

I had so so much fun sewing the red satin dress in this Simplicity 8466 doll clothes pattern! I’ll never forget that feeling of satisfaction, when it turned out perfectly! Just have a look: It looks pretty similar, doesn’t it? Wow. I couldn’t have been more pleased… I’ve created blog posts that describe how I made this satin dress, and over the years, I’ve talked … Continue reading Learning to sew with Simplicity 8466 vintage Barbie doll clothes pattern #VintageBarbie #DollClothesPatterns

Within a quilted frame, we see a stitched-style title that says "Doll Clothes Collars" and three different images of dolls wearing doll clothes with collars. On the far left is a baby doll in a plaid suit with his little white shirt having a pressed collar; in the middle is an 18 inch doll wearing a dress with a jacket that has a pretty pink collar, and on the right is a Ken doll wearing a Hawaiian shirt with a collar. In the lower left is the ChellyWood.com logo.

5 Tips for Making Doll Clothes Collars

For the most faithful Chelly Wood website readers out there, this is a re-posting of a blog post from about a year ago. The topic is still relevant of course, and I welcome everyone’s comments and suggestions in the discussion area at the bottom of the post! Nobody wants their doll’s collar to stick up all willie-nillie, right? Of course not! So here, all in … Continue reading 5 Tips for Making Doll Clothes Collars

The image shows a turquoise blue cotton fabric with the words "inspirational jazz for sewing doll clothes" across the top, followed by three circular photos showing a vintage Skipper doll modeling handmade doll clothes. Below these three circular photos is a larger rectangle, highlighting each outfit Skipper wears in the music video: pants with a 3/4 length sleeve shirt; a 50's style dress with bolero, and a pair of plaid shorts with a matching top. Musical notes dance across the lower right corner of the thumbnail.

New music video to inspire your crafts… With Skipper Simplicity patterns 5861!

  Sometimes I make doll clothes using other people’s patterns. I take lots of pictures, but what can I do with those pictures, since it’s not my pattern to offer up for free on this website? Today I decided to make another “Sewing Inspiration” video, using Simplicity’s 5861 doll clothes patterns for vintage Skipper, which I’m really enjoying making! As a fan of jazz, I … Continue reading New music video to inspire your crafts… With Skipper Simplicity patterns 5861!

On a purple background, we see the word "Closures" poised above three photos: one of a woman's hand holding a strip of blue Velcro, another showing a lineup of four different colors of 3 inch zippers, and a third image of tiny buttons in bright colors, resting in the palm of a woman's hand.

New in the Chelly Wood Store: Clasps, Buttons, Velcro, and More!

In my store (found under the “Shop” button in the main menu on my website), you can now purchase clasps, buttons, Velcro, and more. Today’s blog post details each of these items. Let’s start with clasps. I bought the overalls clasps shown in the palm of my hand above, from a store called I Sew for Doll on Etsy. They have quite a few tiny … Continue reading New in the Chelly Wood Store: Clasps, Buttons, Velcro, and More!

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…

Recently I added a new item to my “Shop” page: closures. One of the items I’m linking to are clasps for Barbie-sized (or smaller) dolls’ overalls, and I’m doing this blog post because I like to be open and honest about where these notions are coming from. I buy my overall clasps (shown at the top of this page) from an Etsy store called simply … Continue reading Where do tiny clasps for dolls’ overalls come from? We should all be aware…

A quilted frame surrounds Simplicity Tressy Doll Clothes Pattern 5731 (Copyright 1964) along with the Chelly Wood dot com logo.

Learning to sew with Simplicity 5731 vintage Tressy doll clothes pattern #DollCollector #DollClothesPatterns

Do you see that blue price tag of 50 cents on my Simplicity 5731 Tressy doll clothes pattern? That’s literally how much I paid for these patterns, and this pattern set was cut, but only missing one piece; it was in a nearly-perfect envelope; and the directions were all there, in tact, and in perfect condition. Oooh! What a find! I must have had a … Continue reading Learning to sew with Simplicity 5731 vintage Tressy doll clothes pattern #DollCollector #DollClothesPatterns

A woman stares off into space with a dreamy look on her face. The "thought bubble" above her head shows three doll face silhouettes and just above this, we read the words, "dream dolls."

Which “Dream Dolls” you would like to add to your collection? — Please add your comments!

Since I don’t actually own any of my “dream dolls,” there won’t be any official pictures of them. Instead, I’ll use these little silhouetted images to represent them and give you a link to them on a website, just in case you want to see what they look like or buy one for yourselves. But today’s blog post isn’t just about me. I want to … Continue reading Which “Dream Dolls” you would like to add to your collection? — Please add your comments!

On a turquoise blue linen background, a miniature Anna doll and a Mini Elsa doll from Disney's Frozen face one another. They are both wearing handmade skirts with tiny print fabrics and a soft pink felt jacket that has been embroidered along the bottom of the coat. The overlay says, "free pattern" and the ChellyWood.com logo appears in the lower left corner.

Make a pretty embroidered coat for Frozen’s miniature Anna dolls @ ChellyWood.com with today’s free patterns

Are you looking for the patterns? Scroll down to the second set of bullets. With fall underway here, in the northern hemisphere, it’s time to make some coats for our dolls! This project is most attractive if you can add embroidery along the bottom of the coat or jacket, so for your easy access, here’s a link to my embroidery tutorial gallery. To make the … Continue reading Make a pretty embroidered coat for Frozen’s miniature Anna dolls @ ChellyWood.com with today’s free patterns

Learning to sew with a vintage Holly Hobbie plush doll pattern #HollyHobbie #DollClothesPatterns

Have you ever made a plush doll? Well I have. In fact, this Holly Hobbie doll and clothing pattern provided me with the patterns for making my first plush doll, and I have happy memories of working with this pattern. To read what I’ve written about this pattern in past blog posts, just click on a title below that sounds interesting to you: Tips for … Continue reading Learning to sew with a vintage Holly Hobbie plush doll pattern #HollyHobbie #DollClothesPatterns

A blue square thumbnail image says, "free pattern" and these words are beside and slightly overlapping a photo of a Kuu Kuu Harajuku doll modeling a handmade yellow dress with a full skirt, short sleeves, and a collar. The chelly wood dot com logo appears in one corner.

Sew a beautiful party dress for Kuu Kuu Harajuku dolls w/today’s free patterns!

Scroll down to the second set of bullets to download the free printable PDF sewing pattern. Today’s doll dress has appeared on ChellyWood.com before, but this is the first time I’ve associated this free pattern with my lovely “G” doll from the Kuu Kuu Harajuku animated television show. But isn’t she so, so sweet in this dress? Please visit ChellyWood.com for free printable PDF sewing … Continue reading Sew a beautiful party dress for Kuu Kuu Harajuku dolls w/today’s free patterns!

Image of "Sew-Easy Patterns by Advance" vintage Mattel, Inc. Toymakers Barbie doll clothes sewing pattern #2895 with the ChellyWood logo, surrounded by a variety of quilting fabrics in turquoise blue and purple.

Learning to sew with Sew-Easy by Advance 2895 vintage doll clothes patterns for Barbie #VintageBarbie #DollClothesPatterns

The Sew-Easy by Advance doll clothes patterns in my collection are among some of my all-time favorites because they’re just… well… SO vintage! The projects in this Advance 2895 envelope have inspired me to create new patterns, they have taught me techniques I’d never seen before, and I’ve written articles on this website, sharing the tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way. If you’d … Continue reading Learning to sew with Sew-Easy by Advance 2895 vintage doll clothes patterns for Barbie #VintageBarbie #DollClothesPatterns