I don’t know what the rest of you did for the 4th of July this year, but I went to visit family in North Idaho, and while I was there, I went to a quilting store called Home Grown Quilts. Breezi, the store manager’s daughter-in-law, who seemed to be in charge of the store around lunchtime that day, wasn’t just standing behind the cut counter … Continue reading Let’s take a tour of Home Grown Quilts in Grangeville, Idaho!
Over the weekend, you may have noticed that Evelyn’s teeny-tiny hats have disappeared from my store. I didn’t sell all 100 or so of the hats. So why aren’t they listed in the store anymore? I ran out of tiny mailers! I ordered 50 more tiny mailers on Amazon, but they won’t arrive until the end of the month. As I’ve said in previous blog … Continue reading What’s new in my store? Snaps! Elastic! And more fabric!
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
Yesterday I posted a brand new pattern and tutorial video, showing you how to make a beautiful, 1960’s style, pink satin dress, which will fit Judy Littlechap. But did you happen to see the list of dolls which will fit in this lovely dress? Let’s have a look at that list again: Yesterday’s free dress pattern will fit these dolls: Lammily First Edition dolls (from … Continue reading New in my store: pink satin fabric remnants! Make a dress for 13-inch My First Barbie with this lovely fabric!
Yesterday, I told you the story of Evelyn, who hand-knitted a multitude of tiny stocking caps before she passed away. I bought them at a church rummage sale, from a woman who seemed very disrespectful toward Evelyn. And now I’m trying to sell these very tiny handmade stocking caps in a way that honors Evelyn’s hard work. When I say “very tiny,” this is what … Continue reading The Story of the Miniature Stocking Caps: Part 2 (PLEASE Comment!)
You might have seen these little stocking caps for sale in my store. Well there’s a story behind these hand-knitted miniature stocking caps. I don’t knit, but I can tell you a little about the woman who did make them. Today I want to share what I can of her sad story. I was driving around Twin Falls, Idaho (a town near where I live) … Continue reading The Story of the Tiny Stocking Caps and Poor Evelyn Who Made Them…
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
Do you ever wonder what the fashion capital of the world has to offer to a sewist? Well, Paris is not called the “fashion capital of the world” without a good reason. In the summer of 2016, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Paris with my daughter, and of course, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to shop for fabric while I was there! I’d … Continue reading Where to Shop for Fabric in Paris
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
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
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
While I was sick with West Nile virus, I had a lot of time on my hands. I thought about what’s going to happen to this website when I retire from my full-time job as a school librarian. I worried that retirement would bring everything to a dead stop because I wouldn’t be able to afford to pay for things like the software I use … Continue reading Chelly’s online store is now open! And a little walk through the history of this website…
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
Back when I purchased the little Dawn-doll-sized Remco I Dream of Jeannie doll, I was at a thrift store and discovered a clear plastic bag filled with somebody’s handmade, Barbie-sized aprons. I bought the whole bag for very little money, but when I brought them home, I didn’t know what I was going to do with them. And then, as most of you know, I … Continue reading What should I do with all these lovely handmade Barbie-sized aprons? #DollCrafts #DollClothesPatterns
As far as fabrics go, felt is relatively cheap, it’s available in most people’s stashes, and it’s easy to sew by hand or on a sewing machine. But is it okay to use for doll clothes? That’s what today’s blog post is going to address. I really love felt for making doll coats and hats, as you can see in previous blog posts I’ve written … Continue reading The benefits of sewing with felt when making doll clothes #SewEasy #DollClothesPatterns
