Tag: Sewing Patterns

Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie

Did you store a swatch of lace with your Barbie clothes when you were a kid? #VintageBarbie #Memories

Isn’t this an adorable pattern? See the View A dress? Notice the layer of eyelet lace that serves as a top skirt? That’s going to be my focus. Do you think the designer was trying to create an apron with that eyelet? Or do you think it’s just there to make the dress look lacy and feminine? Before I go on, I need to make … Continue reading Did you store a swatch of lace with your Barbie clothes when you were a kid? #VintageBarbie #Memories

Chelly WoodLeave a comment
Four vintage Barbie doll clothes patterns appear next to the Chelly Wood doll, under the heading "panties," and with each of the pattern envelopes, a neon pink arrow points at the location of the underpants pattern as it appears on the envelope. The patterns shown here are McCall's 6260, McCall's 6420, Simplicity 9054, and McCall's 3429 (which is shown from the back of the pattern envelope -- pointing to the location of the underpants pattern there).
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie

What’s the best fabric for making doll panties? #MeMadeMonday #SewVintage

If you’ve been following my series on doll undergarments, here on ChellyWood.com, you’ll recognize number four above. It’s a pair of panties I sewed using a vintage doll clothes patterns. But what about the other ones? What’s their story? Well, please take note of the types of fabrics each pair of panties is made from because that will be the focus of today’s blog post! … Continue reading What’s the best fabric for making doll panties? #MeMadeMonday #SewVintage

Chelly WoodLeave a comment
Simplicity 9054, showing the envelope front, which displays swimwear, hippie clothes, and 1960s and early 1970s fashions for both Ken and Barbie
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie

What’s the best underpants pattern for dolls? #PatternReview #SewWithMe

Today I’ll be exploring how elastic changes the fit of a pair of fashion doll underpants, when sewing the View 4 bikini bottoms from Simplicity 9054. As you can see in the image above, the View 4 patterns offer a bikini swimsuit option, which of course, can become a bra and underpants, if you’re creative with your fabric choices and the execution of that fabric … Continue reading What’s the best underpants pattern for dolls? #PatternReview #SewWithMe

Chelly Wood2 Comments
The image shows a needle and thread hovering over a swatch of heart-shaped lace. The overlay says, "Sewing with lace" and this header leads to a tutorial video that explains the many types of lace and what they are used for when sewing doll clothes.
Crafts and Hobbies, For Sale in the Store

How to add a lace embellishment to one of my free shirt patterns @ ChellyWood.com #SewWithMe #SewingHacks

Today I want to talk about how easy it is to add a swatch of lace to the front of a garment, to give it an extra kick! Lace is considered a notion or embellishment, and it isn’t a necessary addition to a garment. But it can really jazz up an ordinary shirt or blouse. Before I go on, I need to make my required … Continue reading How to add a lace embellishment to one of my free shirt patterns @ ChellyWood.com #SewWithMe #SewingHacks

Chelly WoodLeave a comment
Simplicity 9054, showing the envelope front, which displays swimwear, hippie clothes, and 1960s and early 1970s fashions for both Ken and Barbie
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie

Alterations make my Disney Princess fashion doll’s bra fit perfectly! #MeMadeMonday #DisneyPrincesses

Last week I shared the first version of the bra I made for my Disney Princess fashion doll. As you can see in the image above, it didn’t turn out right. So I re-made it this past week, with these two goals in mind: I wanted to alter the pattern so it’s narrower (vertically) I wanted to give the garment a lining (to prevent the … Continue reading Alterations make my Disney Princess fashion doll’s bra fit perfectly! #MeMadeMonday #DisneyPrincesses

Chelly WoodLeave a comment
The thumbnail image shows a purple patch sewn onto a turquoise cloth. The words "doll clothes sewing chat" are written in the center of the purple patch. Floating in a circle around the patch are graphics of various sewing notions, from scissors, to a tape measure, to bobbins, to thread, and more. This feature on Chelly Wood dot com, is an open discussion about a sewing concept. The article will begin with a definition of the sewing concept, and then a discussion question will follow. This is a great place for people to ask questions about and/or give advice on sewing concepts related to making doll clothes.
Crafts and Hobbies, Fabric

What are your favorite and least favorite fabrics to work with? #SewingChat #Fabrics

While writing yesterday’s blog post, I realized I had already given away both of the shirts I’d made for my little Disney Animators doll, without ever trying them on other dolls. So I didn’t have a clue which dolls could fit into yesterday’s pattern. And of course, I needed this information, in order to create the bulleted list of dolls that can fit the pattern. … Continue reading What are your favorite and least favorite fabrics to work with? #SewingChat #Fabrics

Chelly Wood8 Comments
Simplicity 9054, showing the envelope front, which displays swimwear, hippie clothes, and 1960s and early 1970s fashions for both Ken and Barbie
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie, Vintage Ken

Guide to Sewing Simplicity 9054 Doll Clothes for Vintage Barbie and Ken Collectors #MeMadeMonday #BarbieGirl

Sometimes people who visit my website for the first time think I’m offering these copyrighted patterns for free. That’s not the case, of course. My website does offer free sewing patterns for vintage Ken, vintage Barbie, and similar-sized dolls, and if you need help finding those patterns, this link should help. However today’s blog post is all about the lessons I’ve personally learned when sewing … Continue reading Guide to Sewing Simplicity 9054 Doll Clothes for Vintage Barbie and Ken Collectors #MeMadeMonday #BarbieGirl

Chelly WoodLeave a comment
Crafts and Hobbies, Fabric, Holiday Crafts, Interviews With Crafters, Sewing Chat

Eco-Friendly Christmas: Handmade Denim Ornaments Created by a Beloved Family Member

Today I just want to focus on someone special in my life… my mother-in-law, Anita. She’s a gifted quilter, knitter, painter, glassmaker, gardener — the list could go on and on — and this year she took the festive spirit to a new level by crafting unique, handmade Christmas ornaments and decorations for her house. Using found objects and recycling denim from old pairs of … Continue reading Eco-Friendly Christmas: Handmade Denim Ornaments Created by a Beloved Family Member

Chelly Wood4 Comments
Displaying Simplicity 9054 vintage patterns for 11 and one half inch dolls such as Barbie, Julie, Maddie Mod, and Ken. View 1 dress, scarf and vest; View 2 tunic, scarf, and pants; view 3 blouse, pants, and vest (hippie style with fringe); view 4 bikini bathing suit for Barbie; view 5 shirt, pants, and jacket (double breasted without a collar) for Ken; View 6 and 7 turtleneck sweater for Ken; View 7 pants and vest (with fringe, hippie style); view 8 swim trunks or shorts for Ken. Lessons learned from sewing this pattern can be found at the website, ChellyWood.com under her vintage doll clothes sewing patterns button.
Disney Princess Dolls, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie

Does the Simplicity 9054 bikini pattern for Barbie also fit Disney Princesses? #MeMadeMonday #DisneyDolls

Last week I showed you the Christmas-themed boxers that I made for Ken, using Simplicity 9054 (view 8). At about the same time, I experimented with the view 4 bikini from this pattern. I used a stretchy green and white striped fabric to make the undies and the bra from View 4, and even though the instructions for making this bikini top/bra suggest using a … Continue reading Does the Simplicity 9054 bikini pattern for Barbie also fit Disney Princesses? #MeMadeMonday #DisneyDolls

Chelly Wood2 Comments
Simplicity 9054, showing the envelope front, which displays swimwear, hippie clothes, and 1960s and early 1970s fashions for both Ken and Barbie
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie

Holiday Fabrics: Magic Beyond the Season? ✨ #MeMadeMonday #SewChristmas

I’m curious to hear your thoughts on this one everybody… When you make doll clothes out of seasonal fabrics, do these doll clothes become less fun to play with when the holidays are over? I remember playing dolls at my friend Rachel’s house when we were kids, and her family actually put her dolls’ holiday clothes away in a closet when Christmas was over. Can … Continue reading Holiday Fabrics: Magic Beyond the Season? ✨ #MeMadeMonday #SewChristmas

Chelly Wood4 Comments
The envelope for McCall's 8531 doll clothes patterns for Barbie's cousin, Mod Francie, shows eight different outfits that you can sew for Francie, using McCall's 8531.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie, Vintage Francie

Here are a few tips and tricks for sewing the McCall’s 8531 doll clothes wardrobe for vintage Francie dolls! #MeMadeMonday #SewVintage

Sometimes people who visit my website for the first time think I’m offering these copyrighted patterns for free. That’s not the case, of course. My website does offer free sewing patterns for Francie and similar-sized dolls, and if you need help finding those patterns, this link should help. However today’s blog post is all about the lessons I’ve personally learned when sewing the outfits offered … Continue reading Here are a few tips and tricks for sewing the McCall’s 8531 doll clothes wardrobe for vintage Francie dolls! #MeMadeMonday #SewVintage

Chelly WoodLeave a comment
The thumbnail image shows a purple patch sewn onto a turquoise cloth. The words "doll clothes sewing chat" are written in the center of the purple patch. Floating in a circle around the patch are graphics of various sewing notions, from scissors, to a tape measure, to bobbins, to thread, and more. This feature on Chelly Wood dot com, is an open discussion about a sewing concept. The article will begin with a definition of the sewing concept, and then a discussion question will follow. This is a great place for people to ask questions about and/or give advice on sewing concepts related to making doll clothes.
Crafts and Hobbies, Favorite Books

10 Sewing Books You Can Buy Used Without Regrets #Top10 #Books #GiftIdeas

This list of my top “10 sewing books you can buy used without regrets” is based on a.) the books that have helped me hone my sewing skills, b.) the books that bring me inspiration to continue with my sewing projects, and c.) books that help keep my sewing projects organized. And it may surprise you to find that I’ve included more than just my … Continue reading 10 Sewing Books You Can Buy Used Without Regrets #Top10 #Books #GiftIdeas

Chelly Wood6 Comments
How to make a dress with pintucks. Pictured are a finished bright yellow doll's dress with the top half showing a full set of pintucks all the way across the dress's upper half. An arrow points to the View A drawing on the McCall's 8531 doll clothes sewing pattern envelope. Beside this is the enlarged image of the drawing from the front of the envelope, sewing an artist's rendition of Francie wearing the same dress as the photo on the left, but the dress in the drawing is white, and it also shows Francie wearing a little lace cap.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie, Vintage Francie

Pintucks Part 2: How I salvaged Dress View A with a few modifications to McCall’s 8531 for Francie #MeMadeMonday #SewVintage

In last Monday’s post, you heard about how, even I — a very experienced doll clothes sewing enthusiast — struggled to understand the wording “… stitching back ‘Hemlines’ from top as far as lower ends of tucks” in the McCall’s doll clothes pattern 8531 for Mattel’s vintage Francie dolls. I also learned that the estimate in the pattern for how much fabric you would need … Continue reading Pintucks Part 2: How I salvaged Dress View A with a few modifications to McCall’s 8531 for Francie #MeMadeMonday #SewVintage

Chelly Wood4 Comments
The envelope for McCall's 8531 doll clothes patterns for Barbie's cousin, Mod Francie, shows eight different outfits that you can sew for Francie, using McCall's 8531.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie, Vintage Francie

Pintuck Dress for Francie — The easiest way to learn pintucks! #MeMadeMonday #SewVintage

According to Wikipedia, “In sewing, a tuck is a fold or pleat in fabric that is sewn or fastened in place.”* It goes on to explain that pintucks are tiny tucks. They’re certainly right about that. The key word is TINY. But there’s a LOT Wikipedia doesn’t tell you about pintucks, and now that I’ve learned a thing or two about pintucks while sewing the … Continue reading Pintuck Dress for Francie — The easiest way to learn pintucks! #MeMadeMonday #SewVintage

Chelly Wood2 Comments
On a gingham background, the silhouette of a human hand holding a cell phone has a white arrow pointing to the upper right corner of the cell phone, where a circle appears with tiny lines inside it. This indicates where the main menu will be located on Chelly Wood dot com, should a person need to access the dropdown menu for any of the following features: The home page, the blog, the helpful information dropdown (giving access to "helpful tips and FAQ's", Chelly's paid courses, contact information for this website, funding and charity work, Romeo & Juliet, Share your Creations! -- Additional items in the main menu include the privacy policy, cart, checkout, my account, shop, and donate.
Crafts and Hobbies, For Sale in the Store

Help me re-organize things on ChellyWood.com — I need some advice! #Goals

When I was at the IANDS conference in Chicago, one of the ladies there asked me if I could show her what my website looks like. I watched her fiddle around on her phone, confused, trying to get from the Home Page to the American Girls doll clothes pattern page. It was kind of a disaster. So I thought, “Oh man, I’ve got to make … Continue reading Help me re-organize things on ChellyWood.com — I need some advice! #Goals

Chelly Wood14 Comments