Ah, the power of tulle! #Sewing #SewingProjects

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! #Sewing #SewingProjects

In this purple background thumbnail, the text reads "Ken versus GI Joe: Who is the best dance partner?" There's an image of a blond Barbie dancing with African American Ken from Texas A&M articulated EMT dolls, and standing out as the third leg is a somewhat shorter crew cut GI Joe (also African American) with kung fu grip hands.

GI Joe vs. Ken: Who makes a better boyfriend for Barbie? — Please leave a comment! #gijoe #retro70s

  This is not my advertisement, but I certainly remember the ad from when I was a kid, and my brother had this exact same GI Joe! Of course I own a GI Joe today, and I’ve designed some attractive clothing for him, which you can find on this page, on ChellyWood.com. Before I dive into this ad and what it means to me, I … Continue reading GI Joe vs. Ken: Who makes a better boyfriend for Barbie? — Please leave a comment! #gijoe #retro70s

Three black question marks on a purple gingham background. Each question mark is turned at a slight angle, to create an arc of question marks. The image below the question marks is the Chelly Wood dot com logo. The purple gingham represents fabric.

Can you help doll collector Mandi Lee identify these items? #FridayFollow #DollCollecting

  I follow lots of different doll-related YouTubers, but recently I started following Mandi Lee, largely because this unboxing video was so much fun to watch! In this video, YouTuber Mandi Lee goes through a bunch of vintage dolls, miniatures, and doll clothes that she found on Facebook Marketplace. She asks viewers to help her identify some of the cool items she has in this … Continue reading Can you help doll collector Mandi Lee identify these items? #FridayFollow #DollCollecting

The image shows a sewing machine with a tiny pink swatch of fabric between the presser foot and the feed dogs. Thread, bobbins, and other sewing tools are scattered around a white table top near the sewing machine's base. This image represents Chelly's sewing room while she recovers from West Nile Virus.

How do you finish off your seams? — Please comment! #SewingTips #SewingChat

For today’s “Doll Clothes Sewing Chat,” let’s talk about finishing off a seam. Personally, I use a backstitch, so I’m going to define what that means to me before we get the chat underway… DEFINITION: A backstitch is when you stitch in one direction, you stitch backwards from there, and then you stitch in the forward direction again. This can be done by hand or … Continue reading How do you finish off your seams? — Please comment! #SewingTips #SewingChat

With a quilted frame around it, we see a section of a McCall's vintage fashion doll clothes sewing pattern for making a cape that will fit a fashion doll like Barbie and similar-sized dolls.

What are the best patterns for Fashion Doll capes? #DollClothesPatterns #ToyCollectors

Fall is right around the corner, so we’ll need to keep our little dolls warm. A coat is easy enough to make, but capes are usually even easier! Before you read on, please note that many of my links are affiliate marketing links. To learn more about this, please see my Privacy Policy page. Thank you! You’ll notice, that in the image of Simplicity 8466 … Continue reading What are the best patterns for Fashion Doll capes? #DollClothesPatterns #ToyCollectors

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.

Not all Skipper patterns are alike! #BuyerBeware #DollClothesPatterns

As the heading for today’s blog post states, “Not all Skipper patterns are alike!” And that’s the overall theme for today’s post. However, before I begin talking about the subtle differences between the many renditions of the Skipper doll, please note, many of my links in today’s blog post are affiliate links. To learn more about my affiliate marketing program, please go to my Privacy … Continue reading Not all Skipper patterns are alike! #BuyerBeware #DollClothesPatterns

the image shows a little 1:6 scale handmade cardboard chair in a Renaissance or medieval style. The text reads "free pattern!" and beside the photo of the handmade cardboard chair, there's an overlay of the free printable PDF pattern for making the chair out of cardboard. Go to ChellyWood.com to download and print this cardboard chair pattern so you can make your own Barbie-sized chairs.

Let’s make a little cardboard chair for Barbie w/today’s FREE pattern! #DIYBarbie #DIYcrafts

  Today I’m taking an older tutorial, re-vamping it, adding voiceover, and generally updating it. This tutorial video will show you how to make a Renaissance chair in 1:6 scale (Barbie sized) for your dioramas for fashion dolls and similar-sized action figures. Before we dive into this project, I need to make my required disclaimer statement: As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. … Continue reading Let’s make a little cardboard chair for Barbie w/today’s FREE pattern! #DIYBarbie #DIYcrafts

With a tiny quilt framing it, we see an image of the McCall's 5462 doll clothes pattern on the right and an image of a Barbie doll modeling the shirt from view B in the McCall's Barbie clothes pattern on the left. An arrow points from the pattern to the doll's shirt.

How to sew a boatneck top, using McCall’s Barbie pattern 5462 #SewingTips #DollClothesPatterns

If you’ve only recently started to sew doll clothes, you may feel a little challenged by projects that use a boatneck. According to Webster’s online dictionary, a boatneck top has “a wide neckline that extends toward the tips of the shoulders.” Don’t be discouraged when you see this type of neckline because I’m going to give you some tips by sharing one such project, from … Continue reading How to sew a boatneck top, using McCall’s Barbie pattern 5462 #SewingTips #DollClothesPatterns

A purple and turquoise blue quilt frames the words "how do you box your doll clothes" which float above a 3-D photo of a box wrapped in craft paper with a turquoise blue ribbon delicately tied around the box. The ChellyWood.com logo appears to one side of the text and photo.

How do you box your doll clothes for mailing (shipping)? #Handmade #DollClothesPatterns

The ensemble shown at the top of this page was part of a doll clothes gift I made for a friend’s little girl, Navy. What a cool name this little girl has, don’t you think? Navy? I love it! That’s even a color of fabric! Okay, so when I gave her this gift, consisting of all these handmade doll clothes, how did I package them? … Continue reading How do you box your doll clothes for mailing (shipping)? #Handmade #DollClothesPatterns

In this image, the Chelly Wood doll (a Spin Master Liv doll with a Chelly Wood makeover) holds up the McCalls Crafts pattern number 5462. The image is framed by a blue and purple quilt.

Alterations on the fold line with McCall’s Crafts pattern number 5462 #Sewing #DollClothesPatterns

See that T-shirt in View B with the three-quarter-length sleeves? I’m going to focus today on how to make alterations to that shirt, which is found in the McCall’s Crafts pattern number 5462. I’m going to show you how you can turn this T-shirt into a jacket or stretchy-fabric sweater, just by altering the way you cut it on the fold. In the image above, … Continue reading Alterations on the fold line with McCall’s Crafts pattern number 5462 #Sewing #DollClothesPatterns

On a purple cotton background with a turquoise blue ribbon title that states in white words, "five types of trim to use when sewing doll clothes" we see a photo of a woman's well-manicured hands poised a top pink fabric, as she applies a wavy lace trim with the sewing machine's presser foot's needle in the center of the photograph.

5 commonly used trims for sewing doll clothes #Sewing #DollClothes

I’ve already posted a whole article on the ten ways you can use ribbon trims. (Click that link to go back and read it.) So today I’m going to skip over ribbon as one of the five commonly used trims for embellishing doll clothes. Ribbon is probably the most common form of trim that doll clothing sewing enthusiasts tend to use. It’s inexpensive, it comes … Continue reading 5 commonly used trims for sewing doll clothes #Sewing #DollClothes

In this image, the Chelly Wood doll holds up McCall's "teen doll" pattern #3429 which was published in 1972. In the blog post at ChellyWood.com, where this pattern is discussed, Chelly Wood (a doll clothing pattern designer) asks the question, "Do you prefer to come up with your own fabric concepts, or do you like to choose a fabric that matches the illustration on the front of the doll clothes pattern?" The Chelly Wood doll is actually a Spin Master Liv doll that has been made over to look like the actual doll clothes pattern designer, Chelly Wood.

Do you follow fabric suggestions on patterns? Join the discussion @ ChellyWood.com #SewingChat #Fabric

Do you prefer to come up with your own fabric concepts, or do you like to choose a fabric that matches the illustration on the front of a doll clothes pattern? When I was younger, I used to scour my small town’s tiny fabric store for fabric that sort of matched what was in the illustration on the front of a pattern. I’d make my … Continue reading Do you follow fabric suggestions on patterns? Join the discussion @ ChellyWood.com #SewingChat #Fabric

This purple and turquoise two-toned frame surrounds the words "free doll shoe patterns" along with photos of different types of dolls wearing shoes with a buckle, flats, slippers, victorian boots, regular boots, sneakers, and sandals. The logo shown in the lower left corner tells us this image comes from Chelly Wood (dot com is implied).

ChellyWood.com has free shoe patterns for lots of different dolls! #DollCrafts #FashionDolls

Did you know ChellyWood.com offers a whole gallery of doll shoe and boot patterns for various doll sizes? Yep! You can find my shoe pattern page by clicking on the following items: Home page (main gallery) at ChellyWood.com Scroll down Look for the thumbnail that says, “Let’s Get Crafty” and click it Scroll down a little Click on “Doll Sandals, Shoes, and Boots“ Hopefully you … Continue reading ChellyWood.com has free shoe patterns for lots of different dolls! #DollCrafts #FashionDolls

This image represents a screenshot from the gallery page on ChellyWood.com where you can find links to diorama concepts, tutorial videos, and miniature crafts. Once you're on the diorama gallery page, click on the image of the diorama miniature or doll furniture craft projects you want to make, and it will link you to the tutorial videos and free patterns for making miniatures, doll furniture, and the dioramas themselves.

Did you know ChellyWood.com offers all kinds of tutorials for dolly dioramas? #DollPlay #KidCrafts

Did you know ChellyWood.com offers a whole gallery of doll crafts, miniatures, and diorama ideas for doll crafting? You find it by clicking on the following items: Home page (main gallery) at ChellyWood.com Scroll down Look for a link that says “Let’s Get Crafty” Click on “Dioramas and Miniatures“ Some of these are older tutorials, so I made them before I had really nice video … Continue reading Did you know ChellyWood.com offers all kinds of tutorials for dolly dioramas? #DollPlay #KidCrafts

The image shows a variety of fabrics in different shades of red, white, and blue, including paisleys, florals, dots, and wavy prints. The ChellyWood.com logo appears in the corner.

Happy 4th of July from ChellyWood.com #July4th #Dollstagram

Today’s blog post is just a series of pictures of dolls in various 4th of July outfits, in celebration of the American Independence Day holiday. Of course all of these doll clothes sewing patterns are available here, on ChellyWood.com, if you’re interested in making them. Happy 4th, everyone! If you enjoyed this blog post, and you’d like to see my videos, you might want to … Continue reading Happy 4th of July from ChellyWood.com #July4th #Dollstagram