Tag: Sewing Patterns

On a purple background, the text reads "VOTE!" and it shows a person's hand dropping a ballot into a voting box.
Crafts and Hobbies, Fabric

If you want to show your support… please #Vote!

Okay everybody, I’m going to make today’s blog post short and to-the-point. I’ve designed another fabric! What do you think? I painted apple blossoms, peach blossoms, and chrysanthemums in gouache, using a realistic approach. And then for the smaller flowers, I’ve tried to make them look more child-like because this fabric is called “Grandma’s Flower Garden 1975,” as if my grandma and I painted it … Continue reading If you want to show your support… please #Vote!

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Advance 9939 vintage Barbie doll clothes patterns (the envelope that the patterns come in) is shown with the Chelly Wood doll, framed in a quilted border. The text reads "Advance 9939 vintage Barbie patterns."
Fabric, Jem and the Holograms, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie

Tips and Tricks for Making Doll Underwear for Jem and the Holograms! #Jem #80sToys

If you’re already familiar with Advance 9939, you may say to yourself, “Wait, that’s a Barbie pattern, not a Jem and the Holograms pattern.” Well the underpants pattern from Advance 9939 doesn’t fit Jem, but the bloomers pattern does! Go back to read about the sewing vocabulary definition for bloomers, which I posted on October 22nd, and you will begin to understand that one person’s … Continue reading Tips and Tricks for Making Doll Underwear for Jem and the Holograms! #Jem #80sToys

Chelly Wood7 Comments
Simplicity 1242 doll clothes patterns for Barbie doll is featured beside the logo for Chelly Wood dot com. Incidentally, this pattern is a modern remake of an older pattern numbered Simplicity 6208 in its original form.
Fabric, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie

Learning to Sew With Simplicity 1242 (AKA Simplicity 6208) Vintage Barbie Doll Clothes Sewing Patterns #CollectivelyCreate #HomeSewing

As my regular followers know, there’s now a whole library of vintage and modern doll clothes sewing patterns on my website, and with each of these patterns, I offer my take on what I’ve learned from the patterns, what alterations may work best for these patterns, and my overall review of the pattern, as I sew with it. If you haven’t found my gallery of … Continue reading Learning to Sew With Simplicity 1242 (AKA Simplicity 6208) Vintage Barbie Doll Clothes Sewing Patterns #CollectivelyCreate #HomeSewing

Chelly WoodLeave a comment
Simplicity 1242 doll clothes patterns for Barbie doll is featured beside the logo for Chelly Wood dot com. Incidentally, this pattern is a modern remake of an older pattern numbered Simplicity 6208 in its original form.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie

Why do the same sewing patterns sometimes have different numbers? #VintageSewing #RetroToys

I recently added Simplicity 1242 to my vintage doll clothes pattern collection. When I looked it up on eBay, I discovered this exact same pattern used to be called Simplicity 6208. What’s up with that? I mean yeah, it’s a super cute pattern, whisking me back to bygone days with its charm, but why did Simplicity mix things up? Why bother changing it from Simplicity … Continue reading Why do the same sewing patterns sometimes have different numbers? #VintageSewing #RetroToys

Chelly Wood2 Comments
Advance 2896 with quilted frame and Tall Barbie in Halloween dress standing nearby. the doll is shown in profile. Her long hair is accentuated by this side view, and you can see that the dress has a belt that ties in the back. On the pattern envelope this dress is most like the one pictured in View 5.
Fabric, Holiday Crafts, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie

When your pattern doesn’t fit on the fabric, what do you do? #SewingTips #couture

We’ve all had it happen. You’re thinking, “A fat quarter should be enough to make this little doll dress. Right?” You get home, start pinning the pattern pieces onto the fabric, and then… “Oh crap.” That fat quarter isn’t quite long enough for the skirt’s ruffle (or whatever piece still needs pinning). What can you do? Before I go on, I need to make my … Continue reading When your pattern doesn’t fit on the fabric, what do you do? #SewingTips #couture

Chelly Wood4 Comments
Thumbnail image shows the front of pattern envelope Simplicity 8281, plus a close-up of Simplicity 8281's View 6 culottes, vest, and long-sleeved tee shirt. In the middle, between the pattern envelope and the close-up of a doll wearing the View 6 gouchos (culottes) vest and t-shirt, we see a bubble cut Barbie wearing the handmade outfit. Exactly as printed on the envelope cover, the gouchos / culottes and vest are sky blue, while the long-sleeved T-shirt is made of a red and white striped jersey fabric with narrow one-eighth inch wide stripes. The dolls shoes are red classic pumps.
Fabric, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie

Are denim vests back in style in 2025? #SewingPodcast #FashionHistory

I started my 7th grade year in the fall of 1979, and I distinctly remember owning an outfit that included a denim vest. It came with a pretty ruffled skirt made of tan denim, a white top made of lightweight cotton, and a tan denim vest with cream-colored topstitching. My aunt, Harriet, took me on a shopping spree just before school started, and she bought … Continue reading Are denim vests back in style in 2025? #SewingPodcast #FashionHistory

Chelly WoodLeave a comment
Thumbnail image shows the front of pattern envelope Simplicity 8281, plus a close-up of Simplicity 8281's View 6 culottes, vest, and long-sleeved tee shirt. In the middle, between the pattern envelope and the close-up of a doll wearing the View 6 gouchos (culottes) vest and t-shirt, we see a bubble cut Barbie wearing the handmade outfit. Exactly as printed on the envelope cover, the gouchos / culottes and vest are sky blue, while the long-sleeved T-shirt is made of a red and white striped jersey fabric with narrow one-eighth inch wide stripes. The dolls shoes are red classic pumps.
Fabric, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie

How to sew raglan sleeves by hand #VintageSewing #HandSewing

As most of my regular followers know, when it comes to making clothes for dolls, I really like to sew by hand. If I’m using a slippery or curly fabric, like satin or jersey, I definitely prefer sewing by hand. For today’s project — a raglan-sleeved Barbie shirt–I sewed it from start to finish, using a number of different hand stitches. And this blog post … Continue reading How to sew raglan sleeves by hand #VintageSewing #HandSewing

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, Creative Spark Online Learning, Holiday Crafts, Tips for Beginners

I’m going to design a new class… What are your thoughts? #SewingLesson #DIY

I’m ready to start planning my next class, for C&T Publishing’s Creative Spark online learning platform. In the comments, please let me know what type of course you’d like me to teach next. Here are some thoughts I’ve had: How to design your own doll dresses How to design your own doll shirts and blouses How to design your own skirts How to make a … Continue reading I’m going to design a new class… What are your thoughts? #SewingLesson #DIY

Chelly Wood4 Comments
The image shows a quilted frame around the Chelly Wood doll (really a re-painted Spin Master Liv doll that looks like the doll clothing designer, Chelly Wood), and a thought bubble displays that she is having red and white striped jersey fabric thoughts.
Creative Spark Online Learning, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Vintage Barbie

How do you stop obsessing about a project? #SewingProjects #VintageBarbie

  My brain has been stuck on the idea that I need to sew the red and white striped T-shirt from my Simplicity 8281 vintage doll clothes pattern for not just months, but YEARS now. Of course I have other, more important projects underway. And now it’s time for my disclaimer statement: many of my links are affiliate marketing links. As an Amazon Affiliate, I … Continue reading How do you stop obsessing about a project? #SewingProjects #VintageBarbie

Chelly Wood7 Comments
An apron is a simple Christmas gift to make. You can usually whip one up in a couple of hours. On ChellyWood.com, the doll clothing designer, Chelly Wood, offers advice for making aprons for the whole family for Christmas. This image shows a quilted background with the photo of Simplicity Apron pattern 2691, showing an apron with a pocket and contrasting colors of fabric, along with a quilt-look table runner and a placemat pattern. Visit ChellyWood.com to join the chat.
Crafts and Hobbies, Holiday Crafts, Links, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Tips for Beginners, Tutorials: Sewing Basics

How to Sew Apron Ties — Aprons make great gifts for the whole family! #HolidaySewing #ChristmasGiftIdeas

Maybe you’ve been thinking about sewing an apron for each of your family members as Christmas gifts, or even to use at Thanksgiving, when the whole family is visiting. It’s definitely not too early to start planning your holiday sewing projects! And honestly, aprons don’t take long to make. Before I go on, I need to make my required disclaimer statement: As an Amazon affiliate, … Continue reading How to Sew Apron Ties — Aprons make great gifts for the whole family! #HolidaySewing #ChristmasGiftIdeas

Chelly WoodLeave a comment
A black and white photo of a pair of sewing scissors with spools of thread lying on a work surface. Text says simply "Thread" with the Chelly Wood dot com logo beneath it. Thumbnail colors are turquoise blue and white with the name Chelly Wood in lilac / purple. Click this thumbnail to read an article about thread recommendations and leave a comment on your own opinions for the best brands of thread to use when sewing.
Crafts and Hobbies, For Sale in the Store

What’s the best thread for beginners? Please join the discussion! #Sewing #LearningToSew

Recently I received a comment on my blog, asking me to give advice on which type of thread a beginner should use. The answer I gave is the subject of today’s blog post, but if you have an opinion, please feel free to leave it in the comments at the bottom of today’s post! Before I go on, I need to make my required disclaimer … Continue reading What’s the best thread for beginners? Please join the discussion! #Sewing #LearningToSew

Chelly Wood2 Comments
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.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Uncategorized

What are the best patterns for Barbie capes? #FashionDolls #SewWithMe

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. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. To learn more about this, please see my Privacy Policy page. Thank you! … Continue reading What are the best patterns for Barbie capes? #FashionDolls #SewWithMe

Chelly Wood2 Comments
The thumbnail, framed by a turquoise blue and purple quilt, shows the front of the envelope for Simplicity 5861, a vintage doll clothes pattern for Skipper, from 1964. The text in this thumbnail reads, "Vintage Skipper Simplicity 5861" and under this, we see the Chelly Wood dot com logo.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Tips for Beginners, Tutorials: Sewing Basics, Tutorials: Sewing for Dolls, Uncategorized, Vintage Skipper

What is a hook and eye closure, and how do you sew one? #SewingHacks #SewWithMe

Today I’m going to explain how to sew a hook and eye onto the back of a doll’s garment. Specifically, I’ll be working with the bodice for Dress View 6 in the Simplicity doll clothes wardrobe pattern 5861 for vintage Skipper dolls. Let’s stat with a quick explanation of the notion referred to as a “Hook and eye” or “Hook and loop.” The pink arrow … Continue reading What is a hook and eye closure, and how do you sew one? #SewingHacks #SewWithMe

Chelly WoodLeave a comment
Inside a purple frame, talk bubbles express Q for Questions and A for Answers. The text reads, "Sewing tips for beginners." This is a thumbnail for a Q and A blog post for beginners who are learning to sew and want to "pick the brain" of an experienced doll clothing designer, Chelly Wood.
Crafts and Hobbies, Fabric, Fan Mail, For Sale in the Store, Links, Sewing Chat, Tips for Beginners

What do I need to use my sewing machine? #SewingMachine #LearningToSew

Recently I saw a Reddit post that asked, “What do I need, to use my new sewing machine?” So I thought this might be a good follow-up topic to the last two Friday posts, which answered the questions, “Which sewing machine brand is the best?” and “What brand of iron do you use?” For today’s blog post, in addition to my usual affiliate marketing links, … Continue reading What do I need to use my sewing machine? #SewingMachine #LearningToSew

Chelly WoodLeave a comment
A Chelly Wood doll (a Spin Master Liv doll that has been OOAK re-dressed, re-painted, and had its hair dyed to look like the real doll clothing designer Chelly Wood stands beside a photo of a McCall's 9061 vintage sewing pattern for baby and toddler dolls. The Chelly Wood doll wears a red check shirt and black trousers with a pair of flats. Her hair is tied in a red check handkerchief and she wears dark cat eye glasses.
Baby Doll Patterns, Fabric, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners

Learning to sew with McCall’s 9061 Vintage Baby and Toddler Dolls’ Wardrobe Patterns #Sewing #DollCollector

If you’re looking for details, tips, and tricks for sewing with the vintage McCall’s 9061 pattern for baby and toddler dolls, you’ve come to the right place! In today’s blog post, I’m going to give you links to the other blog posts I’ve written about this pattern, plus, I’ll let you know what information can be found on the envelope itself, including which dolls this … Continue reading Learning to sew with McCall’s 9061 Vintage Baby and Toddler Dolls’ Wardrobe Patterns #Sewing #DollCollector

Chelly WoodLeave a comment