Tag: Sewing Tips

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

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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

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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

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With a quilted purple and blue frame, a photo of a Made to Move Curvy Barbie with bright pink Anime-style hair stands next to and looks down at vintage 8281 Simplicity Barbie doll clothes pattern, which contains the patterns for making the very same raglan-sleeved shirt or blouse that the Made-to-Move Curvy Barbie is wearing. She also wears a miniskirt that is not pictured on the envelope for Simplicity 8281 vintage Barbie doll clothes patterns. The ChellyWood.com logo appears to the side of the photo.
Curvy Barbie, Fabric, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sewing and Fashion History, Tips for Beginners, Vintage Barbie, Vintage Ken

What are raglan shirts? — Here’s a quick explanation! #Sewing #HandmadeWithLove

In the image at the top of today’s blog post, Ken is modeling a handmade raglan-sleeved T-shirt, but what, exactly, does “raglan” mean? Well, in today’s blog post, we’ll dig deep into the differences between a set-in sleeve and a raglan sleeve, looking at doll clothes sewing patterns for both kinds. If you’re wondering about the history of the word “raglan” (AKA its etymology), I’ll … Continue reading What are raglan shirts? — Here’s a quick explanation! #Sewing #HandmadeWithLove

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

How can I tell if McCalls 9061 vintage patterns will fit my AG dolls? I have 2 methods! #SewingTips #SewingHacks

When you look at a vintage pattern, do you sometimes wonder whether or not it will fit your modern dolls? Nobody wants to waste time making, for example, the nightgown in View E above, if they’re not sure it will fit. Right? In today’s blog post, I’m going to show you a couple of tricks I use to test a pattern before I start sewing … Continue reading How can I tell if McCalls 9061 vintage patterns will fit my AG dolls? I have 2 methods! #SewingTips #SewingHacks

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The Chelly Wood doll (a Spin Master Liv doll that has been repainted and re-wigged) stands beside the Advance 2899 vintage doll clothes patterns for a 1960's Ken doll. This pattern was published in 1962.
Ken Patterns, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Tips for Beginners, Uncategorized, Vintage Ken

How to Sew a Patch Pocket on a Ken Doll’s Shirt (Advance 2899) #SewingTips #VintageSewing

Last week I gave you a few tips and pointers on sewing a collar for Ken’s View 2 long-sleeved shirt, in the Advance 2899 doll clothes sewing pattern. This is a vintage sewing pattern from 1962, and I’m really enjoying sewing with it! This week, I’m going to talk about how to sew on a patch pocket, like the pocket you see on my Ken … Continue reading How to Sew a Patch Pocket on a Ken Doll’s Shirt (Advance 2899) #SewingTips #VintageSewing

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Through a small window of a photo, we see a doll's upper body only, where she wears a bolero jacket or coat that's trimmed in green rickrack to match the color of the dress she wears. There are white rickrack trim images bordering the photo, and above all of this, the thumbnail asks, "When do you add rickrack trim?"
Crafts and Hobbies, For Sale in the Store, Lottie dolls, Sewing Chat, Tips for Beginners

When to Add Rickrack Trim to a Garment #Fashion #SewingTips

Do you see that green zigzag trim along the edges of my Lottie doll’s bolero jacket? That’s rickrack! Webster’s dictionary describes rickrack trim as “a flat braid woven to form zigzags and used especially as trimming on clothing.”* But how does a person decide that a garment needs rickrack trim, and at what point in the garment’s creation does one attach it to the garment? … Continue reading When to Add Rickrack Trim to a Garment #Fashion #SewingTips

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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, Sewing Chat, Tips for Beginners

A couple of tips for getting the elastic to go through a casing #SewingTips #Elastic

You may remember that I extended an invitation to submit questions a couple of weeks back. Well today’s blog post answers one of those questions regarding the pulling of elastic through a casing. Before we dive into this topic, I need to make my required disclaimer statement: As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. To learn more about how affiliate marketing works on … Continue reading A couple of tips for getting the elastic to go through a casing #SewingTips #Elastic

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Today's tutorial video explains how selvage is useful to people who sew doll clothes. This image is just a header indicating that this is a sewing tutorial for beginners.
Tips for Beginners, Tutorials: Sewing Basics

Selvage is your friend! (A tip for fabric buying, when sewing doll clothes) @ ChellyWood.com #SewingLove #SewingTutorial

    The video at the top of this blog post will explain how I sometimes use selvage (that’s “selvedge” if you live in the UK) for my doll clothes projects, and how selvage can truly be “your friend” when buying fabric. If you want a more extensive video about how to buy fabric for doll clothes, please click here. That’s an older video tutorial … Continue reading Selvage is your friend! (A tip for fabric buying, when sewing doll clothes) @ ChellyWood.com #SewingLove #SewingTutorial

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The image shows a quilted frame around a photo of the cover of the Simplicity 4883 doll clothes pattern envelope. Above the photo, it reads, "Simplicity 4883." Beside the photo is a graphic of a giant yellow and turquoise blue question mark. Below this is the Chelly Wood dot com logo.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Sindy, Tammy Doll Patterns, Tips for Beginners

Three times I made mistakes when sewing Simplicity 4883 for Ideal Tammy dolls #MLK #Oops!

If you are a regular follower of this blog, then you probably already know I’m a big fan of the Simplicity 4883 sewing pattern. I’ve been making doll clothes with Simplicity 4883 since my early childhood. In fact, it was the first pattern ever given to me, and it was from this pattern that I learned how to alter doll clothes. From there, I learned … Continue reading Three times I made mistakes when sewing Simplicity 4883 for Ideal Tammy dolls #MLK #Oops!

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Framed by a blue and purple quilt, the ChellyWood.com logo accompanies a close-up image of Simplicity 4883 Ideal Tammy doll clothes patterns and a pattern for making a shoe box closet that would work for most 11 inch or 12 inch fashion dolls like Ideal Tammy, Mattel's Barbie dolls, Rainbow High dolls, and dozens of other fashion dolls in this size range.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Tammy Doll Patterns, Tips for Beginners

Reversible Garment Examples and What Can Go Wrong! #SewingTips #SewingHacks

Among all the hundreds of free sewing patterns here on ChellyWood.com, I actually do have a couple of examples of reversible garments. I recommend the reversible tank top you see above, for a couple of reasons. First, it’s a good starter project if you’re new to sewing reversible garments. Second, as a clothing item, it fits a lot of different dolls. Furthermore, if you’re up … Continue reading Reversible Garment Examples and What Can Go Wrong! #SewingTips #SewingHacks

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On a purple background, a woman's hand holds up a yellow card with a blue stripe running down the left side. At the top of the bleu stripe, the Dritz logo appears as white logo image and text on top of a black background. The card holds 10 of the 12 sew-on snaps that were originally place on the card. Two of the snap locations are now vacated and holes are punched through the card where the snaps would have been.
Crafts and Hobbies, For Sale in the Store, Tips for Beginners

How to Sew Snaps (AKA Poppers) With a Hole in the Middle #Sewing #DollClothes

I’ve had a similar video available on my website for quite some time, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized my original “How to Sew Snaps on Doll Clothes” tutorial video doesn’t have any voiceover. So today’s blog post is going to catch that video up with new technology. As I’ve said before, by adding voiceover to my older tutorials, I’m making them easier … Continue reading How to Sew Snaps (AKA Poppers) With a Hole in the Middle #Sewing #DollClothes

Chelly Wood2 Comments
On a purple background, a woman's hand holds up a yellow card with a blue stripe running down the left side. At the top of the bleu stripe, the Dritz logo appears as white logo image and text on top of a black background. The card holds 10 of the 12 sew-on snaps that were originally place on the card. Two of the snap locations are now vacated and holes are punched through the card where the snaps would have been.
Crafts and Hobbies, For Sale in the Store, Tips for Beginners, Tutorials: Sewing Basics

How to Sew Snaps (AKA Poppers) on Doll Clothes Part 1 –when the snap doesn’t have a hole in the middle #Sewing #DollClothes

Today’s tutorial is an upgraded version of a concept I’ve covered here on ChellyWood.com before. I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but Dritz snaps sometimes have a hole running through the middle of them (which used to be essential for sewing on snaps), but lately they seem to be making them so you can’t slide a straight pin inside the little hole–if there even … Continue reading How to Sew Snaps (AKA Poppers) on Doll Clothes Part 1 –when the snap doesn’t have a hole in the middle #Sewing #DollClothes

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