Rosie's Doll Clothes Patterns (TOS Review)

 

I have been sewing since I was in my teens. About five years ago I made my oldest daughter a pile of doll clothes, but haven't done much since then. Recently, I had an opportunity to review a sewing course from Rosie's Doll Clothes Patterns.

 

The Learn How to Make Doll Clothes Video Course offers 12 months of online access for over 130 step-by-step video tutorials that gives hints and tips for sewing doll clothes. It also comes with 8 free downloadable patterns for 18" dolls. This course can be used with a child 8 and up or the beginning sewer to the advanced sewer.

 

The Learn How to Make Doll Clothes Video Course is broken down into six week segments in which you cover such topics as:

• Setting up Your Sewing Room,
• About different sewing tools and fabrics
• Using Elastic
• How to print patterns and put together 
• Sewing with a straight stitch and zigzag stitch
• How to stay stitch
• How to sew a seam
• Create casings, tubes, and straps
• Threading elastic through casing
• How to gather
• How to attach intricate pieces
• How to attach ribbons and trim
• Fastenings
• How to make clothes fit different dolls
• Troubleshooting help 
• Loads of cool tips

 

The videos are easy to see and hear with clear instructions, plus you get to hear them done in Rosie's lovely Australian accent! A great thing about having access to the videos is that you can go through them at the pace that you need to and are also available so you can go back and review a tip or if you need to troubleshoot something.

 

The patterns and instructions are all downloadable and also include step by step video instructions for putting together each pattern. The free patterns include sports short, crop top, sarong, halter top, summer nightie, hat, pumpkin costume, and underwear.

 

 

My initial thought was to use this my 13 year old daughter, but I ended up getting a new sewing machine which actually got broken in for this review. Due to the learning curve of the new machine I opted to go through the course myself.

 

I was interested to see the ideas presented in this course especially from and experienced seamstress' point of view. I found the video instructions to be excellent and I also learned a few tips to use that were unknown to me. If I had anything negative to say about the course would be the patterns that were included. Since my girls don't wear shorts, crop tops, or halter tops the patterns seemed useless (But hey, the patterns were free!).
 

I decided to make the summer nightie for Delani's American Girl Bitty Twin dolls. Again, I found the pattern was easy to put together and with the step-by-step tutorial videos you couldn't really go wrong. The Bitty Twin dolls aren't the same size as an 18" doll but since the nightie was made out of elastic the nighties fit the dolls okay.

 

Now I must admit my biggest interest in the video course was how well the tips would cross over if you used a different doll pattern, so of course I had to test that out. Rosie does offer other patterns that I like, but I have piles of doll patterns already sitting in my pattern drawer.

 

 

I decided to make a skirt from another pattern. The directions given had the skirt sewed in a tube and then the casing, elastic, and hems put in. I applied the tips from Rosie's Video Course and kept as much of the pattern flat for ease in putting in the casing, hem, gathering, and elastic. Once I had that all finished I sewed up the back seam and ta-da! the skirt was finished. Needless to say, I had one happy little girl and it didn't take very much of my time do it, plus I feel ready to tackle some harder doll patterns I have been putting off for awhile.

With all of the video tutorials included, especially the ones included with the patterns you can easily find one to guide you and apply that to the pattern that you choose. That is how much information is included in the video course! 

 

I found Rosie's Doll Clothes Video Course to be an excellent course, especially for a beginning sewer. This is something that I will have Destini work through over the next few months. There is so much great information included, and a big plus is that I don't have to teach it and can just be a guide and help. Highly recommended!!

 

Rosie's Doll Clothes Video Course is available at Rosie's Doll Clothes Patterns. $47.27* gives you 12 months access plus the 8 free patterns. *(Please note the price fluctuates due to exchange rate.)