{Crew Review} Rosie’s Doll Clothes Patterns

When I was in 7th grade I took home-ec (I had to; it was required.) One quarter was sewing and one was cooking. Let’s just say that sewing and I did not get along.  I can close my eyes and still see the very uneven stitching on my backpack.  *Sigh*   Years later when Tailorbear was about to turn 3, I decided I really wanted to learn how to sew. I am fairly proficient now at the “no-pattern-elastic-waistband” skirt and basic pillow cases.  Doll clothes are beyond my abilities.  That is, they were beyond my abilities until Tailorbear and I had the opportunity to review Learn How to Make Doll Clothes Video Course with 8 Free Doll Clothes Patterns from Rosie's Doll Clothes Patterns.

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Rosie’s Online Video Course contains over 130 step by step instructional videos. These videos are organized into a six week course but with a purchase of the online course you have access to all videos for 12 months (roughly 8 hours of content).

You can choose to have access to the content available week by week *or* you can choose to get access to all six weeks immediately.  As a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I received access to all course content immediately.

Some General Topics Included Cover:

  •  Everything You Need to Know About Fabric (Week 1) which includes 4 separate videos!
  • Cool Tips When Preparing Your Fabric and Pattern (Week 2)
  • Cool Tips To Make Sewing Doll Clothes Really Easy (Week 3) this one includes 3 instructional videos!
  • How to Create More Advanced Casings (Week 4) again more than one instructional video!
  • How to Attach Intricate Pieces Together (Week 5) 5 separate instructional videos!
  • How to Attach Trimmings (Week 6) this one has 10 separate videos!

In addition to the instructional video course there are 8 patterns included.  Each pattern also includes step by step by step video instructions. The patterns are PDF files which can be downloaded to your computer to keep and use forever. Written instructions are also available as a PDF Download.

  1. Sport Shorts
  2. Crop Top
  3. Sarong
  4. Halter Top
  5. Summer Nightie
  6. Hat
  7. Pumpkin Costume
  8. Underpants

Both Tailorbear and I think the summer nightie could be used as a summer dress.  We found some fabric in our stash that looks perfect for making a nightie or even making a set of pj’s using the shorts and crop top.

Crop Top Pattern Piece Fabric pinned and cut out.

Using Learn How to Make Doll Clothes Video Course:

Neither Tailorbear nor myself are expert seamstresses. I think some people are born with a natural aptitude for sewing.  That aptitude plus creativity along with some natural talent means some people are really really good at sewing.  I am not one of them. I am not sure if Tailorbear has the right amount of aptitude but she certainly has creativity and desire on her side. She’s had some beginning sewing instruction but does not sew regularly enough to gain the experience. So what does that mean for using this video course? 

It means that I felt most comfortable having Tailorbear watch all of the video instructions for basic sewing before starting any of the projects. Some of the skills that Rosie taught were new for Tailorbear. I strongly recommend encouraging your student to practice these skills on scrap fabric as they go through the course.

Tailorbear watched the videos then picked the pattern she wanted to create. She found that she sometimes had to go back and re-watch videos. She even did some practicing of sewing around a curve before attempting to do any sewing on her first project (The Sarong).  Other students with more experience or a parent with experience might not have to spend quite so much time watching and re-watching videos and practicing sewing. 

What I loved:

  • Rosie’s Australian accent.
  • The patterns also had step by step video instruction to walk you through sewing the item.
  • Tailorbear loves that she can make doll clothes
  • The “Cool Tips”.  I learned things such as how to make ribbon not fray and to sew everything flat that you can first before doing side seams.  In other words sew the hem before the side seam! 

Some Things I Noticed:

  • In the Instruction Video for how to sew a hem with woven fabric she mentions using an overlock stick using a serger machine *or* folding over the raw edge to be inside the hem.  I was taught a 3rd way: use a zig-zag stitch on the edge of the fabric to “finish” the edge and prevent the fabric from unraveling.  This is my preferred method.  We do not have a serger but after watching these videos Tailorbear is asking for one!
  • Some steps are combined into one video. Sometimes it was frustrating when those little steps were not listed in the title of the video.  For example with the crop top, the bit about folding the back and pining the side seams comes at the end of the video labeled “cutting out your pattern.”   If you are proficient in cutting out pattern pieces you may think you can skip this video and jump to the next one but the next one starts *after* the back piece has been prepped.  For my daughter whose learning style is to jump in and learn by doing this was frustrating because she then had to go back and watch the previous video. 
  • Tailorbear would love to have had the clothes patterns match up with the week part of the course so that the skills learned that week could be perfected and applied to the “bonus pattern” of the same week number. 

Tailorbear works on sarong using Rosie's Doll Clothes Patterns

Thoughts from Tailorbear:

I really like it! I didn’t have much interest in playing with my dolls much, mostly because of lack of wardrobe. but now that I have the option of more clothes I’m dying to play with them! I really love how Rosie teaches you! She SHOWS you everything. Even if it is in another video. I’m looking forward to trying to make a real skirt (with what I learned) and maybe a shirt with sleeves. I don’t know about the sleeves though. Mom says sleeves are really difficult and with my skills… I might want to wait on that!!

 

The Details:

Visit the Schoolhouse Review Crew blog to read what others have to say about Rosie’s Doll Clothes Patterns.

You can read my other Schoolhouse Review Crew Reviews by clicking here.

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All information is correct and accurate as of the date of this review.

Comments

  1. Hi Tess, Rosie here. Thanks for such a wonderful review and thanks also for pointing out the issue with the name of my videos. I have amended the cutting out video title to read 'Cutting out Fabric and Folding Pattern Pieces' which I hope will prevent any future confusion. It's great to get this feedback as otherwise I would never have know, so thanks again and happy sewing :)

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