I have wanted to learn to sew for years. I built a beautiful Pinterest board full of sewing projects just waiting for me to learn how to sew. I've had several people try to teach me, but very little from these lessons managed to "stick". I did eventually learn how to thread my own needle without calling my mom and how to sew a semi-straight line.
My daughters love to create things and asked to learn to sew, but I didn't know where or how to start. When I discovered Rosie's Doll Clothes Patterns, I knew exactly where to start and I was so relieved to have someone guiding me through it. We signed up for Rosie's How to Make Doll Clothes Video Course. It gives us a year's membership to her site, which contains over 130 videos teaching you how to sew clothing for 18" dolls (standard American Girl size) and for Cabbage Patch dolls.
The course is intended for ages 8 and up. My 8 year old took to it very well. My 10 year old struggled a bit. It requires paying attention to a level she is unaccustomed to. I was very proud of her for persevering and she was very proud of herself for not giving up and for always trying again (and again, and again. Even though it was difficult for her to make her hands do what they wanted to do (and to watch her younger sister do it with ease,) she kept going and the look of pride on her face when she finished her first skirt was priceless. It helps that the course is made up of many short videos of Rosie, speaking with a mesmerizing Australian accent and giving simple step-by-step instructions. Though there were times that we had to sew, rip seams, and sew again, it was only a small task at a time and was never overwhelming for this family of beginner seamstresses.
The membership is for one year, but the videos can be worked through in 6 weeks, yielding around 8 hours of instruction time. We slowed it down a bit more than that, but my girls are already about halfway through the videos and have sewn two pieces they are quite proud of: a halter top and a sarong for their Heart for Heart Girls. I learned right along with them and the girls are planning to give my outfits
In addition to the fabulous lessons in sewing, enrollment in the course also comes with 8 free patterns, featured in the picture below. These were all downloadable PDFs and came with a printable pattern, printable instructions, and step-by-step videos of Rosie creating each outfit and explaining everything.
A fabulous feature to this course is that the videos are not in Flash, therefore we can watch them with the iPad propped up on the table right beside the sewing machine. This feature had to take some time and effort to make possible and it is much appreciated.
In addition to the course videos, you can also purchase more doll patterns for around $5.00 each, or 10% off if you buy complete seasonal sets. These printable patterns include instruction pages and online videos which cover each step of each outfit.
I think we're ready to tackle that Pinterest board I've been saving!
Click to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew
My daughters love to create things and asked to learn to sew, but I didn't know where or how to start. When I discovered Rosie's Doll Clothes Patterns, I knew exactly where to start and I was so relieved to have someone guiding me through it. We signed up for Rosie's How to Make Doll Clothes Video Course. It gives us a year's membership to her site, which contains over 130 videos teaching you how to sew clothing for 18" dolls (standard American Girl size) and for Cabbage Patch dolls.The course is intended for ages 8 and up. My 8 year old took to it very well. My 10 year old struggled a bit. It requires paying attention to a level she is unaccustomed to. I was very proud of her for persevering and she was very proud of herself for not giving up and for always trying again (and again, and again. Even though it was difficult for her to make her hands do what they wanted to do (and to watch her younger sister do it with ease,) she kept going and the look of pride on her face when she finished her first skirt was priceless. It helps that the course is made up of many short videos of Rosie, speaking with a mesmerizing Australian accent and giving simple step-by-step instructions. Though there were times that we had to sew, rip seams, and sew again, it was only a small task at a time and was never overwhelming for this family of beginner seamstresses.
Just look what they were able to do, completely on their own!
The videos begin with the most basic of instructions. This is a sewing machine. This is how you thread a needle. This is how you print a pattern. It covers everything. Each step is covered in a separate video and each video averages around 3 minutes each. I love this! This makes it very easy to scroll ahead if we already know something. We can jump right into the things we need to learn. In no time at all, you are sewing real doll clothes! We skipped very little since we are so new to this, but each video is clearly labeled for those with more experience. Sewing doll clothes is apparently a bit different than regular sewing, so the videos could be very helpful for someone wanting to learn a new technique. They are beyond helpful for someone wanting to learn any technique. I'm amazed at how quickly we've come along with this course.
The membership is for one year, but the videos can be worked through in 6 weeks, yielding around 8 hours of instruction time. We slowed it down a bit more than that, but my girls are already about halfway through the videos and have sewn two pieces they are quite proud of: a halter top and a sarong for their Heart for Heart Girls. I learned right along with them and the girls are planning to give my outfits
In addition to the fabulous lessons in sewing, enrollment in the course also comes with 8 free patterns, featured in the picture below. These were all downloadable PDFs and came with a printable pattern, printable instructions, and step-by-step videos of Rosie creating each outfit and explaining everything.
A fabulous feature to this course is that the videos are not in Flash, therefore we can watch them with the iPad propped up on the table right beside the sewing machine. This feature had to take some time and effort to make possible and it is much appreciated.
The one year online course is available for $47.85. Another option is to order the DVD for $67.02. As most of the videos are foundational skills, I don't know that you would have much need for a DVD unless you had younger children that would one day want to benefit from the course. This means keeping a DVD unscratched in a house with young children. If this idea doesn't scare you, please email me and tell me your secrets.
In addition to the course videos, you can also purchase more doll patterns for around $5.00 each, or 10% off if you buy complete seasonal sets. These printable patterns include instruction pages and online videos which cover each step of each outfit.
I think we're ready to tackle that Pinterest board I've been saving!
Click to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew
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