oh yes

I gave you a Before teaser and then never posted the After photos! So sorry. Actually, I've been procrastinating because my photos didn't turn out very well and I was secretly hoping they would miraculously improve if I let them sit on my desktop for a while. I think I confused them with green tomatoes or bananas or something.


Oddly, they didn't get any better. But you can still get the idea.


And I negected to photograph the newest element in our booth: we bought an industrial laundry cart (the kind found at your local laundromat) to use for displaying patterns and for hanging garments. It's very cute and rather practical. If it weren't so big (by New York standards) I would use it in our design studio, but in our current location it would eliminate the option of walking. We'll forego the cart for the time being.

fall preview

Meet Oliver.


We needed a boy around here, didn't we? This fall when the evenings start to cool down, Oliver and his friend, S, will both be sporting easy-to-sew, kimono-inspired pajamas.


During the day, Oliver and S can both wear their favorite Sandbox Pants to the playground, along with freezer-paper-template starfish painted on their t-shirts.


Meanwhile, S ...


... has a few daytime options of her own. For playing paper dolls with friends, she might wear her Playdate dress.


If she's headed off to school, perhaps it's the 2 Plus 2 pleated skirt with gathered-front tunic blouse.


On weekends, her Sunday Brunch jacket and skirt look great at the neighborhood creperie, where she goes with her parents (with Nutella crepes for dessert!).


No matter what the occasion, we think they'll both be suitably dressed.

All patterns will be available in August, with an expanded size range from 6 months through 8 years. And for the next two weeks, all website orders for Spring collection patterns will include a fall preview paper doll set, featuring both Oliver + S and their new fall outfits. Enjoy!

boutique sewing program

We know many of you have been waiting patiently for more information on the Oliver + S boutique sewing program (mentioned in our FAQ), which will be the first of its kind in the industry. Please hold on just a little longer! We are in the midst of finalizing all the details and requirements in order to give our customers the best experience possible. We are very excited about the program and are eager to share it with you, but we don’t want to give away too much information just yet. We couldn’t be more thrilled that so many of you are interested in it, and we hope to have all the information necessary for you to get started very soon. Keep checking here for updates, and we will be back with answers as soon as possible!

where I've been for weeks now, in spirit

Here we are in Portland, Oregon, preparing for the spring International Quilt Market, which begins this Friday. Market is an enormous trade show for quilt and fabric stores, where new products like fabrics and patterns are shown and available for wholesale orders. We'll be previewing our fall collection, which will be available for purchase in August.


And here is our booth before setup. Lovely and inspiring, yes? Ah, but just wait; I'll post the After photos very soon. The booth itself hasn't changed much since last time, but maybe I can give you a quick glimpse of the new collection!

Tomorrow we finish setup, prepare for our first Sample Spree (ask Gina for details), and then survive the infamous Spree and its aftermath (as well as packing up anything left over--please let there be no leftovers!) before collapsing into bed at the end of the day, probably sometime around midnight. Glamorous and exciting would describe it. Oh, yes!


I'll be back soon with tales to tell, I'm sure. Hopefully they'll be positive tales of heroism related to the US post office and my three missing samples.

sort of like this

A seersucker Tea Party Playsuit with feedsack piping and lining and vintage buttons, hanging from a vintage-inspired rack. A fun way to display the finished garment at a shop or at home, right?


The Playsuit has gotten short shrift in our line, but it's included in the pattern for the Tea Party Sundress and is appropriate for boys and girls. Really easy to sew, with optional instructions for snap tape at the inseam (makes for easy diaper changes).

We'll be showing the Playsuit at Quilt Market next week made up in a really soft, luxurious Italian wool suiting for fall with a Liberty print piping in the waist seam. Can't wait to show you the photos when we return from the show!

showing off

So you've finished sewing an Oliver + S pattern and want to show off your work? Well first of all, post it to the Flickr group!

But here's another idea for displaying finished garment (aside from on a child, that is), either at a shop or at home. The Small Object has these adorable hangers for sale in a limited edition, and for just $10!


You could display the hangered garment on a quilt rack a la Soulemama (how cute is the bubble dress made up in that print?), or you could also use a peg rack like Posie Gets Cozy has. I like the peg racks at Land of Nod; does anyone know of other good sources?

puppet show tunic: little details

The Puppet Show Tunic has lots of little details that make it different from most children's clothing you see in stores.



At first, this pattern had a gathered skirt. But as I pushed the design a bit (nothing like the stress of a deadline to add inspiration to a design, hmmm?), I changed it to a curved seam with two little darts in the skirt. The darts add fullness, making the skirt stand out a little from the body without being too flouncy or frilly. I like the way it curves over the rounded belly of a toddler, too, so that it doesn't constrict or prevent movement.


The cuffs are easy to sew; when they're open, they're a simple rectangle of fabric with a space between the ends.


When buttoned, the gap forms a little pleat that adds volume and dimension to the sleeve. This detail is actually much easier to sew than the more traditional sleeve placket, and it looks cute, too!