This Sunday Brunch jacket, made by June Beetle and found on our Flickr group, demonstrates the “see the child first” principle nicely. The colors and print are flattering without being overpowering. And that muted yellow looks terrific on her!

You undoubtedly know by now that Oliver + S designs feature classic, simple styling with clean lines and not a lot of unnecessary ornamentation. By designing this way, I’m trying to create beautiful clothing that doesn’t call attention to itself but that highlights the charms of the child who is wearing it. When I select fabric, I go for the same effect.

There’s been a trend in the quilt industry over the last several years toward very bold, busy, colorful prints. Many prints today are actually printed in 10 or more vibrant colors. While I like some of these prints, I tend to shy away from the loudest, boldest, most colorful ones when I make Oliver + S garments. A lot of these prints, when turned into dresses or tops, scream “Look at me! I’m a print by Designer X!” I don’t necessarily want to dress my child—or anyone’s child—as a walking billboard for a fabric collection or designer of the moment. When you dress a child in a garment made from a very busy fabric, you run the risk that the child will get lost behind the print. (And if you combine two or more of these prints in a single outfit…well, it’s all exponential, isn’t it?)

I’d be willing to bet that you noticed these two adorable sisters before you saw their sweet matching Birthday Party dresses, yes? Dresses by A.J.Jacks, one of our Boutique Sewer Program participants.

I also worry that many of these bright, bold prints won’t age very well. We all have some cringe-worthy photos of ourselves as children, don’t we? Take a closer look at one of those photos. Chances are the clothing hasn’t aged well because the styling of the garment or the print of the fabric is overly complicated or very “of the moment.” In designing Oliver + S garments, I’m consciously trying to achieve a timeless style. When viewed two decades from now, a 2009 photo of a child wearing an Oliver + S design shouldn’t cause anyone to say, “What is that you were wearing?” or “What was your mother thinking, dressing you like that?” (I can say this from experience because I have plenty of photos of myself from the 1970s that elicit just those sorts of comments. What was it with those purple bell-bottom jeans with the silver rivets down the legs?) Rather, someone should say, “Hey, you were a really cute kid.”

The beige ground and clear-but-muted plum, mustard, and other colors in this 2 + 2 Blouse look wonderful on a toddler. Sewn by Angela Maureen.

So when I’m selecting fabrics for making my own Oliver + S garments, I tend toward the more subtle and sophisticated prints. Although it goes against the grain of a lot of what’s being done today in the home sewing industry, I think subtle and sophisticated work exceptionally well for children’s clothing. The fabrics don’t have to be loud and bright to capture people’s attention. I would rather let people notice the clothing after they see the child wearing the garments.

I think you’ll also notice that high-end designers are using more subtle and sophisticated prints these days. And this isn’t to say that we need to be afraid of color. I love color, and I’ll talk more about it when I discuss some of my other fabric selection principles in future posts.

I’m excited to have been asked to join Heather Ross as a special guest for one of her upcoming weekend sewing getaways.

Heather, as you know, in addition to being a talented fabric designer is also the author of the wildly popular Weekend Sewing. What you might not know is that occasionally Heather plays party planner too and puts together actual weekends away where women do nothing but sew. (Well, from what I’ve heard, there is plenty of eating and a few other fun outdoor-type activities thrown in just as well, just for good measure.)

So please consider joining us at Blueberry Hill Inn in Goshen, VT for a weekend of serious social sewing, gourmet eating, and a little hiking and swimming at one of the most lovely little secret forest lakes in Vermont.

All the details, and information on registering, are available on Heather’s blog.

Did you know that 95% of fabric shoppers make their purchases at chain stores while only 5% purchase from independent quilt and fabric shops? Why shouldn’t it be the other way around?

Oliver + S is sponsoring Project 95–an industry-wide initiative that highlights the value of independent retailers. When you shop at independent quilt and fabric stores, you support small businesses (often in your community) that cater specifically to your needs.

Oliver + S only sells its patterns through independent shops and websites, and we believe that these independents are worth supporting. In addition to providing you with access to the best products available (many of which are not carried in chain stores), your independent retailer provides classes, community, and other support for sewing enthusiasts like you. Purchasing from these shops helps ensure that high-quality products will remain available to you and that the community these shops build will remain intact.

So please join us in this worthy cause. Shop independent. And voice your support for the movement by following the activities of Project 95 on its website, by becoming a fan on Facebook, and by keeping up with Project 95 on Twitter.

The newest Oliver + S trunk show has been booked for the remainder of the summer. If you’re in the area, stop by one of our retailers to participate in the activities they will be hosting in conjunction with the show.

You can see the trunk show at the following locations:

• Waechter’s Silk Shop Asheville NC, June 2-June 15
• Seams Like Home Quilt Shoppe, Anchorage AK, June 19-July 3
• Colonial Quilts, Savannah GA, July 10-July 24
• Bay Window Quilt Shop, Perham MN, July 30-August 13
• The Stitchin’ Post, Sisters OR, August 18-September 7

Every season at Quilt Market, the show’s organizers sponsor a series of Schoolhouse presentations for shop owners who are interested in learning more on topics of interest to them. This season, Oliver + S led two Schoolhouse sessions.

One of our talks focused on how savvy retailers can increase sales in their shops by making samples of Oliver + S garments. It’s no secret in the industry that if a retailer makes a sample of a quilt or a garment the pattern and the fabrics used for the sample will fly out the door.

As you know, Oliver + S patterns are designed with a sophisticated aesthetic in mind, and we wanted to share with our retailers how we go about selecting fabrics that highlight that fact. After all, the right design made up in the wrong fabric doesn’t, in the end, turn into a successful garment.

We received a good deal of positive feedback on what we presented, and we thought that you might be interested in what we’re calling the Oliver + S principles of fabric selection as well. So, without further ado, here they are:

• See the child before the outfit
• Think sophisticated and understated
• Look at the supporting fabrics in a collection, not necessarily the central prints
• Solid colors and neutrals can ground a bright, busy print
• Be eclectic; don’t be afraid to mix collections
• Look for updated versions of traditional prints
• Tonal and two-color prints look very fresh
• Approach juvenile prints with caution

Over the next several weeks we’ll be publishing a series of posts that explain and illustrate (with your photos from the Flickr group) each of these principles. Many of you understand these concepts intuitively and have selected great fabrics that demonstrate these principles. We can’t wait to highlight some of your work and to talk more in depth about why we believe each of these ideas is important.

(Note: we’ll be tagging each post in this series with the label, “principles of fabric selection.” You can click on that link to see all of the posts brought together into one page.)

I love to teach, but I haven’t had much time in my schedule for teaching during the last year. It’s time we fixed that, right? I’m going to be coming out of semi-retirement to teach a special one-day-only class at Purl Patchwork in New York next Saturday, May 30 from 9:00AM-noon.

Purl just told me that there are still a few slots left in the class, so if your home base is New York and you’ve always wanted to make a sailboat top or learn to sew from a pattern, please join us.

Here’s the course description from Purl:

Join Liesl at Purl Patchwork in New York for a special one-day only workshop session.

If you’ve never sewn from a pattern before or if want to pick up a few tips to improve your sewing, this workshop is appropriate for you.

The session will focus on teaching you the steps involved in making the Oliver + S Sailboat Top. Liesl will demonstrate how to prepare and cut out the pattern, and then she’ll assemble the top while providing tips to help you improve your sewing. She’ll cover shortening and lengthening a pattern, sewing buttons and buttonholes, setting in a sleeve, and proper pressing techniques.

By the end of the demonstration, you’ll be all ready to make a Sailboat Top or many of the other Oliver + S patterns on your own and will feel more confident in your knowledge of sewing. Basic machine sewing experience is required.

You can contact Purl Patchwork at 212-420-8798 to register.