Regarding our last post about the principles of fabric selection, one commenter asked an excellent question:

“In all of the examples you’ve chosen, the solid is at the top and the print is on the bottom. Do you think it’s necessary to separate the print from the face with a solid, or can it work with the print on the bodice and a solid skirt?”

I think the placement of the print and solid can absolutely be reversed. Here are two examples of samples we’ve made in which the pattern is on top and the solid is on the bottom.

I think it’s really a matter of balance. A very busy print might not feel right up close to the face, especially in a large area. But a tonal or softer print would certainly be fine.

Proportion of a garment or outfit can also play heavily into your choice of where to use a print, too. For example, the Puppet Show Tunic and the Tea Party Sundress both have yokes with an empire waist (fashion trivia: yes, it really is pronounced om-peer), where the smaller area at the yoke might work nicely with a busy or oversized print and the rest of the garment either solid or a softer tonal print.

I’ll have an example of this for you shortly; I’m taking a project along on our Vermont sewing workshop this weekend and will show it to you shortly after I return. See you next week!

Let’s say you find a print you really love, but you’re a little nervous about using it for a child’s garment. Maybe it’s a large, bold print. Maybe it’s very bright or multi-colored. Maybe it’s both. You’re afraid that by using the print you’ll break the first of our principles of fabric selection–see the child before the outfit.

You don’t necessarily need to shy away from bright, bold prints. You just need to be sure you don’t overdo it. One way to do this is to ground them with coordinating solids or neutrals. It’s very much the same reason that blue jeans go with everything. They’re neutral, and they’re an excellent base from which to start building an outfit.

This is an easy principle that many people instinctively follow. There are many more excellent examples of this in the Oliver + S Flickr group.

By selecting a solid color that ties back to the print, this dress looks beautifully coordinated without being too busy or bold.

A solid brown yoke helps to tone down this over-sized and colorful zigzag print on the Swingset Tunic. By grounding the bold print with the neutral solid, the creator of this garment has taken a very busy, potentially overwhelming, print and made it perfectly appropriate for a child’s top.

Notice how this seamstress has paired a large Amy Butler floral print with a dark solid. I especially like how the yoke of this dress picks up the neutral tones in the print. A solid pink yoke would have been too much for this dress, but the neutral color makes it look especially elegant and sophisticated.

These three garments teach a good lesson. You don’t need to be afraid of bold, bright prints and colors. You just need to be careful about not overusing them. And if you do decide to use one, make sure to ground it with a neutral or a solid.

It’s a fascinating fabric, and it really is made of two layers of gauze. They’re woven together on the loom, which is what that white dot on the fabric is–the inside layer of gauze is white, and when the threads trade places on the loom, a little “stitch” of white shows on the purple side while a “stitch” of purple shows on the white side. You could use either side of the fabric as the right side, since the two sides are identical but opposite.

She looks ready for summer, doesn’t she?

Double gauze can be quite drapey, so it’s better suited to some styles than others. I was pleasantly surprised to see it used very effectively in this adorable Birthday Party dress on the Oliver + S Flickr group. This particular version uses a Heather Ross print. Printing gives the double gauze a stiffer hand, which certainly helps to keep this dress looking crisp and summery.

If you haven’t tried this fabric yet, I strongly recommend it. It’s perfect for those really warm days of summer, which I hear are on their way.

How about we give you a little incentive to sew a fun summer project for yourself?

For the next two weeks (through July 17–UPDATE: sorry, but the sale has now closed), we will be offering our popular Day in the Park Backpack Tote pattern at half price! And, to sweeten the deal, we’ll even cover the shipping and handling costs for customers in North America. Customers outside North America will only pay $2.50 shipping and handing.

This versatile, convertible bag can be worn as a backpack, shoulder bag, or tote and is suitable as a second project for new sewers. The fully lined interior includes a zippered pocket and divided patch pocket for pencils, cell phone, or other small items.

Don’t miss your opportunity to double-dip with this special sale by taking half off the pattern and receiving free or discounted shipping on this item. See the Backpack Tote Flickr group for your dose of tote-sewing inspiration!

Today we continue our series of posts highlighting participants in our Boutique Sewer Program by sharing a short discussion with Tiffany James from Seattle, WA. Tiffany took time away from preparing for the impending arrival of her first baby to answer a few of our questions.

Tell me a little about yourself and your background. How did you learn to sew?
Sewing is something I’ve just really always done. I was a creative kid and it didn’t hurt that there was a cabinet of craft supplies and stacks of fabric and boxes of buttons at home. I used them to make everything from clothes for my dolls and dog to gifts for my friends and family. Over the years I have self-trained and have expanded my skillset by reading books and blogs, and of course by trial and error and by simply making lots of different types of things.

Your Etsy store features an interesting assortment of things—various sewn items, jewelry, and vintage goods. Does this eclectic mix say something about your personal style?
Yes. I think eclectic is a good word for it! My shop reflects the fact that I’m constantly trying something new and I’m drawn to so many different media and activities. I love to research a new craft or project, and then I tend to spend a lot of time gathering the materials and perfecting new techniques. Then, before long, something new has caught my eye!

As a result, I have a studio full of interesting materials to inspire me and experience working in a wide variety of media. To the untrained observer, however, it may just look like I have a problem with my attention span, which may or may not also be true!

What other crafts do you pursue that you may not be selling on Etsy?
Well, lately everything has been about getting ready for the arrival of our first baby at the end of July. My husband and I are definitely do-it-yourselfers in every aspect, so we’ve done all of the work preparing the nursery ourselves. We built a changing table, and we’re working on a bookshelf next. We’ve also tackled minor renovations around the house like updating lighting and plumbing. But we haven’t done any major demolition yet!

I also knit here and there, and I’ve recently started making clothes for myself–both from patterns and by refashioning thrift store finds. I guess I just like to stay busy!

How did you first discover Oliver + S patterns, and how did you come to participate in the Boutique Sewer Program?
I started reading the Oliver + S blog after I saw the patterns mentioned on another site, and I fell in love with the adorable styles. When I saw the post about the Boutique Sewer Program being born, I knew right away that I would want to participate at some point and bookmarked it for future reference.

Months later, when I learned that I was pregnant, my craftiness bug kicked into high gear and my attention naturally turned to baby and kid’s clothes. I was absolutely convinced that our baby was a girl for the first few months, so I picked up the pattern for the Tea Party Sundress (my favorite) and got to work on “her” wardrobe.

We found out soon after that “she” is a “he,” but I was already hooked by how beautifully the pattern came together and how much I loved the styling, and I couldn’t wait to make tons more. I’ve got stacks of fabric waiting to be turned into new Tea Party dress combinations as soon as I can find a free minute!

What have you done to market your business that has been successful for you?
In the past, I have set up booths at a local Saturday market and sold my jewelry, and it also helps that I have wonderful fashionable friends who have purchased my creations and wear them around helping to spread the word!

I’ve recently gotten a few requests from friends to make up special items for them that weren’t in my shop, and I love that. Custom work is exciting, and I love to try new designs, so I’ve been more than happy to oblige.

My blog was originally created to keep our friends and family up to date with the pregnancy and baby news, but I’ve been showcasing my crafty pursuits there as well, so that has led to increased traffic to my Etsy shop. The Boutique Sewer page on the Oliver + S site has also sent new viewers my way, which is wonderful and much appreciated!

What plans do you have for the future?
Our immediate future plans involve an easy and trouble-free home birth and some wonderful family time with our new little one!

Once the babymoon is over, my plan is to concentrate more on my shop and my sewing, and perhaps I’ll even narrow my focus to just a small selection of handmade goods for sale. Of course, I’m sure I’ll still be creating all over the board, so we’ll see how well that pans out!

One thing I’ve considered is perhaps moving things through my shop on a rotating basis, featuring new groups of items at different times as the particular medium appeals to me, instead of having such a mix in there at once. That might help me satisfy my need for variety in a way that makes things appear more cohesive as well. Time will tell.

One thing is for sure, and that is that I will always be making something. I just have an inherent need in me to create, and I feel so lucky to be able to do that and to have a venue to share that and learn from others around me.