interview with dan andreasen, continued

Dan Andreasen illustrates the Oliver + S paper dolls. We were able to speak with him recently about his background and some of his most enjoyable recent projects. (Part 1 of the interview can be found here.)

What do you like to illustrate most?
Right now I’m getting a kick out of illustrating my own stories. I like that a lot. After doing piles and piles of book jackets and picture books, I started writing my own stories. I’m working on my sixth book now to be published next year.

Do you have a favorite?
I do. It came out last year, and it’s called The Giant of Seville. It’s based loosely on a giant who moved to a small town and spent his life in the circus in the 1800s after the Civil War. His name was Martin Van Buren Bates. He weighed 525 pounds and was 7’ 11.5” tall. He married a woman who was a giant too. She was even a little taller than he was. The way I wrote the story, it’s fictional. It’s about someone who’s different and can fit into a community. I think it’s a neat book for kids.

How did you find out about these people?
I don’t remember how I found out about them originally. I must have stumbled across an article at the historical society. There are a couple plaques there now indicating that giants used to live there. In one of the shops they may have had a pair of his boots in a window case.

When my kids were younger, we used to drive through the town of Seville which is not too far from where we live. My son was in a car seat, and I told him that giants used to live here. His eyes would get as big as saucers, and he would look around like he expected to see giants today. I used to tell my kids about the giant couple who lived in this town, and I figured if they were that interested there was something there that I could write about.

My story is a fictionalized account of these real people’s lives. It’s a made up story the way I would make up stories to tell the kids. I’ve met some real sticklers for historical fact. It bugs them that I don’t tell the true story, but I had a story I wanted to tell. I used a little bit of historical fact and built a lot of fiction around it to allow me to tell the story of someone different and how he was accepted.

What do you like about the Oliver + S paper dolls you do?
I’ve enjoyed creating the paper dolls. I think it’s a clever and unique way to feature the patterns. And I think the retro look, in a strange way, is really fresh.

interview with dan andreasen, the oliver + s paper doll illustrator

Dan Andreasen, creator of the Oliver + S paper dolls, began his career as a sculptor and illustrator for American Greetings Corp. Over the past 25 years, he has illustrated more than 35 picture books. His illustrations have also been used to advertise iconic American products ranging from Orville Redenbacher to Harley Davidson.

This is something that our customers wouldn’t necessarily know, but your original illustrations for Oliver + S are really small in scale. How are you able to achieve so much detail in such a small space?
Good glasses, I guess! I usually work to size. When I illustrate a season for Oliver + S, the whole thing (a paper doll and five outfits) fits on an 8.5 x 11 inch piece of paper.

My first job was working for American Greetings as an in-house illustrator and in their studio. I just got used to working small like that. It’s the way we did things. If I’m doing a book jacket, I’ll sometimes do that at 150 to 200 % of the reproduction size. But for most of my illustrations I work to size.

How did you get your start as an illustrator?
I was 19 years old when I was hired at American Greetings Corp. Back in 1980, I was at Kent State working on a fine art major. I decided to go look for a job, and I went to American Greetings with my portfolio.

When I was waiting for my turn to go in to interview, the receptionist took a phone call, and I heard her say she was sorry but there were no artist positions available—unless you can sculpt. Of course, my portfolio was filled with all two-dimensional work. When my turn came, I went in and showed my portfolio. The interviewer asked me what deep in my heart I wanted to do, and I said I wanted to sculpt. So they sent me home with a block of clay and told me to make something. I did. And I got the job.

I spent my first few years there using dental tools to sculpt figurine and picture frame prototypes. They would be shipped overseas to be mass produced. After a couple years of that I moved into the conventional design department.

Did you learn anything interesting from working in three dimensions?
I learned that I really wanted to paint, not sculpt!

I worked through the 1980s at American Greetings, and at the end of the 1980s I hooked up with an agent in New York who started giving me publishing work. So I started working for myself. I did two American Girl series—first the Felicity then the Samantha books.

When you illustrated the American Girl books, you based some of your work on your own children, didn’t you? What did they think about that at the time?
Anybody who hangs around my studio long enough ends up in one of my books.

My kids grew up with that. My oldest daughter is 22 now. Felicity’s younger sister and brother were my kids. Later when I did the Samantha books, I used my daughter as the model for Samantha and her best friend for Nellie. My youngest is five now, and she’s my new model.

I work with professional and neighborhood models too. When I hire someone to model for me, I pay them. So when my kids would pose for me, I would give them a few dollars. It was a real job for them, and they’ve always been good sports about it. When my oldest was in kindergarten, her teacher asked her what kind of work her dad did, and she said, “He colors.” As far back as their memories go, I was always working in my home studio.

Next: Dan discusses his favorite recent project.

oliver + s garments

A few months ago when we first launched the Boutique Sewer Program, we promised we would be working to support the participants of the program. We want to build a community, linking seamstresses with customers who want to purchase handmade garments.

To that end, I'm pleased to announce a new page on our website: the Garments page, which contains links to boutique sewers who are offering readymade and custom clothing created from Oliver + S patterns. Now if you don't have the time to sew (or haven't learned how yet), you can still purchase a piece of clothing made from one of our designs.

This new section of our website will put you in touch directly with talented sewers who are willing to work with you to create custom garments to your specifications. We hope to expand the number of participants in the program in upcoming weeks, and we will be adding more photos of finished garments. Stop by often to see the work of our talented boutique sewers highlighted.

oak tag

Sample rooms used to be a common sight in the garment industry. Now that most pattern-making is done overseas, sample rooms are a luxury that many designers can't afford. I was very fortunate, in school, to do an internship with a designer who had his own sample room, and I learned a great deal as a result of working directly with the sample makers. I did all my work in the sample room, from sketching designs to attending fittings with the models. It's a great way to learn the business, and unfortunately it's becoming a rare opportunity for many design students.


If you walk around Seventh Avenue (the garment district) and look up, you'll still see some of these in the windows. They're patterns made of oak tag, which is essentially the same paper card stock that comprise manila file folders. An oak tag pattern is a sure sign of a sample room. Which either means it's a small designer (like us) who does his or her own pattern-making or it's a very high-end company who can afford to have a sample room.

Oak tag lasts longer than pattern paper, and if you're using a pattern many times it's often worthwhile to trace it onto oak tag to preserve it. Also, if you trace around the oak tag pattern onto your fabric using chalk, you can cut the pattern directly from your fabric without the pattern itself getting in the way. It's faster than pinning or weighting a paper pattern piece to the fabric before cutting.


We use oak tag for two types of patterns at Oliver + S. Our slopers, or basic fit templates, are made from oak tag so they can be quickly and accurately traced onto paper and then manipulated and altered to create a pattern for a new style or design. We also trace our block patterns onto oak tag. These are our finished patterns that are used to develop new styles when a particular fit is desired.

Someday we might change to a digital pattern-making system. It's more efficient and would probably save hours of pattern making. Alterations would be much faster as well. But part of me would feel a little sad to leave the drafting side of the business behind. I enjoy getting out my box of pattern-making tools, unrolling a length of pattern paper, and reaching for the oak tag.

touchy feely

I'm a tactile girl. Must feel the fabrics before purchasing. Always carry my favorite pens that I can't write without. And I'm very picky about my sketchbooks: the ink can't bleed, but the paper can't be too heavy either.


So when I was writing the business plan for Oliver + S and doing all the research before launching the company, I was especially picky about the papers we'd be using for the patterns. In fact, I think I nearly drove a couple of printers wild with my requests. Couldn't abide the yucky newsprint that most instructions sheets are printed on: it yellows and gets brittle and feels awful when you touch it. The ubiquitous flimsy pattern tissue was too whimpy and wrinkles and rips too easily.

But I'm not a big fan of heavy white paper for patterns, either. After all, if you need to flip a pattern piece to cut it, you can't see through the paper to follow the cutting lines or transfer pattern markings to your fabric. What to do?

Well, how about a heavier-weight tissue paper? One that isn't so light, doesn't wrinkle as badly as the usual pattern-weight tissue, and generally feels more substantial than a typical pattern? Sounds (and feels) great to me!


Our tissue paper (the paper I love!) is too heavy for the folding equipment at the press, so every pattern tissue is folded by hand. Which takes a long time, of course. But I think the final product is worth the extra effort and expense. And it feels good when you touch it, too.

in this very spot

A while ago on my personal blog I wrote a post about my favorite crafting tools. Well, meet a new favorite to add to the list: the ratchet screwdriver. Technically it's a construction tool, but I'm giving it special status.

I picked this up on a whim the other day since I knew we'd be needing a Philips head and regular screwdriver at the new studio. What a great invention! The interchangeable tips are magnetized so you have less chance to losing your hardware, and you don't need to adjust your grip at all when twisting because of the ratchet action. Plus, it reverses when you need to remove a screw.

Let me tell you, this tool came in handy yesterday when I was assembling our shelving for the studio. (Which, by the way, I really should not be doing by myself. It's dangerous to try to upright a nine-foot-high, four-foot-wide steel shelving unit when you're alone.)



But this post isn't about the screwdriver at all. As I was crouched on the floor with my beloved new screwdriver, I glanced down and discovered this sewing needle, sealed into the floor when the wood was recently re-finished. Someone else was sewing in this very same spot where we'll be sewing for the months (and probably years) to come.

Our building was constructed in the 1920's and changed owners last year, at which time the top floor was broken into smaller studio spaces. We're the first tenant in this smaller space, and before the sale the space was used as a printer's bindery.

Now I simply must ask our landlord about the history of the building.

I'm sure this needle isn't eighty-plus years old, but wouldn't it be interesting if once upon a time someone else made children's clothing in this very same spot?

fall trunk show

The fall trunk show has left the building. First stop: Quilt Essential Fabrics in Abbotsford, British Columbia.

We showed you the fabrics we selected for the show. Would you like to see how the samples turned out?



I think the fabrics in the 2 + 2 blouse and skirt are so fun together, with all those polka dots in different scales. We used a light-weight quilting cotton for the blouse, since the heavier home dec quality would have been too stiff. But the pleats look terrific in the heavier fabric. I want to wear this one myself!



The playdate dress has the same print as the 2 + 2 skirt, but in a different colorway. And I like how the weight of the fabric helps to maintain a crisp inverted pleat at the front. The patterned piping gives the dress a fun little shot of color and texture, too.



The Sandbox pants look great in corduroy, and the use of a printed fabric at the waistband adds a little interest without overwhelming it.



Flannel Bedtime Story pajamas are cozy for fall, and we used the home dec fabric for the neckband, waistband, and leg trim. Again, I like how just a bit of the busy print doesn't overwhelm the outfit but gives it a little pop.



And the Sunday Brunch turned out beautifully. I really need to take a photo of the inside of the jacket because our sample maker did such an amazing job with the binding at the seams. It's as beautiful inside as it is outside, which is really saying something for an un-lined jacket. That little kick pleat at the back skirt looks really nice and crisp in the heavier fabric, too.

I neglected to ask our sample makers whether I can identify them here. Is it ok, everyone? I'm thrilled at what beautiful work they did, and I'm sure they're pround of it as well.

we're moving!

Don't you just love Google Maps? The concept is so amazing; you can zoom right in on nearly any location you like and see a satellite photo with unbelievable clarity.

Yesterday morning I plugged in the address of the new Ikea store in Red Hook, Brooklyn, before we boarded the water taxi that dropped us off at the back door so we could pick up some last-minute items for S's preschool classroom. And if I punch in our home address I can zoom right in on our apartment building, where the photo shows our roof half finished (the photo is a couple of years old).


Well, here's an old Google Maps photo of the building where we're moving the studio. Tomorrow! We've found a lovely corner studio with tons of light and a very peaceful, quiet location. Our landlord, who occupies the two floors below us, is a men's shirt and tie manufacturer.



Here is a photo of our new space. This one isn't from Google Maps, and I had to stitch together a few different shots to show you the whole picture.

So update your files for us: our new address is 35 Meadow Street, #316, Brooklyn, NY 11206. Even the address sounds peaceful, doesn't it? Our phone number and other contact information will remain the same, and with the new space we're planning to offer some classes and a few other surprises in the near future. Stay tuned!

lazy days on flickr

Have you seen all the wonderful Lazy Days Skirts that are showing up in the Flickr group? Lots of great fabric and ribbon combinations, and some really adorable little girls enjoying their new skirts.

fall

Yes, it's up. My goodness, what a nice reception the fall line is getting!


The infamous S and I will be busy filling orders tomorrow while Megan takes a much-deserved break. I'm glad you're keeping us so busy. Thank you! It's very rewarding to see such a wonderful response to the patterns already. I can hardly wait to see what you make with them!