If it’s September now, it must be about time to release a new season of sewing patterns, right?

We’re now taking and shipping orders for the After-School Shirt +  Pants, the Apple-Picking Dress, and the Sleepover Pajamas sewing patterns.

I have a few more surprises featuring these patterns in store for you here on the blog. So stop back next week for some more fall sewing inspiration.

I know many of you love getting to see our sewing patterns made up in different fabrics to help you imagine which fabrics you’ll choose for your sewing projects. So here are some additional views of the Apple-Picking Dress made by our testers. Thanks, testers!

This little dress was sewn by Melani using Moda’s New of Jewels fabric, which is a lovely cross-dyed fabric that is no longer available. Melanie accurately describes it as heavier than a quilting cotton, more like a mid-weight linen, and said it sewed up beautifully. I love the color, and it’s awfully sweet on this little honey.

Aprli (you know April, right? She writes the nicest posts for us.) made this gorgeous version for her daughter using linen. She combined the long sleeves from View B with the second ruffle from View A and lengthened the skirts a bit so they end just below the knee.

And Jan made a polka dotted version for her little one. I think they’re both awfully cute (the dress and her daughter).

All these photos show the double-ruffled skirt from View A, and I know many of you are clamoring to see View B with the single ruffle. I’ll try to dig up some photos to show you soon!

Like many of our patterns, this dress has been wandering around in the back of my mind and on the pages of my sketchbooks for quite a while. This season it finally makes its debut.

I love the look of a drop-waisted dress. It’s sweet and feminine while also being a relaxed style that’s easy to wear. It’s also a very versatile style, and this dress will take on very different personalities depending on your fabric choices. I’d love to see it in a dressy fabric like silk dupioni for special occasions, but it will also be a terrific play dress this fall made up in a fine-wale corduroy or in our new brushed cotton, which feels soft and cozy like flannel. And of course it looks really cute in quilting cottons and in shirtings as well. I’m a sucker for a good yarn-dyed stripe.

The styling is a little bit vintage but still very contemporary. The wide front placket looks double-breasted (it’s not, however, because that would put too many layers of fabric all the way down the front of the dress, which would make it stiff and uncomfortable to wear), and the tie at the collar is cut on the bias so it drapes nicely and makes a soft bow.

You can choose from 3/4-length sleeves or long sleeves, and you’ll get two completely different looks with the double ruffle at the hem or the single ruffle. And if you really get carried away,you could also make a cute tunic using just the shorter of the two ruffles, which would look really cute with leggings or jeans.

I personally like this style best when made up in a solid color or a simple, subtle print or texture. The pattern works very nicely with the toile from our upcoming Cape Ann collection, as shown in these photos, and would also look great in the ticking stripe or in the smaller prints from that collection. It could be a lot of fun in the right big, colorful print, too. And what about using two different prints for the two ruffles? See, I know you’re going to make some interesting and unique dresses from this pattern.

This pattern, as well as all our other fall styles, will be available during the first week in September.

It’s finally time to take the wraps off our new fall + winter pattern collection.

This season, we are releasing three new patterns: two outfits for girls and a unisex pajama set.

So, without further ado, here we go.

The After-School Shirt + Pants pattern creates the perfect after-school outfit for girls. It features a loose-fitting pull-on shirt with long sleeves, a bateau neck, and a cute offset button detail at the front and back yokes. The pull-on elastic-waist pants include a separate side panel which allows for use of a contrast trim near the hem. An alternate view of the pants includes ruffle details at the front pocket opening and at the back.

The Apple-Picking Dress includes a wide button placket, a bow at the neck, bias-bound sleeves, and a dropped waist for a vintage feel. View A has three-quarter length sleeves and a double-layer gathered skirt, while view B is long sleeved with a single-layer skirt. It makes a perfect dress for the transitional fall season.

The Sleepover Pajamas pattern is intended for both boys and girls. The top is inspired by vintage baseball jersey styling and features contrast trim at the outside edge and on the pockets. The cuff at the sleeves can be let down as the child grows. The elastic-waist pull-on pants have no side seam for extra sleeping comfort and include contrast bias trim at the hem that can also be let down as the child grows. The pattern includes an alternate view with ruffles on the top and pants for making a sweet little girls’ version.

The patterns will be available in stores worldwide and on our website during the first full week of September. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter to be notified when the patterns become available. Wholesale customers can place pre-orders now by downloading the form from our Wholesale page.

Over the next few weeks we’ll be publishing more detailed posts here that highlight all the options included in each pattern. Check back frequently to see what we have in store for you this season.

Photographs by our friends at BPD Studios.