By the time we’ve finished developing each collection of sewing patterns, we always have a large stack of toiles (or muslins) to show for our efforts in addition to the nice finished samples we photograph and display.

Toiles are the rough drafts of a pattern. After a paper pattern is drafted, we make a toile to adjust the fit, revise design details, and work out the construction of the garment. It’s not uncommon to make three or four toiles before we’re really pleased with the results and are ready to start writing instructions and making finished samples.

We also test the fit of the full size range to be sure we’re happy with the grading. Most styles need to be tweaked a bit before they’re ready, and the simplest way to check the fit is to make a muslin.

I like to use muslin for toiles because we can draw or write directly onto the fabric, the fabric is inexpensive, and the print or appearance of the fabric doesn’t interfere with the design itself (although sometimes the muslin can make a garment look a bit stark–designs always look better when made in actual fabric).

Now that the spring collection is finished and shipped, I thought you might enjoy seeing a few of the toiles in all their wrinkled, messy glory.

Here are a large size and a small size Sketchbook Short, side by side:

Sometimes we need to test the fit or drape on just the collar:

or just the cuff:

Other times when we test the fit of a size, we merely indicate details so we can check placement during a fitting without taking the time to actually construct the details (again). For this size 10 Ice  Cream Dress we marked the placement and size of the pockets and seams so we didn’t need to take the time to sew them:

My favorite toiles are for patterns that have multiple views. We often save time and materials by including  several options in one muslin when we make up fit samples. The models always get a kick out of wearing one short sleeve and one long sleeve:

So there they are, before I unceremoniously dump them to clear out space for the next stack, which is already quite high. We’re hard at work on fall development!

Probably not. And that’s good because we tried to keep things looking familiar.

Over the weekend we gutted and rebuilt the Oliver + S blog and upgraded the forums. Boring tech stuff, mostly, but there are some nice new features you might want to take advantage of:

• If you have logged into the forums and you jump over to the blog, you’ll already be logged in for leaving comments.
• All individual post pages now have a section in the sidebar suggesting “similar posts.” If you like a post, follow the links under this heading to read similar items from the archives.
• If you leave a comment on a post, you can choose to be notified by email when follow up comments are left.
• We’re using a new and improved method for verifying that comments are left by real readers. (My new favorite time waster is clicking on the audio icon in the box under the comment field and listening to the little snippets of old-time radio broadcasts that play.)

If you experience any issues as a result of these changes, please let us know by leaving a comment or emailing us at information@oliverands.com.

While we’ve been preparing to make these changes, we’ve held back new blog posts. We’ll have some good ones, including a tutorial on lengthening and shortening patterns, appearing here later this week.

During the month of January, we’re giving you the opportunity to ask Oliver + S a question. Any question.

Since we opened up our Formspring page for questions, we’ve fielded over 30 excellent inquiries on topics ranging from how to make specific types of alterations to what music is playing at the studio on a typical day.

We’ll continue answering your questions here for the next couple weeks, so think of that issue that you have always wondered about and ask away.

Live in the Twin Cities area? Chances are that you’re already a customer of one of our favorite independent fabric shops–Treadle Yard Goods.

Treadle is currently hosting a special Oliver + S trunk show featuring eight outfits from our line as well as some other surprises.

If you’re in St. Paul, MN, stop by during this final weekend of the show to pay a visit and receive a 10% discount on your Oliver + S purchase. The show moves on next Monday.

Address: Treadle Yard Goods, 1338 Grand Ave. St Paul, MN 55101. Phone: (651) 698-9690.

Have you ever been curious about how Oliver + S got its start or what Liesl did before launching the company?

Liesl recently had a nice chat with Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood of the CraftSanity podcast. Their edited conversation, which answers those questions and many more, is now available for all to hear at CraftSanity.

Pay a visit to learn about some totally random stuff–like the nine-digit checks Liesl used to hand-write for a former employer. You may even learn a thing or two about the ins-and-outs of designing sewing patterns for children’s clothing.

(Oh, and in case you’re wondering, no one at Oliver + S writes nine digit checks anymore. Ever.)

Due to a scheduled server migration, the Oliver + S website will be unavailable for between 12 and 24 hours starting at approximately 8:00PM ET on Tuesday, August 25.

Update 08/27/2009, 7:00AM ET: The website is back up, but the shopping bag is not yet working. We hope to have that fixed shortly. Thank you for your patience.

Update 08/27/2009, 9:15PM ET: Issues continue into tonight. It appears that the shopping bag is taking orders now but that no transactions can be completed. If you click the button to submit your order on the final screen in the checkout process and you receive an error message, it means that your order was not completed and you will not be charged. We hope that this issue will be corrected shortly so that orders can be accepted. Also, please note that in-bound email is arriving sporadically, but we are not able to send email out at this time. Please bear with us if you have sent an email in the last two days but have not received a reply yet. We will respond as soon as we are able.

Update 08/28/2009, 7:00AM ET: All technical issues seem to be resolved as of this morning. The website is taking orders and email appears to be working again. If you encounter any problems, please email information@oliverand.com. Thank you.

August, people say, is usually a slow month. Not so at Oliver + S.

Here’s a preview of what will be showing up here over the next few weeks:

• More posts in the principles of fabric selection series
• A special summer sale
• A new free, downloadable pattern (yes, we said “free pattern”!)
• Introduction of a new paper doll friend for Oliver and S
• Announcement of our new Fall 2009 patterns

Stay tuned. The fun starts next week!

We’re pleased to announce the launch of our newest website feature–the Oliver + S discussion forums. You can access the forums by clicking on the text in the navigation bar at the top of every page.

The forums are designed to provide you with a place to ask other customers questions about sewing with Oliver + S patterns and to discuss other topics of general interest. There is no charge to use the forums. All you need to do is create a username and password to begin participating.

We hope to grow the content in the forums over time so that they become a valuable repository of information for our customers. So if you have a question or a comment, please share it there. Let us, with a little help from technology, connect you with other people asking the same questions and coming up with creative ideas for what they can do with Oliver + S patterns.

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.

Wow. What a week it’s been. We’re glad to be back in the studio now, catching up after this season’s Quilt Market in Pittsburgh.

A big thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth. We really enjoyed speaking with staffers from so many of the shops that carry our patterns and meeting many new friends as well. But some usual attendees were missed. Anna Maria‘s baby just arrived (congratulations, Anna Maria and family!), so she didn’t travel this season. And Brooke, who has given Oliver + S its unique look (including our minimalist trade show booth), wasn’t able to attend either.

We’re sorry that many regulars didn’t get to attend Market this season because we think they really would have liked the Pittsburgh convention center. It is a great venue.

The natural light and high ceilings made everyone’s offerings look especially appealing (our booth was well-lit even before we turned on the lights!). I hope we can return again soon.

In addition to our usual booth, this time we did a special little event with fabric designer Heather Ross, who showed up with two Oliver + s samples made in her new collection from Kokka. The double gauze works beautifully with the Swingset and the Bubble Dress. Aren’t they sweet?

As usual, there were a few real stand-outs from the show.

On the fabric front, new Windham designer Bari J debuted a unique collection with a fresh look. So nice to see a new perspective in printed fabrics.

Valori Wells also showed a lovely new collection for Free Spirit, called Del Hi. I’m especially enamored with the High Desert colorways–the rich, neutral-based colors are refreshing and sophisticated. My personal favorite in the group is the Paisley print in Earth color, shown above. It’s a oversized print that would look great with a bright solid as an accent. Maybe orange, yellow, or turquoise?

Amy Butler introduced her new collection of projects in conjunction with The Electric Quilt Company, which looks like lots of fun. She’s got a number of other great products coming out, too, including a nice-looking line of bags for crafters. (Love all those zippers on the Hampton!)

Windham Fabrics is releasing a collection of quilt kits based on the quilts from Gee’s Bend. The lines have been straightened out a bit, so you aren’t getting the same curved, organic feel that make the original quilts so appealing. But the colors and composition are still very appealing and attractive.

I’m sure there was more great material debuted at Market, but I spent most of the time in our booth talking with our customers about Oliver + S. One of the topics we spent a lot of time discussing was appropriate fabric selection to highlight the design features of our garments. Stay tuned for more information on that topic.