How about some inspiration to start a couple sewing projects this new year?

From now through January 22, order two or more patterns on the Oliver + S website and shipping to addresses in the United States and Canada is on us. Live outside North America? We’ll take $6.00 off shipping for your order.

• To receive free shipping on your U.S. or Canadian order, use coupon code FREESHIPJAN at checkout.
• For discounted shipping to other countries, use coupon code DISCSHIPJAN.

Happy shopping!

We’re getting ready for summer at home, and I recently made something for S that I thought I would show. Here’s her new 2+2 blouse with short sleeves.

We debuted this pattern last fall. It appears on the website and on the pattern envelope with long sleeves. Many people don’t know this, but some sleeve shapes don’t lend themselves nicely to shortening. If you take a long sleeve pattern and shorten the sleeve, the finished garment can have a nasty tendency of winging out at the top of the shoulder.

We wanted to make this pattern more versatile for our customers, so we included a separate short-sleeve pattern piece in the envelope as well. The short-sleeve piece is shaped completely differently than the long sleeve, and I love the resulting fit. It’s a flattering shape that stays close to the arm without being restrictive, and it has a nice cap that’s not your usual puffed sleeve. I think it’s sweet and feminine without being frilly.

I used a few fabrics from the stash for this blouse, which is intended to be worn with the chambray/denim Puppet Show shorts we showed recently. (I’ll photograph the two items together one of these days when my model is in a co-operative mood.) The blouse fabric is from Lecien’s Calme collection, and it’s great for summer because it’s lightweight and almost (but not quite) sheer.

Since sewing gives a perfect opportunity for customization, S and I had a little fun with the front of this blouse. We (OK, I) eliminated the ties and added a button loop and covered button. S directed the embroidery of the button itself, selecting colors for the tiny house. We now refer to the blouse as the House Button Shirt.

And at the back, we opted for yellow thread with my beloved mother-of-pearl buttons (in smokey grey this time). The bright yellow is a subtle surprise for anyone who looks closely.

I like little details like this. But you already knew that, I think.

I just finished making this pair of Puppet Show shorts for S. In past summers she has lived in this style, and I suspect she’ll be doing the same this year. They’re very comfortable with an elastic waistband and fullness that gets gathered into bias binding at the leg opening. But my favorite part is the pockets, which are applied near where the side seam would be. (The shorts don’t have a side seam which makes them even faster to sew up.) The pockets are fun and easy to make and look more impressive than their actual difficulty.

I used a lightweight denim for this pair, but I used the wrong side of the fabric so it looks like chambray. I’ve got a thing for chambray; it looks a little dressier than denim. But I know that because of the durability of the denim these shorts will last through a summer of sandboxes, slides and bike riding.

Sew Hip, a new sewing magazine in the UK, commissioned an Oliver + S pattern for its most recent issue. (Yes, that’s it on the cover–shown with Martha the chicken). The pattern, called the Popover Sundress, is a simple pull-on dress with bias straps that tie at the shoulder.

The pattern is fun to make because it’s very easy to sew and gives you the option to add lace, rickrack, or a ruffle to the yoke. The adjustable straps make it an especially versatile pattern that would be cute as a swimsuit cover-up this summer or as a dressier garment if made in fabrics like linen or silk. It would even be appropriate over a blouse or shirt when the weather gets cooler.

Here are some photos we took before sending Sew Hip the samples for their photo shoot.

If you’ve sewn a Popover Sundress from the Sew Hip pattern, we would love to see it! You can add your photos to the Oliver + S Flickr group. We’ve already seen several versions sent to us via email, and it looks like lots of seamstresses are enjoying themselves with the pattern. We can’t wait to see more!

I’m a tearsheet fanatic. I’ve always loved pulling and archiving tearsheets. But it wasn’t until I got to design school that I learned I wasn’t the only one saving random pages I tore from magazines and, in fact, that those pages could become part of the design process.

Unfortunately, S caught onto this habit really quickly and now looks over my shoulder when I read a magazine to holler out when she sees something she wants to save. Sometimes I have to explain that we’re not removing pages from a particular magazine. (Marie Claire Idees and Martha Stewart Living are the only survivers on my save-the-entire-magazine list. The others have, sadly, gone out of print: Blueprint, Domino.) Most of the time she gets to keep all photos of dogs and girls wearing pink.

I’ve appropriated a portion of one wall in the studio to act as my inspiration board, and on it are taped a variety of tearsheets and other objects that I like to see on a regular basis. Some of the images and objects have been inspiring me for years. Others get swapped out when I grow tired of them or find something else that interests me more.

This one has been on the wall for quite a while. It’s a Prada dress that I adore and wouldn’t mind wearing, myself.

I came back to this tearsheet one day recently when I was preparing to sew S’s Easter dress. I had selected navy silk dupioni (from Brewer) for the dress, and then I found a wonderful vintage yellow grosgrain ribbon with a moire effect (from Tinsel Trading). I wanted to incorporate some yellow eyelet fabric that I’ve been saving for a while, but I was having trouble pulling it all together until I remembered that tearsheet I walk past every day.

Off came the photo from the wall, and I carried it around for the next few days so I could think about it more. Here is what ultimately came of it: my interpretation of the feel of that Prada dress, done for a little girl.

In the end, I decided on two important embellishments to the Birthday Party Dress inspired by the photo. I added yellow topstitching in a deliberately meandering manner so that it would look uneven and a little “messed up.” And I sewed a strip of the eyelet fabric to the top edge of the hem facing so that it looks like a contemporary version of a petticoat peeking out from under the dress. It was important to me that the eyelet be separated from the hem to the extent that it had some dimension rather than simply looking like lace applied to the hem. By sewing the eyelet to the top of the hem facing it looks like a separate layer worn under the dress. Then I carefully (but not too carefully, since I wanted it to look a little rough) trimmed the eyelet into scallops that peek out beneath the dress.

And here is the dress, being modeled. I have to tell you that if my job consisted of regularly cajoling S to pose for photos I think I’d quit. It’s such a relief to work with an illustrator who does his work without whining or refusing to stand still/remove his cardigan for just two photos/stop making goofy faces/etc. (Dan, do you do any of those things when I can’t see you?)

I’m happy with the finished dress, and S loves it. Which is what counts. But she still won’t pose properly for me.

I have a favorite pair of canvas sailor pants. They’re French (of course). They’ve got wide legs. They are about as flattering as a pair of pants can be. Did I mention that they’re really comfortable, too?

I was thinking about them when I designed the Sailboat pattern. I didn’t look at my pants for details, though, because I wanted this pattern to be entirely built from the memory of those pants–all the things I love about them, but mostly the feel of them.

Kids’ pants tend to be really detailed and tedious to sew. Boys’ clothing tends to be overly fussy (pockets and zipper flies and elaborate topstitching) or really boring and plain. (Fashion tip: never send your son to school in pants that look like pajama bottoms.)

These unisex pants are neither of the above. They’re easy to sew. Really easy to sew. And easy to wear. Even if your child can’t do a button by himself or herself, the elastic at the back waist will come to the rescue. They’re completely pull-up if need be. But the details are what make them fun.

And as long as we’re at it, why not add a skirt? Same details as the pants but in a sweet A-line, short skirt that’s as appropriate for the playground as it is for school. (I’m thinking about the skirt for girls, here. But, hey, Oliver + S was born in New York’s East Village where anything goes. So if you have a boy who likes to wear A-line skirts, you’ve got our permission to go for it.)

My favorite fabrics for both the pants and skirt are solid-colored cottons and linens. Linen is great for kids’ clothing because it’s really strong, looks better with wear, and gets softer every time you wash it. I adore the look of un-pressed linen–especially when it’s just out of the wash. But wouldn’t the pants and skirt be cute in a fun stripe or print? My first pants and skirt samples were made in mattress ticking and turned out awfully cute. And what about using silk dupioni for a dressy look?

And, although it’s still early, why not start thinking about fall here? Last autumn I made both the skirt and the pants from a cotton herringbone tweed, and S got tons of wear from them. And they looked great with nearly everything in her closet. So great, in fact, that I wanted them for myself.

By the way, you’ll notice that the cover of this pattern features our S doll with the top and skirt But guess what? The back of the envelope features the Oliver doll with the pants and top. We wanted to include both dolls and thought it would be fun if the pattern envelope had two sides. So don’t be misled: you’ll get all three patterns in the envelope.

We always take customer feedback seriously, and one thing we’ve heard clearly in the last year is that people want more patterns for boys’ clothing.

Most boys’ tops are either T-shirts (no fun to make, in my opinion) or shirts with collars and plackets and cuffs and such. In other words, they have a lot of fiddly details that can be very tedious to sew.

Instead of doing something along these lines, I wanted to design an outfit that would be fun, a little different from the norm, appropriate for both boys and girls, and relatively easy to sew at the same time.

While I was contemplating all this, it occurred to me that I adore my old French navy shirt. It’s a little slouchy and very comfortable. I love the navy and white stripes, the soft knit French terry, and the buttons at the shoulder. “Hey!” I thought, “That would be such a great style to re-interpret for kids.” This is my version of that beloved shirt.

Not only can this pattern be sewn from a printed cotton, linen, or other woven fabric, but it’s also great for knits. I made this green-and-white striped sample with interlock, which is my favorite knit fabric because it’s a bit more substantial than jersey and doesn’t curl up the way that jersey tends to do. A couple of friends have been telling me about the many new knit fabrics that are available, which is great because it used to be so difficult to find them. The worst part of sewing with knits is finding matching rib trim. But that’s not a problem with this pattern, fortunately, as it doesn’t require any trim.

For this garment, I stitched the interlock pretty much the same way I sew any woven fabric. I don’t have a serger or use any special stitches on my machine, so obviously those of you who have more experience stitching with knits will be able to do many more interesting things than I did here. One thing I did do, though, is to put a heavier thread in my bobbin when I did the topstitching. And I love the result I got. The stitching really stands out and doesn’t get swallowed up in the stretchy fabric the way ordinary topstitching might.

This top can also be dressed up with luxurious fabrics. Linen or silk with carved mother-of-pearl buttons for a girl? Beautiful.

And what about adding appliques to a solid or a woven stripe (horizontal, if you please) for everyday play? (Never done an applique? I did a tutorial on disdressed a couple years ago that you might want to read.) I’m envisioning all sort of fun designs you could add. Ice cream cones. Lobster. Dinosaurs. Oooh, robots!

You could also use the freezer paper stencil and instructions from the Sandbox Pants pattern to paint fun shapes onto the shirt using fabric paint, which is fast and easy and actually fun to do with kids.

Anyway, the Sailboat top is is seriously the easiest shirt to sew. It comes together in no time, and the sleeve fits the armhole very easily. No messing around with easing in the extra fabric. I could sew these shirts all day and be a happy person. Could probably finish a mess of them in no time, too. I want to teach this pattern for a class sometime soon; it would be perfect for new students who have never followed a pattern before. It’s not difficult to sew, and it scores high on the accomplishment/satisfaction scale. Perfect.

Up next: the sailor-style skirt and pant that go with this top.

When I started designing the Birthday Party Dress, I wanted to create something versatile that could be dressed up for weddings, parties, and other special occasions but that could also be made for everyday wear. With this pattern you can do both. It all depends on the fabrics you select.

But before I get into the possibilities that fabric choices offer, let me tell you a little about the dress.

We rated this pattern as three of four scissors for difficulty level. It’s not our easiest pattern, but I wouldn’t really call it difficult either. It’s just that all of the garment’s interesting details involve more steps than most of our patterns. Of course, it all pays off in the end. And, as always, we walk you through the process in our detailed instructions. If you work through each step carefully, you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve.

The dress itself has three box pleats down the center front. These pleats can be pressed to sharp creases or left soft for two different looks. The dress also provides the option of finishing the front with an assymetrical tab (my favorite) or a soft bow.

The dress buttons up the back, which I think is the nicest way to finish a dress of this sort. Some dainty vintage buttons would look great here, as would simple mother-of-pearl (my stand-by for most occasions). And, of course, we included our signature hem facing, which gives lots of fun options. Do you remember this blue and white polka dotted Birthday Party dress with the orange tab? Well, it’s got an orange hem facing, too. How fun to catch a glimpse of that as your daughter dashes past you at the playground.

Sewn with the bow option (view B on the pattern envelope) and made in silk dupioni, this would be a perfect flower girl dress. In fact, my little sister is getting married in September, and this may be the dress that S and her cousins wear for the event. It would also be gorgeous in linen (I found a metallic linen the other day which I’m also contemplating) or in a Liberty print.

This week we’ve been playing the width of the tie in the studio. If you make it wide it gets really poofy and party-ish (is that a word?) You could use a ribbon for the tie, instead of fabric, if you prefer. I was up at Tinsel Trading on Saturday and found an amazing vintage moire grosgrain. (It’s being used for an Easter dress I can’t wait to show you. ) They also had the most luxurious silk satin ribbons in spectacular colors and a wide variety of widths, if you really want to go all out. Easter is just around the corner, after all.

As you’ve seen with the Moda fabrics we used, the Birthday Party Dress looks equally appropriate in printed cottons and worn as a more casual everyday dress. Not only is it cute with a single fabric for the dress and a little pop of complimentary or contrasting fabric for the tab or tie, but I like the idea of color-blocking the pattern as well. You could do the center pleated panel in one fabric (maybe a tiny floral), the tab or tie in a second fabric (a solid color, perhaps), and the rest of the dress in a third (perhaps a medium-sized coordinating print).

This design provides endless possibilities. I can hardly wait to see what you make from the pattern. So far each version of it that we’ve made in the studio and for trunk shows has taken a completely different look depending on the fabric we used. I’ll be showing you some other versions of the dress in the next days and weeks. I know you’ll make amazing things from the pattern, too. I can hardly wait to see them start appearing in the Flickr group!

We think you’ll really enjoy these two new styles, and we’re looking forward to seeing your creativity with them show up in our Flickr group. Over the next couple days, we’ll be doing more detailed posts that highlight some ideas for what you can do with these new styles.

If you’re interested in the fabrics we used for these samples, here are the details:

• Polka dots: Pepper, from Wonderland, by Momo in color Chai
• Stripe: Candy Stripe from Sweet, by Urban Chiks in color Icing
• Birds: Peeps from Sweet, by Urban Chiks in color Icing

Every time I look at the Oliver + S Flickr group I’m amazed at the new photos that have been posted by our customers. Such wonderful fabric choices! Such adorable children modeling the finished projects! Really, seeing your photos inspires me to sew and to create more patterns.

While browsing recently, I was fascinated to see the various interpretations on the Playdate Dress. I love the unique looks that result from fabric choices, especially for the yoke of the dress. A rich polka dot gives the dress a contemporary flair while stripes looks almost like pintucks or spectacular tailoring. Here are some wonderful examples of your work, more of which can be found on Flickr. Thank you for your inspiring sewing, everyone!