Alabama Tea Party

A few months ago, I wrote a post about Natalie Chanin's Alabama Stitch Book on my personal blog. I adore Natalie's work, her book, and her sustainable approach to clothing and design.

Following my post, I received a very kind email from Natalie, which started a lengthy series of conversations via email and phone. It's been a pleasure to get to know her, and we've started to collaborate on a few ideas which I'll tell you about when the time is right.


In the meantime, I was thrilled to open this month's issue of Cookie magazine and discover a feature article about Natalie, her family, and her company. And there was an additional little surprise in the article: a Tea Party sundress, made using Natalie's own fabric and construction techniques.

You can see another photo of the dress (and her adorable daughter) and read more about it on Natalie's blog. Thanks, Natalie!

in the mail

We got fan mail!

so happy!

You know what just totally makes my day? To see photos like this on the Oliver + S Flickr group.


How thrilled do these little girls look with their new, matching Bubble Dresses? I mean, someone just made two little girls very, very happy. And enhanced the absolute adorability of them, as well.

Is that a word, adorability?

Anyway, they're really cute. And I'm smiling.

love Liberty

Liberty fabrics are all the rage these days, not just among crafters, but also in the fashion industry. All the top magazines seem to be featuring Liberty prints, as you can see from these tearsheets I've collected over the past few months.





Of course, sewers have long appreciated these amazing fabrics. The cotton has a lightweight, silky hand, and the prints are beautifully executed and amazingly detailed. I first encountered Liberty lawn in my early 20's when I came across rolls of the luxurious lawn in a dusty corner bin at B&J Fabrics one day after work. Back then I couldn't afford to purchase suitable work clothing for myself, so saved up birthday money and spent my evenings stitching wool suits and skirts. But when I found those amazing prints I knew I aspired to them. I still carry around swatches and splurge whenever I have the opportunity.


One of the great things about making kids' clothing is that they don't take much fabric, so although the Liberty prints are more expensive than most cottons, they're still affordable in the small quantities needed for little dresses and tops. The Bubble Dress lends itself especially well to Liberty fabric; the weight of the fabric is perfect for the lined dress. This one was sewn by Keri of A Bookish Life for her little daughter, C (be sure to click that link--you've got to see her adorable face).

I love how simultaneously timeless and modern the dress looks. Again, one of the great things about Liberty; it never goes out of style.

(Keri's photo is used with her permission. Thanks, Keri!)

g'day, Australia!

We were rather excited to learn that our new friends at J. Leutenegger, our exclusive distributor in Australia and New Zealand, decided to reproduce our booth at their quilt market, held last weekend near Sydney. And they did a bang-up job, too, especially considering the short time frame in which they assembled it all. Look, they found the same cabinets, table, and chairs. And even the same flowers!

meet Megan

Every once in a while I meet someone with whom I just click, as though we've known eachother for many years. Megan is one of those people.


We met a little over a month ago when Tsia and I dropped by our favorite kids' store after a visit to the pediatrician. Gotta do something fun after getting stuck by a needle, I say. Megan was working at the store (and still does, four days a week), and we started talking about a few random things, Oliver + S included. She later tracked me down via the website, and here she is!

You'll probably hear from Megan here and if you phone or email us. She handles most of our customer service, fills orders, schedules trunk shows, and finds us great vegetarian lunches when she's at the studio. And she'll be at Quilt Market in Portland as well, so please stop by and introduce yourself! I think you'll enjoy working with her as much as I do.