A thread chain has lots of uses. It can be a delicate button loop, it can take the place of the metal loop in a hook-and-eye closure, it can be used as a French tack to attach a lining to a garment near the hem, and it can make a subtle belt loop on a dress. Thread loops are crocheted, but they can easily be made without a crochet hook. I’ll show you how.

Start with a thread at least three times the length of the finished loop, plus extra for working. Begin by anchoring your thread in the garment at the location where you want the loop to start.

Take a small stitch next to the anchored thread, and don’t pull the resulting loop all the way closed.

Drop the needle and the end of the thread, and reach through the loop to pull the center of the extending thread through the loop, forming a new loop in the process. Don’t pull the end of the thread through the loop because the goal is to form a second loop.

Tighten the first loop, and proceed in the same manner, forming new loops.

Once the thread chain has reached the desired length, finish by pulling the needle and thread through the final loop to end it.

Finish by taking a stitch into the garment to anchor the end of the loop. Knot the end of the thread, and you’re finished!

If you’re using this technique to make a button loop for the School Photo Dress (View A), make the loop just inside the fold line for the collar (closer to the neck seam than the outside edge of the collar). Once the button and loop are fastened, the rest of the collar will fold over to partially cover them.

Several of our pattern testers recently posted photos of their finished fall garments to the Flickr group, and we thought you might like a peek at them for some additional inspiration.

A few Hopscotch skirts and knit tops, to get you started.

This Hopscotch knit top was sewn by TribecaYummyMummy, who tested the pattern for us earlier this summer. This is one of the polka dot interlocks from our upcoming City Weekend fabric collection. And check out the coordinating Hopscotch skirt, made with Heather Ross’s Far Far Away II.

Here is another Hopscotch top and skirt, made by April.

I love the neutral palette and pops of orange she picked up from the print and carried through on the neck trim and the skirt buttons.

And one more Hopscotch skirt, sewn by Karen, another one of our reliable and dedicated testers.

A few School Photo dresses have also popped up. This one was made by Gail, who tested the pattern and is also one of our Boutique Sewer participants. (By the way, Gail says this is her favorite Oliver + S pattern ever.).

And yet another School Photo dress, sewn by the prolific and precise April, who made this with a heavier wool herringbone. (Warning: I don’t suggest that you attempt heavier fabrics with this dress on the first try. I think it would be rather challenging and was impressed that April made this work so well. And so beautifully, no less. Also, I think it was smart of  April to select a printed cotton for the ruffled collar and the sleeve binding, since the herringbone could be scratchy against delicate skin. The rest of the dress is lined, so it’s not such an issue elsewhere.)

And one more adorable School Photo dress, View A sewn by Katy Dill. Visit her blog to see a second version of the dress (View B) and for a chance to win a copy of the pattern.

So there you have it: a little additional sewing inspiration. Now, go have fun! I can’t wait to see what you make with the new patterns.

Did you know that September is national sewing month? What better way to celebrate than by sewing with a new Oliver + S pattern.

Our four new styles are now available for purchase on our website and through our retailers worldwide. Happy sewing!

In case you haven’t seen it yet, I wanted to let you know about a special guest post I wrote for Sew, Mama, Sew!’s Back to School series. This post focuses on sewing school uniforms with Oliver + S patterns.

Sew, Mama, Sew! has generously provided us with a $40 gift certificate to their store to give away to one of our readers. Leave a comment on this post to be entered into the giveaway. We’ll draw the lucky winner next Tuesday morning New York time.

There are certain days of the year where a little girl needs to look her best. Like the day when school photos are taken. This is the dress for those days.

This versatile pattern includes all the great details you look forward to seeing in our sewing patterns. Both views include a unique construction feature–a hidden kangaroo pocket at the front princess seams. S loves this because, she says, her hands touch when she puts them into the pockets.

The dress is fully lined and has an invisible zipper at the back. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to put in. As always, we walk you through the steps slowly and carefully. And if you’ve never sewn a zipper, you’ll feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment once you’ve finished the dress!

View A (shown in the image below) has an elegant stand-away, rolled collar for a tailored look. The three-quarter-length sleeves have a wide cuff to match the collar. I especially like this view with more feminine fabrics. The tailored style contrasts nicely with the fabric.

View B (shown at the top of this post and below) is a sweet, feminine version of the dress with a ruffled collar and bound, slightly gathered sleeve cuffs.

This dress looks great in a wide variety of light- to medium-weight fabrics. As with most of our patterns, it works nicely with quilting cottons. But think about trying lightweight fine-wale corduroy for an everyday winter version. I sewed the dress S is wearing above as a school uniform for her. It’s made from a navy wool suiting (gabardine or tropical wool work well) to adhere to her dress code. For a dressy look, try silk dupioni, taffeta, or faille. I love it in this rose-colored dupioni.

You can use many fabrics for the lining. Lightweight cotton lining works well for almost any dress fabric you choose. I used Bemberg lining for S’s wool dress because I like the quality. It’s durable, breathes, drapes beautifully, and feels wonderful to the touch. I know S will like it because it’s so soft and silky. (And, to let you in on a little secret, the lining is bright pink. That way, she can wear a little pink to school and no one will know.)

It’s finally time to take the wraps off our new fall patterns and give you a preview of them.

This season, we are releasing four new patterns: two dresses, one skirt and top (with a dress option), and one unisex top and pants outfit. Two of the patterns include items designed especially for knits.

So, without further ado, here’s a preview of the line.

The School Photo Dress is a stylish, lined, above-the-knee-length, A-line dress featuring a hidden, on-seam, front kangaroo pocket and an invisible back zipper. The dress comes in two views: one with a stand-away, roll collar and 3/4-length cuffed sleeves and the other (shown below) which includes a cute, feminine ruffle collar and gathered, bias-bound, 3/4-length sleeves.

The Hopscotch Skirt, Knit Top + Dress features an elastic-back waistband skirt with front button placket and an interesting pleated pocket detail inspired by a Chinese takeout container. The pullover top or dress is designed to be sewn with knit fabrics. It includes both long- and short-sleeve options.

The Music Box Jumper is an empire-waist dress that can be worn alone or layered over a blouse or shirt in cooler weather. View A (shown here) presents a softly pleated, mid-calf-length skirt. View B gives an A-line skirt with a single, inverted box pleat at center front and a decorative button tab detail. Both views button or snap up the back. This is also one of the easiest patterns to sew that we have ever written.

The Nature Walk Pullover + Knit Pants pattern includes an easy-to-sew pullover top in a color-blocked design and pull-on style pants with a hidden elastic waist. The top can be made in lightweight fabrics for a casual shirt or in heavier fabrics for use as a layering piece in place of a sweatshirt or jacket. The pants pattern, inspired by a classic yoga pant, is intended for knits. It’s a very versatile piece, and we think it’s going to become a favorite in many kids’ wardrobe because of the style and the comfort it provides when made in a soft knit. It even makes a great pajama bottom.

The patterns will be available in stores worldwide and on our website starting September 7. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter to be notified when the patterns begin shipping. 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 fall.