So I took it home and got busy, sewing just a few seams a day. I was almost finished with the outside (why do these projects seem to go so much faster when I’m not writing sewing instructions simultaneously?) when it occurred to me to insulate it!

I was inspired by this coat in our Flickr group, so I started searching around to find the right interlining when I came across Thinsulate. I had to try it, at least for the sake of research, right?

Well, this particular quality of Thinsulate is not so thin. Definitely thicker than I expected. I was a bit stunned when I opened the package. Apparently it comes in different lofts, like quilt batting, but this one is thick, and I started to feel a little intimidated by it.

But never fear; I soldiered on. I had already assembled the coat lining (it’s a Robert Kaufman print I purchased at Treadle Yard Goods in St. Paul, MN last spring), and because I was concerned about the bulk I constructed what equates to a second lining from the Thinsulate. I cut out the lining pieces from Thinsulate and sewed them together in the same way as the lining.

After I sewed the lining to the facing I pinned the Thinsulate behind the lining and edgestitched it to the facing to hold it in place. It was sort of like sewing two linings to one coat, only one of them was about 80 times thicker than the other. When I hemmed the coat and the sleeves I folded the coat fabric over the Thinsulate so it wouldn’t get in the way of the lining. And that’s really the only thing I did differently in making it.

But the happy (and rather surprising) news is that I sewed the entire coat on my little Janome Jem–not exactly a heavy-duty sewing machine, no matter what they say. So if you’re worried about sewing a thick coat on a not-so-heavy-duty machine, it’s totally do-able. The walking foot really made it possible. I highly recommend getting one if you don’t have and use it already. It’s great for thick fabrics as well as laminates (and, of course, quilts).

I think this a really heavy-duty winter coat. It’s definitely keeping her warm, even now that it’s gotten pretty cold here. I was planning to make the removable quilting lining as well, but I’m afraid the bulk of the Thinsulate would make poor Tsia look like the Michelin Man, not to mention preventing her moving. And it appears that she’s going to be plenty warm without it, although I may still make it anyway. I’m wondering if the Thinsulate will live up to its name and actually flatten out a bit after some wearing.

So there’s only one problem with the coat: my kid keeps growing, and I sort of forgot that she’s nearly 5 now. I made a size 4 and added an inch to the sleeves, to be let out next year. Now I’m nervous that she’s going to outgrow her coat before then!

Can you see that mischievous gleam in her eye? She’s scheming to grow another three inches before next year, I can just feel it.

P.S. Just before I posted this, I came across this article about adding a layer of insulation by interlining a garment. This isn’t how I did it (the seams still would have been too bulky, I think), but you might consider this method if you want to try adding lighter insulation to a coat or jacket. At Oliver + S, we frequently use the interlining technique when we’re making samples with really lightweight fabrics. A skirt made of Liberty Tana Lawn benefits greatly from an interlining of lightweight cotton. Just FYI.

You can see the trunk show at the following locations:

• Waechter’s Silk Shop Asheville NC, June 2-June 15
• Seams Like Home Quilt Shoppe, Anchorage AK, June 19-July 3
• Colonial Quilts, Savannah GA, July 10-July 24
• Bay Window Quilt Shop, Perham MN, July 30-August 13
• The Stitchin’ Post, Sisters OR, August 18-September 7

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.

We made this linen skirt the other day to show you that you can also use bias-cut fabric strips in place of the ribbon hem on the skirt, much in the same way our hem facing is done–but reversed so it shows on the outside of the skirt, instead of discretely finishing the inside of a dress.

As with the ribbon hem on the Lazy Day Skirt, the inside of the skirt will have a clean finish. Keep this technique in mind if you want to use a printed fabric for your hem or you don’t have any ribbon handy. You can see that we edgestitched the top of our hem with red thread to give it that je-ne-sais-quoi. (And to avoid blindstitching the top edge of the hem fabric. It’s supposed to be a quick skirt, after all.)

As you can see, the finished skirt is getting lots of wear. The wearer, however, is not practicing the name of the skirt. She just keeps going! And going. And going. Here’s to a relaxed and enjoyable summer ahead.

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.

Tiny rickrack also adds a feminine detail to this Sailboat Top where it was applied to the topstitching. April used a special tool for this step, but you could also apply the rickrack over topstitching or by using basting as a guide. I think the miniature rickrack enhances the sweet Little Red Riding Hood fabric and, again, adds some visual interest to a pattern that can be made for boys and girls.

The first four stops scheduled are:

• Cloth & Bobbin, Narberth PA, March 28-April 7
• Bobbin’s Nest Studio, Santa Clara CA, April 15-April 23
• Olive Juice Quilt Shop (formerly A Stitch in Time), Onalaska WI, April 27-May 7
• Hip Stitch, Albuquerque NM, May 12-25

We’ll be adding to this list over time, so stay tuned for more locations and dates.

If you are a retailer and would like to book a trunk show for your shop, please email us for details.

Purl is well-known for its outstanding selection of fabrics. The staff stocks beautiful Japanese prints, a wide selection of Liberty tana lawn, and a number of other exquisite offerings inside this jewel box of a shop.

For these samples Purl selected a sweet floral Liberty print for the Birthday Party Dress and paired it with a coordinating Kona cotton solid for the tab. Because Liberty prints are very light-weight and ever-so-slightly sheer, we used a white cotton lawn for the facings to be sure they didn’t show through. (The Liberty print sold out within two days of setting up the window display, so I’m sorry I can’t give you a link to it.)

The Sailboat Top and Pants are made from a fresh architecture-inspired Anna Griffin print and a Kona cotton.

We raided the fantastic button selection at Purl’s yarn shop just down the street for the finishing touch. Those buttons on the pants are wool felt!

And here are some views of the window from inside the store. How about those giant paper dolls?

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.

The varying stripes of the Sailboat Top remind me of what is often called an “awning stripe” in the fashion industry.

The pants are a sort of variation on a gingham check, with circles in the center of the squares.

I like the combination of silk dupioni with printed cotton on the Tea Party Sundress. And the flat piping in the skirt is also silk, which dresses it up and adds a little texture and variety to the skirt.

You might notice that for the Birthday Party Dress, we widened the ties by an inch to give them a softer, dressier appearance. I think this dress looks ready for a summer wedding. Flower girl, perhaps? Junior bridesmaid? The pleats on the skirt are left unpressed for a softer appearance that suits the big bow and the hand of the silk, I think.

Printed cotton fabrics are as follows:

Sailboat Top: Benartex “City Girl” by Kitty Yoshida, Bar Code Stripe Blue/Green, Style 2318, Color 55
Tea Party Sundress: skirt is Bentartex “City Blooms” by Kitty Yoshida, Yellow/Graphite, Style 2319, Color 12
Sailboat Pants: Benartex “City Girl” by Kitty Yoshida, Squared Bolts, Steel Blue, Style 2317, Color 50