Some of you are going to so excited by this, and some of you are going to be very annoyed with me for showing you. So you’re welcome, or I’m sorry, in advance.

First, a little back-story: Last spring when I taught some classes at Farmhouse Fabrics I had so much fun exploring the shop/warehouse. Sally, the owner, has assembled an incredible collection of fabrics and trims. There were items hiding in the shelves that I didn’t know existed, and the sheer volume of options was impressive. I immediately thought several of you (hello, rickrack sisters!) when I saw the shelves stacked with every color and size of rickrack ever created. I spent part of the second day “shopping” for the women in the class, locating incredible fabrics and auditioning buttons unearthed deep in the shelves to find the perfect compliments for completed Seashore Sundresses.

During the course of my archaeological explorations, I kept coming across all sorts of great ruffled trims that I immediately knew would be perfect for the Sleepover Pajamas (and, I’m sure, for many more projects). Your imagination is the limit here, which is why I said “you’re welcome” and “I’m sorry” earlier. Your credit card may get a little exercise when you see these. Sally sent me a package of samples so I can show you what I mean.

First up, the polka-dotted ruffles. And a few other interesting ruffles just to break things up. Isn’t that the Stewart tartan near the top? One of my favorite plaids.

Next, the grosgrain ruffles. So many colors and widths! And those two satin ruffles near the bottom of the photo are so incredibly soft. I want PJs with those around the neckline!

If you’re working with a geometric fabric, a stripe, or a solid, you might like the floral ruffles.

And I saved my favorite for last. Gingham!

Can’t you just imagine these trimming the girls’ Sleepover Pajamas? I can’t wait to give them a try. You can find all of them on the Farmhouse website (most of them right here). If you’re a shop owner, Sally also distributes them wholesale.

So again, you’re welcome. Or I’m sorry. Choose whichever applies.

If it’s September now, it must be about time to release a new season of sewing patterns, right?

We’re now taking and shipping orders for the After-School Shirt +  Pants, the Apple-Picking Dress, and the Sleepover Pajamas sewing patterns.

I have a few more surprises featuring these patterns in store for you here on the blog. So stop back next week for some more fall sewing inspiration.

When we released our first pajama pattern, early in the life of Oliver + S, we had no idea how popular it would be. I wasn’t familiar with the tradition of making and giving pajamas for Christmas. But it makes a lot of sense: not only do pajamas make a thoughtful and cozy gift , but they look great for gift-opening photos on Christmas morning.

The Sleepover Pajamas are our newest pajama pattern, designed in response to your requests for larger sizes (now that all our patterns go up to size 12) and because many of you wanted button or snap fastenings. And hey, it just seemed like time for another pajama pattern! I’ve made countless numbers of the Bedtime Story Pajamas for S, and we were both ready for a new style.

As always, the details are what make them so fun. The style itself was inspired by vintage baseball jerseys. The pattern features  a contrast fabric external facing that forms the button placket which is very easy to make and finishes the neckline all in one go. Many of you will be happy to see that there are no fiddly collars for this style.

The pockets match the styling, with a contrast hem at the top edge.

The pants feature contrast fabric at the waistband and at the hem, and once again we’ve eliminated the side seam for extra comfort. (I wish my pajama pants were this comfortable.)

You’ll notice that the sleeves and the pants both have cuffs that are designed to be unfolded so the pajamas can be worn longer. The old adage that children grow up before they grow out certainly seems to hold true, so you’ll get extended wear out of the pajamas this way.

I’ve been showing you version B of this pattern, with all the feminine little ruffle details. This view takes longer to sew (ruffles, while sweet, also command a little extra effort to make), but the payoff is really high.You could also use ruffled trim here instead of making the ruffles yourself. I’ll talk more about ruffled trims very soon.

View A, without the ruffles, is appropriate for both boys and for girls.

This pattern, along with our other new styles, will be available here and at our retailers beginning in early September. Watch the blog for an announcement about when the patterns are available.

It’s finally time to take the wraps off our new fall + winter pattern collection.

This season, we are releasing three new patterns: two outfits for girls and a unisex pajama set.

So, without further ado, here we go.

The After-School Shirt + Pants pattern creates the perfect after-school outfit for girls. It features a loose-fitting pull-on shirt with long sleeves, a bateau neck, and a cute offset button detail at the front and back yokes. The pull-on elastic-waist pants include a separate side panel which allows for use of a contrast trim near the hem. An alternate view of the pants includes ruffle details at the front pocket opening and at the back.

The Apple-Picking Dress includes a wide button placket, a bow at the neck, bias-bound sleeves, and a dropped waist for a vintage feel. View A has three-quarter length sleeves and a double-layer gathered skirt, while view B is long sleeved with a single-layer skirt. It makes a perfect dress for the transitional fall season.

The Sleepover Pajamas pattern is intended for both boys and girls. The top is inspired by vintage baseball jersey styling and features contrast trim at the outside edge and on the pockets. The cuff at the sleeves can be let down as the child grows. The elastic-waist pull-on pants have no side seam for extra sleeping comfort and include contrast bias trim at the hem that can also be let down as the child grows. The pattern includes an alternate view with ruffles on the top and pants for making a sweet little girls’ version.

The patterns will be available in stores worldwide and on our website during the first full week of September. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter to be notified when the patterns become available. 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 season.

Photographs by our friends at BPD Studios.