I recently saw this photo in the Oliver + S Flickr group and loved how Cindy modified the 2 + 2 blouse for a completely different look. I asked her if she would share her method with those of you who may have a copy of the pattern. (Sorry, this style has recently gone out of print. We’ll be re-releasing it as a digital pattern at some point in the future, but it’s not available at the moment.)
And by the way, Cindy recently also posted a tutorial on her blog for the amazing ruffled shorts that look so great with this top. She used the Class Picnic Shorts pattern, and you can find the instructions here.
Here’s what Cindy has to share. Thanks Cindy!
Gymboree had a girls’ clothing line a couple of years ago titled “Santorini Sweetie.” One of the tunics, in a blue print with a white facing around the neck, stood out to me. I loved the way the white facing looked against the blue. I pinned the top to my Inspiration for Children’s Clothing board on Pinterest and there it sat.
In the meantime, a blog that I follow called Sew Together had a post entitled Beyond the Basics: Colour Pop Tunic Tutorial in which Maryanne shows how to add a facing with an opening to the front of a basic bodice. Since I never did find a pattern that was exactly what I wanted, the tutorial was a great starting point. I went digging through my patterns and decided to use the Oliver + S 2 + 2 pattern in a size 4 as my basic bodice.
Many of you have been asking for this one for quite some time. And we’ve been promising that it was next on our list. Well, you don’t have to wait any longer. The Bubble Dress sewing pattern is now back!
We’re re-releasing this today as our latest digital pattern. You can now purchase and instantly download the pattern in one of two size ranges: Birth-24M or 2T-5.
Need a little Bubble Dress inspiration? Look no further than Sarvi’s spectacular creation.
More than 100 years ago, a cultural movement swept the United States in which people would travel to a sort of a summer camp where they would take classes, attend lectures and concerts, and enjoy the surrounding beauty of nature. These communities were called chautauquas, and President Theodore Roosevelt called them “the most American thing in America.”
I had never heard of a chautauqua when I met Ali Dejohn last year during a trip to Colorado, and when she invited me to come at teach at a retreat she was organizing I didn’t really know anything about The Makerie, either.
Turns out, The Makerie and the chautauqua have a lot in common. And, as it happens, The Makerie is held at the Colorado Chautauqua, a spectacular site on the edges of Boulder which is one of the few remaining chautauquas in the nation and which is located right at the base of the Flatirons. It’s really a perfect place for a creative, inspirational retreat, with adorable little cabins set at the base of the trails and community buildings nearby for meetings and classes. The scenery and location are breathtaking.
Quite some time ago, I saw the most interesting dress show up in the Oliver + S Flickr group. Jan had used Kona cottons and the Oliver + S Puppet Show pattern to create her daughter a one-of-a-kind Snow White dress.
It’s been about a year since she made it, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about what a wonderful job she did with it and how she came up with such a creative solution to making a wearable costume that made a little girl very, very happy. When we started this little series of posts on customizing with Oliver + S, I immediately thought of Jan and wanted to feature her fantastic dress.
I recently asked Jan if she would share her process, and she was kind enough to write up a description of how she did this for our series on customizing Oliver + S patterns. Here’s what Jan has to say about her project. Thanks, Jan!
The Thought Process
We were planning a trip to Disney World, and I had bought my daughter Delilah some princess outfits to wear. But as I looked at them, although they were pretty, they didn’t appear comfortable for hanging out in the Florida sun. The fabric was scratchy, and they were not sized quite right for her. I imagined her wearing them for all of two minutes and then needing to take them off.
So I decided to make her something to wear using cotton, something comfortable, that would breathe, and still be pretty and “princess.” I bought some fabric with princesses printed on it, and considered making a dress out of that. But when it came down to it, I just didn’t like the fabric.
I was trying to convince myself to go ahead with the project and started looking through my Oliver + S patterns to see how I could use the princess fabric. When I saw the Puppet Show pattern, it struck me that it could be made into a great Snow White dress. It probably helped that Snow White was the first Disney princess movie I showed my daughter, and by then I had probably seen it 100 times. Her outfit is so ingrained in my head!
When I first saw Vivian’s After-School Shirt pop up in our Flickr group, I knew she would be the perfect person to do a tutorial on piping. And sure enough, she jumped right into the project and did a bang-up job with it, making a second version of the shirt for her younger son in the process.
I love her fabric choices, too. The brown and robin’s egg blue gingham paired with matching blue for the piping really make this shirt great for boys, don’t they? And you may also have noticed this version of the shirt, which she also made and I adore. So let me introduce Vivian and let her get started with her tutorial. Thanks so much for this great piece, Vivian!
HOW TO ADD PIPING TO THE AFTER-SCHOOL SHIRT
The lines of the After-School Shirt are so gorgeous that I didn’t want them to be lost in the pattern of my fabric. I added piping all around the neck opening as well as the yoke seam to highlight the design, and the results were well worth the effort. I’m not a professional seamstress by any means, so give it a try because it’s easier than you think!
We had a little brainstorm last year. It turned into a new brand, as our brainstorms sometimes do. We need to stop brainstorming.
We wanted to make some sewing patterns for little, fun projects. Projects that wouldn’t take a lot of fabric and might even allow you to use up some of your stash. (I know you have one.) Sewing patterns with an attitude (because I know you have one of those, too–don’t play all innocent with me). Sewing with the patterns would feel a little bit like attending a Friday night sewing club with your girlfriends. You know those nights when you get together, open a bottle of wine (or something a little stronger), and get busy making whatever excites you that week while you blow off a little steam.
These are projects that are fun and creative and get you out of a sewing rut. For not a lot of money and not a giant time commitment.
And that’s how Straight Stitch Society came to be.
Anyone can become a member of the Straight Stitch Society. You don’t even need to be able to sew a straight line to join. All it takes is an honest attempt (perfection is definitely not a requirement for membership) and an affirmation of the beliefs expressed in the society’s manifesto.
These are projects that we hope you’ll make as gifts for your friends and to keep for yourself. (It’s OK to make things for yourself and not feel guilty, you know.) We hope the project will help you re-discover the fun in sewing again. Sew them as we designed them by following the clear, detailed instructions, or make them your own and fly by the seat of your pants. Add your own little touches to them. You want to make a frog coin purse instead of the dog, cat, or monkey included in the pattern? Go for it. And if a seam is a little wonky, so what? It’s just fabric, after all.
Which reminds me, we thought our society needed a ridiculous manifesto. You can read it over on the new Straight Stitch Society website. We also created a monster glossary of sewing-related terms over there, just because we could (it’s fun to have your own website; you can do whatever you want!) and because we thought you might like to have all those terms in one place for quick reference, no matter what you’re sewing. Feel free to use it, print it out, link to it from your blog, or do with it whatever you want. It’s there for you.
Now, because you’ve been waiting for it, here’s a little introduction to each of the four patterns.
Apples to Oranges Sewing Kit
Comparing fruit to sewing is like comparing apples to oranges, right? Not exactly.
We’ve brought the two together in a fruity sewing kit that’s cute enough to eat. It’s got everything you need—a pincushion, a zipper pouch for notions, and an optional needle pad, all buttoned up in a tasty little package.
Choose from a red delicious apple with an embroidered core or a zesty orange with playful seed appliqué.
Split Personality Reversible Bag
We all have two sides to our personalities—a wild and crazy side and a quiet, thoughtful side—don’t we?
Make both sides happy with this supercute reversible slouch bag. Use an unexpected combination of colors and prints on one side for a bold look and a subtle mix of fabrics on the other side for a more sedate look.
Simply flip the bag inside out when you want to change the side of your personality that’s on display.
Feed the Animals Coin Purses
Ever feel like something is eating up all your money? You’re right!
Let these supercute coin purses gobble up your change, cash, and credit cards. Choose from a mischievous menagerie of money-eating friends, including a monkey, cat, and dog.
Change Your Mind Slipcover Bag
We’re women. And everyone knows that it’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind when the mood strikes, right?
That’s why you’ll love this stylish bag. Instantly alter its appearance to match every one of your moods—and anything in your closet—by choosing one of two different slipcover designs that can be sewn in a kaleidoscope of colors and prints.
