introducing in-house patterns

Earlier this week we introduced you to Waffle Patterns. Today we’re happy to welcome Alexandra Morgan from In-House Patterns who is here to introduce you to her line. We’ve recently begun carrying In-House Patterns, and we think this brand will be of great interest to many of you who have faced fit issues when sewing for yourself.

Hello.  I’m Alexandra, the designer and pattern maker for In-House Patterns.  I am so very pleased to be a part of the growing family of independent pattern designers represented here at Oliver + S.  I’m guest posting today to tell you a little about myself and the In-House Patterns line.

Sewing has always been a big part of my life.  My Mom often sewed for my sisters and me, so it was natural for me to pick it up as a hobby.  After high school I decided to take the hobby more seriously and studied Clothing and Textiles at the University of Saskatchewan.  There I learned a lot of theory about textile science and consumerism, but I missed the hands-on process of creating garments so I went on to study Fashion Design at Ryerson University in Toronto.  After fashion school I spent many years in the fashion industry as a pattern maker, designer, technical designer and fit technician and with each job I learned more about the art of making clothing.  Now I am using all of my accumulated skills and experience to design and develop patterns for the In-House Patterns line.

When I started In-House Patterns my primary intent was to bring the ease and efficiency of production sewing to the home sewer.  After working with patterns developed for the fashion industry, going back to regular home sewing patterns was a real chore!  I wanted to provide home sewers with the ability to create a completely professional looking garment without that “home sewn” look.  In order to achieve this, In-House Patterns uses standard fashion industry seam allowances and construction techniques which make sewing easier, saves time and uses fabric as efficiently as possible.

The other intent I had with the In-House Pattern line was to focus on designing for and fitting an hourglass figure with a full bust.  This was a slightly selfish endeavor since I had struggled for many years with standard B-Cup patterns that just never seemed to work in my favor.  It was also to answer a need I felt was quite prevalent in the sewing community.  As a result, special attention has been given to fit a D-Cup bust size.  Don’t worry if you feel you don’t fit into this category,  you will find clear instructions for the specific pattern corrections needed to adjust to your personal bust size on our blog.  In addition, our newest patterns include the pattern pieces for A, B, C, and D cup sizes!  Using our patterns will hopefully put bust pattern adjustments in your past.  After all, sometimes we just want to get sewing!

I would like to now introduce you to some of my favorite patterns!

The Belle Bow Blouse was the first official pattern I launched, it’s my best seller and seems to get beautiful results no matter how experienced the sewer.   It’s always lovely to see all the versions out there!  I like to highlight them on our Facebook page!  This blouse is 1940’s inspired and a perfect companion to a pencil skirt.  Available in two views, one with a bias cut bow collar, the other with a lovely and practical roll collar, both are perfect for the office.

Blossom is one of the newer patterns which means that this pattern is available in cup sizes.  That’s right. You will find the pattern pieces for A, B, C and D cup sizing included!  This is sure to make the blossom blouse a quick and easy stitch for those warm summer days.  This pattern is a modern, easy fitting style.  Be sure to cut this in your most liquid fabric for a relaxed and easy drape around the body. A silk georgette would be a perfect choice.  Available in two sleeve styles, the 3/4-length bishop sleeve shown here or the flattering cap sleeve.

Continuing on the “perfect for summer” theme, the Claire shorts are exactly that.  I’ve made several pairs of these due to their fabulous fit and comfort thanks to the contour waistband and pocket bag construction which allows for a an easy fit at the waist and no gaping pockets!  The tailored, uncluttered styling makes these shorts perfect with your favorite jersey tee or your newly made Blossom blouse.  Customers have commented on how quickly and easily these shorts come together.

I hope you enjoyed taking a closer look at some of  the In-House Patterns offerings.  Hop over  to the Oliver + S Shop to view all of the available patterns and keep your eye out for new patterns coming in the fall!