Audrey from Skirt Fixation is back with us today. In the past she has stopped by with her favorite pattern, Bistro Dress, 2+2 outfit and footprint t-shirt. Now she’s here to talk about all of the Oliver + S skirts. Thanks for being here, Audrey.
It’s an honor to be here today! Some of you may know me from my fixation with sewing skirts. I’ve sewed all the Oliver + S skirt patterns, and some of them several times! What you may not know about me is that I am a Virtual Assistant for Project Run and Play.
The month of July at Project Run and Play is always about Skirting The Issue. A charity project invented by Liz and Elizabeth of Simple Simon and Company, Skirting The Issue is all about…skirts! (So you can see why I’m so excited about it!) Women from all over the world sew skirts and donate them to girls in foster care, just in time for back to school outfits. For the past few years over 1,000 skirts have been sewn and donated every year, and we hope to reach that goal again this year! Today I’m going to tell you how you can use Oliver + S skirt patterns to benefit girls in foster care.
Another emphasis of Skirting The Issue is using free patterns and tutorials, so let’s start with the two free Oliver + S skirt patterns.
The Onstage Tutu pattern is a free pattern for a beautiful tutu. What girl wouldn’t love a tutu? The Onstage Tutu can be made for any girl because the pattern uses body measurements instead of pattern pieces. My daughter absolutely loved the one I made for her using two different colors and layers of tulle.
The other free Oliver + S skirt pattern is the Lazy Days Skirt. Probably the fastest Oliver + S skirt to sew, you could sew a whole bunch of these (like we did for Skirting The Issue). This skirt is also a great skirt for embellishing, like we did for our Chess Skirt.
We think all of the Oliver + S skirts are lovely and any foster girl would feel so special in them. The side pleats and pockets of the Music Class skirt are great for hidden treasures. This was the very first Oliver + S skirt pattern we sewed in the sweetest fabric we could find!
The Hula Hoop Skirt is the perfect way to give one girl two skirts! It’s reversible, you know, and we used the opportunity to make one side denim (for play) and one side dressier.
Any foster girl could sail away to her happy place in the Sailboat Skirt. Make it plain (or use a nautical fabric like we did) and she’s all set for her journey.
We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again, the 2+2 skirt is our favorite Oliver + S pattern! We’ve sewn it twice now, and can’t wait to sew it again. We think every foster girl should have a pleated 2+2 skirt.
The Sunday Brunch skirt is a great little skirt. It’s a-line shape, pockets, and kick pleat in back add to it’s perfection! And, it uses very little fabric (but you can lengthen it too, like we did if you need to).
If you’re looking to sew a skirt for a foster girl with amazing pockets, use the Hopscotch Skirt pattern. The button placket front sews up quick and easy, and so do the pockets. They only look difficult! We think the pockets have a little oriental flair, and call for a huge fan!
The Swingset Skirt is one of my girls’ favorite Oliver + S skirts to wear. This is another skirt that can be made reversible, giving a foster girl two skirts in one. And now with the larger sizing, you can sew this skirt for older foster girls in foster care, an area where there is more need.
Probably the most sensible of the Oliver + S skirt pattern is the Badminton pattern. There are hidden shorts underneath, making this a skort pattern. As if this skirt wasn’t cute enough, we added a few details to give it even more “awwwwww” factor! The scalloped hem is pure genius on Liesl’s part.
Finally we come to the newest Oliver + S skirt pattern, the Butterfly Skirt. Another quick and easy sew with just the right amount of details to make it special. Because of it’s simple design, it’s a great choice for using fabric with a large print like we just HAD to!
Please visit Project Run and Play for all the details about Skirting The Issue, and to enter your donated skirts to win huge prizes!
Thanks Audrey!
And in case that wasn’t enough of a fix for you, we’ve had a lot of skirt tutorials and inspiration on the blog in the past including:
- Adding Hem Tucks to the Lazy Days Skirt
- Lazy Days Skirt with Double-thickness Hem
- Three Stripes Lazy Days Skirt
- Pieced Swingset Skirt
- Embroidered Everyday Skirt
- Customizing the Onstage Tutu Skirt: Curtain Call
- Three Tips for Elastic Waistbands
- Lazy Days Skirt with Bias Hem
- Ink Jet Printed Lazy Days Skirt
- Lazy Days Skirt Round Up
Thanks for having me! Skirting the Issue is such a worth cause and my favorite event of the year. So naturally, pairing this event with some of my favorite skirt patterns is a win-win!
Do I have to buy the $6 copyright fee if I use a non-free Oliver & S pattern?
Rocky, we are perfectly happy to have you use all of our patterns to sew items to be donated for charitable causes. There is no fee if you want to do this.
Thanks, Todd! This encourages me to make more skirts and tops.
In your description of each skirt, would you please consider removing “foster girl”? So for example, instead of saying “any foster girl would feel special in them,” how about just “any girl would feel special in them? A child in foster care is a child first and shouldn’t be defined by their current living situation. Thank you.