[JohannaO]

I love the comment about “not leaving the house.” I can’t tell you how many people have asked me if I want to sell the things I’ve made for my little bit after she’s grown out of them. I feel very connected to the things I’ve made for her too, and even for a good cause (like the adopt a kid we did for Christmas) I have a hard time giving them up. I think I’m going to stop calling my clothes “homemade” and begin to call them “home crafted, or home couture”

Mel- Hot chocolate sounds delicious, but I bet he is shying away from the coffee pot!

[Liesl Gibson]

Oh, you’re all too sweet. Thank you so much.

[Justine J]

I hope the hot chocolate date night made up for coffee spill, Mel!

I like ‘home couture’, Johanna – I don’t like giving away things I’ve made either – particularly O+S!

I was at a bday party today and my friend was telling someone how I sew – and that I seem to have got very good at it very quickly – hmmmmmm, now, I wonder why?????!!!!! Love O+S!

[Rpankow]

OK, I cannot sing enough praises about the fantastic work that Liesl and Co do on their patterns! Last night I was working on a non-Oliver + S pattern, (I know, I know, but it is a cute dress pattern). I ended up getting to the point on putting on the button placket and noticed that they wanted me to hem the dress first, then attach the placket. I sat there for a while and scratched my head wondering how the end of the placket would be finished if the hem was already finished. Well, all I kept thinking to myself after that is, “what would Oliver + S do?”. Thank heavens I had done some work on a music class blouse earlier and done some work on the jumprope dress, view A, otherwise I would still be stuck on how to handle things with that dress. I knew after working on the music class blouse, that I needed to finish the placket and stitch across the bottom, trim and them flip right side out. Which of course created a nice finish and a way to finish off the hem of the dress. Also, the dress has a rolled sleeve with a button tab. If I followed their instructions, I would have the ugly side of my fabric showing once I rolled up the sleeve. Because of the instructions on the jumprope dress, I could finish the sleeve the same way and have it look pretty while folded up.

It wasn’t until last night did I really realize what a learning tool these patterns have been. Without them I wouldn’t have near as nice of a finished product and my dress would’ve looked more “homemade” than “handmade”. Also, without you folks I wouldn’t have the courage to take on other companies like Ottobre, which seem rather intimidating at first. Thank you so much to Liesl + Co for teaching me tricks of the trade and not have me or my child be embarassed about the clothes that I make her! Because of this I will be a faithful follower. Bless your heart and keep up the good work!

Rebecca

[catherinel]

I want to add to the praises. I had been making my children’s clothes for 18 years when I discovered Oliver + S after my – ahem – change of life baby was born 3 years ago. I can’t tell you how much I’ve learned about construction. I have 4 girls and have smocked a lot of things. People would always ooh and aah over my smocking and my stock reply was “The smocking is easy; the construction is hard.” These patterns have made my construction even better than my smocking.

Favorite new construction technique: facing a curved hem a la tea party sundress. It was one of those forehead-smacking moments for me. Why didn’t I think of this years ago…..

[Liesl Gibson]

Thank you so much. I can’t begin to tell you how wonderful it is to hear all the lovely things you say about our patterns. It really does make my job so rewarding to know that we’re helping you and giving you sewing confidence!

[theknittinganxiety]

Some months ago I had never sewed anything in my life, when my child born my mother gave me their sewing machine and I did a first attempt and it was awful… So I gave up.

In the begining of this year I started to check this blogs were the mothers sew incredible garments for there children, and I started to realise that the projects that I love most were made from Oliver + S patterns, so I made another attempt and this time I was realy happy with the final result.

So I can realy say that what I know it is mostly from Oliver + S patterns, because when I finish a piece of clothes it has quality and that is because of the technics that Liesl describes in their patterns, they are so simple to read and understand, even if they are dificult, that a person like me, that never sewed before, can do beautifull things.

Let me say that no one that see my projects believe that I never sewed before, and all thanks to Liesl.

That is what I love most about Oliver + S patterns, they are for everybody, they are for the most experienced sewer and for a beginner like me.

[Adrienne]

I agree with everything that everyone has said so far! Liesl definitely filled a need in the sewing world with Oliver + S! I am completely self-taught. Thanks to O+S I am amazed at the things that I have been able to make and learn through each pattern! Another thing that I love about O+S is the community that Liesl has created! I am not able to whip out garments as quickly as some of you or have much to say on forums all of the time, but I feel like I know most of you! I turn here for help and inspiration and motivation. You get so much more than a pattern when you go with Oliver + S! I love everything about Oliver + S!

[with love Heidi]

I second the community, especially the discussion forum. It is great to be able to get help when I need it and to provide it to someone else. There have been a number of times sewing other company patterns that I’ve though “I’ll just check that on the discussion forum” only to realise that only Oliver and S (that I’ve found has one)! I also appreciate the errata’s, it is so nice not having to work out if there’s a mistake from scratch. Keep up the good work.

[Lightning McStitch]

I remember sewing from another brand of pattern and getting so confused with the instructions I asked my husband, who was on the computer at the time, to do an internet search for <pattern brand> number 6540 step 4 WTF? He obliged (just to humour me as I was pretty ferocious) and unsurpirisngly there was no help to be found.

I’ve never reached that level of frustration with Oliver + S, yet i know the help would be here if I did.

I’ve learned so much from these patterns and the quality of the garments is astonishing. I moaned my way through a super cheap dressing gown pattern recently as I couldn’t believe the edges of the facing were all exposed and ugly. I found myself wishing I’d had an Oliver + S dressing gown pattern instead.

The Flickr group is simply awesome and keeps me constantly thinking of my “next project” (aargh that unfinished pile!), and it’s thanks to Oliver + S, and some Flickr inspiration that I’ve bought some japanese sewing books. Flying instruction free in a foreign language is not something I would have dreamed of doing prior to sewing with Oliver + S patterns.

[Anonymous]

Liesl, you should know that when I am sewing a pattern that is not O + S, I often stop to think “what would Liesl do?”. Yes, indeed, I always go by WWLD to put the garment together nicely.

[Lightning McStitch]

I shouldn’t continue to be surprised by the Oliver + S patterns but I am. I’ve just constructed a Sketchbook Shirt to the point of having attached the collar, and the way the yoke works is beautiful. I had two other shirt patterns and really didn’t think I needed one more, but this is such a nice finish the others can be binned!

[Nicole]

Love the yoke directions!