[Sarvi]

A friend was lamenting earlier today that her youngest is about to size out of the earliest patterns that only go up to size 5. My kid is in the same spot. It’s pretty emotional for me, these are the patterns that taught me to sew, and I don’t mean that in a general way, I genuinely had no other sewing instruction. I should be able to usefully combine it with my other long term project of photos of each pattern in action — blowing bubbles in the Bubble, going to a puppet show in the Puppet Show. Maybe you can combine this with a project of your own — pattern-busting or stash-busting (you can get the size 5 Bubble out of a single yard of fabric for the main, and another single yard for the lining, so it’s great for using something special and precious).

Here’s the list:

Puppet Show: http://oliverands.com/oliver-and-s-patterns/OLV-OS002PS.html

Bubble: http://oliverands.com/oliver-and-s-patterns/OLV-OS003BB.html

Tea Party: http://oliverands.com/oliver-and-s-patterns/OLV-OS001TP.html

Swing Set: http://oliverands.com/oliver-and-s-patterns/OLV-OS004SS.html

If anybody’s interested in playing along, we can make a thing out of it — maybe make a little badge for bloggers, make a collage of all the finished clothes, make a hashtag for them on instagram, or do a sew-along. I thought there were more that went only to size 5 but I just checked and these seem to be it. Let me know if I’ve missed one!

[kgiff]

Oh…. this is a good reminder. I have the swing set which I haven’t used yet. I think there will need to be a swing set or two in next summer’s wardrobe!

[Nicole]

I hope to make trixie the tiny swing set for Christmas!

[sayiamyou]

I already have plans for A to have a Puppet Show for Christmas. It’s emotional for me too Sarvi. I’m hoping she’ll stay the same chest size for another year so I can get a little more use from the patterns before packing them away forever. Adding length is easy peasy (I’ve been doing it for 5 years!), not so much experience with sizing up.

[Sarvi]

I have made the Swing Set skirt, but only once, and I picked the wrong fabric for it. I’d love to take another whack in something swingier. How darling would it be in the teeny size!

Sizing up is tricky — I think I have the basic technique down (thank you Sandi, wherever you are) but the proportions are just so different on tweens than on beautifully tubular littles.

[Nicole]

I made three Swing Sets in City Weekend, swoon…… https://www.flickr.com/photos/motherof5/sets/72157625559687392/

[Justine J]

Lol, Sarvi – just logged on here to take screenshots of the size 5 patterns (am playing with Evernote ;-), and making myself a list with fabric choices for each), and saw this post. So yep, I am definitely in 🙂

(Can you believe that while I have made countless pairs of puppet show shorts, I have never made the tunic/dress??)

[Sarvi]

Oh, you should, it’s lovely! I know what you mean, for a lot of patterns I’ve used one item to death and the other not at all, not even for any very good reason.

And Nicole, eeeeeeeeeep could they ever have been so small? Precious girls.

[Robin]

I’m doing the size 12 project. Makes me weep.

[Linda]

Nicole- I was going to say the poor child will be freezing if you sew her that for xmas, then remembered belatedly that you are in Australia…

[Sarvi]

Oh Robin, my heart goes out to you! A very beloved young friend has requested a special dress and since she’s sized out of O+S I really don’t know what to do.

[meleliza]

I don’t have the larger sizes of bubble or tea party, but I did just buy the swing set pattern off ebay the other day when Nicole posted it. 😉 My girl turns 4 next week, but she’s as tall as a 5 year old so I think I’ll get one more year out of everything and will play along a little.

My 8 year old wears size 12, so I may be playing with him too, though I don’t sew as much for him.

[Justine J]

Oh, Robin! Big hugs on that one xx

[Mama_Knowles]

Sarah is too in the size 5 as well. I really want to join in this as my baby girl goes to a big girl year for her. I have a puppet show cut out in a size 5 from some very precious fabric given to my by Tamara.

[needlewoman]

I’ve made the T Party Playsuit quite a few times but have only just today drafted a shortened Tparty dress, and traced off a Puppet Show dress. Have cut out a couple of Swing set tops/skirts some months ago but have yet to sew. Suddenly, my little clients have reached the age where these patterns are a doable prospect, and of course, they are girls – so far my friends’ eldest grandchildren have been boys. But that is the lovely thing about O+S patterns – you can discover/rediscover them just when you least expect it.

A teensy tparty for Miss B sounds too cute for words. Nicole. My first purchase from ebay arrived today – size 2-5 of the Tparty – so looking forward to making good use of it to make cool summer dresses for bigger girls – before they too bid farewell to size 5. Commiserations for those mums whose kidlets have reached this point.