skirt as top

It sounds like you haven’t done anything wrong! Keep in mind that the back has extra ease (pleats) for better movement and comfort. Once you try on the muslin I think it will be fine. Keep us posted, ok?

You can reduce it as much as you want as long as you can still get it over your hips. I would suggest keeping an eye on the side panels so they stay at your sides and don’t pull too much toward the back or front.

I would suggest altering the neckline to suit her preferences and then using the Peter Pan Collar instructions in the Building Block Dress book to develop a new collar. This will be much simpler than trying to alter the collar that comes with the pattern. I hope that helps!

Sure, here’s a blog post on the topic to help!

lengthening and shortening a pattern

No, unfortunately, the creation of layers is something that needs to be done when the original pattern is created. There’s no way to take an existing file and add layers to it. The file needs to be completely remade from the ground up. That’s why we’re creating new patterns with layers (it’s a completely different process to develop the pattern so…[Read more]

It’s just a matter of adding length to the collar as you add length to the neckline. Adjust your neckline (lowering, widening etc) then measure the new neckline at the stitching line. Compare that to the original and add the same length to the collar. They’re curved lines so you end up freehand drawing it.
The good thing is that collars are only…[Read more]

Hi Becca, if you lower or scoop out the neckline then you would need to make adjustments to the length of the collar do that it still fits.
I wonder if perhaps what your daughter needs is a Forward Shoulder Adjustment (FSA). This moves the shoulder seam forward and helps prevent the front neckline from falling backwards and feeling like it’s…[Read more]

Hi Susan,
If you ever want to find something relating to a particular pattern then the easiest way is to go via the “shop”. Click on the pattern you’re interested in, and you’ll find tabs that will take you to forum discussions, blog posts, or sewn up examples of that pattern.
Here’s the sew along which I found via the blog posts tab in the Extra…[Read more]

Hi Tricia, yes the waistband is just one long piece (pattern piece 6).
The only other pattern pieces are the skirt, and the front and back plackets.
Maybe sleep on it and just follow the instructions in the morning. I always find Oliver + S patterns work perfectly if you don’t overthink them, and just do as Liesl says! 🙁

There isn’t a list available. It’s something we have started doing within the last couple years. Older styles will not have the PDF layers built in, but newer styles will.

In the full description of the pattern, you’ll see a sentence mentioning that the pattern has layers to print only your select size if the pattern has been produced that…[Read more]

Hi Phyllis, here’s a lining tutorial that is perfectly adaptable for the Extra Sharp Pencil Skirt:

how to line shorts–or any pair of pants

Phyllis, you will cut two of piece number 13 with your fabric folded. (See the cutting layout.) That will give you pieces for both sleeves.

Those bags look like fun, and a great way to use up scraps – assuming your scraps are better co-ordinate do than mine!
Fun to see an old thread bumped up, thanks.
You’ve inspired me to put the waistband on my Hollywood Trousers and finish them off.

I think it would be quite easy. When you sew the trouser front to the pocket bag you’d simply sew it at an angle – a bit like the Art Museum trousers.
Then you just need to ensure that the pocket stay (which would then form the side seam above the bottom of the pocket opening) is wide enough that none of the pocket facing shows.

I’ve cycled wearing mine – only a short distance (school commute) mind you and mine is a stretch pleather, but it was fine to ride in.

You can certainly line the skirt, but a lining and instructions for lining it are not included in the pattern because, after much debate, I decided to keep it simple. We’ll do a lined pencil skirt someday, but it was too difficult to include un-lined and lined in one pattern. I hope that helps, and when I did a lot of biking I also wore pencil skirts!

There is a complete sew-along for this style if you need additional help:

liesl + co. classic shirt sew along

I suspect it must have something to do with the button plackets and how they fold back. Can you post a picture?

Thank goodness you spotted that as it looks like you would have been missing quite a bit of width too, and had a very tight crotch seam! (Eek). Hope you can piece the fabric and make it work.

Oh Heidi, how frustrating, and how very odd….
I don’t have the digital pattern but have just got my paper pattern out to check:
the length of the inseam on the pattern piece from the crotch edge to the hem edge is 18cm / 7&1/8″ on both the front and back shorts and this is true for all sizes.
So, it’s not the case that you’ve accidentally traced…[Read more]