Liesl Gibson

Hi Eleanor, The short answer is it doesn’t matter. The PLaytime tunic is designed to be sewn in a woven fabric so there’s no need for nay stretch. that’s not to say you can’t sew it in a stable stretch fabric (a really drapey, slinky knot fabric might be weird).
Given that you don’t need the facings to stretch, you can interface them in whichever…[Read more]

Hi,
Whenever I want the sleeves from one pattern and the body from another I just take the armhole with the sleeve
Say, for example you wanted the Book Report sleeve on the Fairy Tale dress: trace the Book Report bodice/upper dress part and lay that tracing over the Fairy Tale bodice. Try and line up centre fronts and/or shoulder and side seams.…[Read more]

@lisam cheat’s solution ?

Ah yes, I see that my “don’t clip it at all” idea wouldn’t work. I was thinking of the curve at the side seam being more like the gentle curve of the men’s shirt, or the kid’s sketchbook. I’ve made a few Classic/recital shirts so you’d think I’d remember!

I wonder what happens if you clip the seam allowance with the opposite angle? I might try…[Read more]

Hi @lisam can you add a photo to help us find a work around?
The one time I made a shirt and french seamed everything, I also squared off the hem as it was a casual All Day Shirt for my husband.
Right at the side seam there’s not much if any curve to the hem, and given it’s only a fairly narrow hem, I’d just try hemming it without any…[Read more]

Thanks for the image @karenbadeerThat helps a lot and has saved me digging out the book to check the pattern.
The image from the instructions just below your fabric demonstrates that the cape itself is made up, from centre front to centre front of the following:
1 front panel, 2 side panels, 1 back panel, another 2 side panels, 1 front panel.
Do…[Read more]

Hi @karenbadeer
Here’s the link to the previous topic that @novicesewistwas referring to: https://oliverands.com/community/forums/topic/red-riding-hood-pattern-size-m-cant-get-hood-to-line-up-right
But…. I don’t think that’s your problem. That post is talking about constructing the hood.
It has been years since I made this pattern, but there…[Read more]

Bonnie, you can find the size chart on the page of the pattern you are interested in. About halfway down the page there is a series of tabs. One says “size chart”. Click on that and you’ll see the size chart for that particular pattern.

Since mention a baby size chart, I think you might be thinking about our Lullaby Layette pattern. You can find…[Read more]

Sarah, I looked into this and you are right. That’s a minor error in the instructions that was corrected in the second version of the pattern which was issued many years ago. It looks like you’re working from the first version which contained that error. The current version available (version 3) has the language has you suggestion.

View B uses a separate placket piece which is included with the pattern. View A is made using the self-fold method. So you can use either approach with this pattern.

There is a printing guide on page 3 that tells you which pages to print so that you can print only the A/B cup sizes for view A.

Hi Tatiana,
Finishing the raw edge of the pocket facing is done to prevent the fabric fraying or unraveling at the edge.
You need to do it before you start attaching the pocket facing to the pocket or pants.
There’s a video on how to finish seam allowances here: https://oliverands.com/free-videos/how-to-finish-a-seam/
If that link isn’t clickable…[Read more]

@Bonnie I found the hat was on the small side (or my babies have enormous heads) I would make one and see. You can always pop it away for a few months. They grow so fast.
Good luck.

Hi Bonnie, I’ve only ever made the jacket in stretch fabrics and from memory I’ve just used a straight stitch everywhere. I’d certainly use a single straight stitch at the shoulder dart so they press flat more easily.

Hi Figen, as one without much “up front” my experience with bust measurements is limited, but:
I believe the bust measurements as per the chart will be the B cup.
A nice shirt fit is often all about the shoulders, so I’d suggest choosing your size based on your upper bust measurement and then using the C cup pattern tissue which saves you having…[Read more]

Hi Paige. Because the front placket helps to form the collar it needs to be wide enough that there’s no chance it will roll out or fold on itself.
It certainly works out very nicely if you sew it as instructed, so my suggestion is not to worry and let it happen. Enjoy the sewing

Hi Liz, the breezy blouse is lovely, but it’s very essence is its sleeveless was, no?
Adding a sleeve to a sleeveless pattern is tricky. I’d focus on going the other way:
What is it you like about the breezy blouse?
It would be much easier to copy the neckline, the side panel blocking or the hem shape onto another pattern that already had…[Read more]

Hi Violet,
There’s a sew along for this pattern on the blog. Perhaps this will help: https://oliverands.com/community/blog/2016/02/gallery-tunic-dress-sew-along.html

Is it possible you’re trying to attached the wrong side of the armhole facing?

Maybe you could add a picture to help illustrate what’s going wrong