{"id":61309,"date":"2017-05-22T11:33:12","date_gmt":"2017-05-22T15:33:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/?p=61309"},"modified":"2017-05-21T09:35:28","modified_gmt":"2017-05-21T13:35:28","slug":"ask-me-how-to-mix-patterns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2017\/05\/ask-me-how-to-mix-patterns.html","title":{"rendered":"ask me: how to mix patterns"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hello friends! I’m back with this month’s installment of “Ask Me.”<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

During our last installment we talked about picking prints and patterns for your sewing projects. Here’s a related question that quite a few of you have asked.<\/p>\n

How do you mix print and patterns?<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I love this question because it’s so much fun to mix prints! And until I took the photo to illustrate this post I didn’t realize how much pattern I actually own and wear in my own wardrobe, despite consistently telling you that I wear almost only solids.<\/p>\n

In general, there are three basic principles to follow when you’re mixing patterns.<\/p>\n

\"three<\/a><\/p>\n

The Three Rules of Pattern Mixing<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule 1: look for a unifying color between the prints.<\/p>\n

Rule 2: mix different scales or sizes of prints.<\/p>\n

Rule 3: mix types of prints: stripes with dots, stripes with geometrics, and geometrics with florals (or botanics), stripes with botanics or florals, etc.<\/p>\n

If you stick with these three basic principles you’ll have no trouble mixing and matching prints in your wardrobe and in your sewing.<\/p>\n

Here are some examples to help you out and to give you some ideas. These first examples have a really tight color palette of navy or black and white, and they’re quite safe with mostly a stripe and a polka dot, floral, or geometric.<\/p>\n

\"how<\/a><\/p>\n

\"how<\/a><\/p>\n

\"how<\/a><\/p>\n

Here are a few examples that incorporate more color.<\/p>\n

\"how<\/a><\/p>\n

\"how<\/a><\/p>\n

\"how<\/a><\/p>\n

And here are a few that are starting to be more playful and take more risks.<\/p>\n

\"how<\/a><\/p>\n

\"how<\/a><\/p>\n

And then there are those times when you just break the rules. You need to be a little brave or have some experience (or just get lucky!) to do this well.<\/p>\n

\"how<\/a><\/p>\n

I hope that helps!<\/p>\n

If you have a question you\u2019d like to ask for a future Ask Me column, send it to askme@oliverands.com. You can see all our previous Ask Me columns here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Liesl is here with another installment in her Ask Me series. This months it’s about mixing patterns and prints, and she shares her three rules of pattern mixing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":61323,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20687],"tags":[105,20762,20763],"class_list":["post-61309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-ask-me","tag-mixing-pattern","tag-pattern"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/pattern-feature.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5jZS5-fWR","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":60474,"url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2017\/04\/ask-me-picking-prints-and-patterns.html","url_meta":{"origin":61309,"position":0},"title":"ask me: picking prints and patterns","author":"Liesl Gibson","date":"April 3, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Liesl is here with another installment in the Ask Me series. This one is about selecting fabric for your sewing.","rel":"","context":"In "general post"","block_context":{"text":"general post","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/list\/general"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/AMgraphFeatured.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":78930,"url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2022\/05\/your-projects-our-patterns-march-april.html","url_meta":{"origin":61309,"position":1},"title":"your projects, our patterns: march + april","author":"Masha Richart","date":"May 2, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"It's time to see what you have been up to this spring, in the latest installment of \"Your projects, our patterns.\"","rel":"","context":"In "general post"","block_context":{"text":"general post","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/list\/general"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/your-projects-hero.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":43009,"url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2015\/02\/ask-me-popular-patterns-and-new-sizes.html","url_meta":{"origin":61309,"position":2},"title":"ask me: popular patterns and new sizes","author":"Liesl Gibson","date":"February 20, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Here's another installment in the Ask Me series where Liesl answers readers' questions.","rel":"","context":"In "general post"","block_context":{"text":"general post","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/list\/general"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/ask-me3.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":83844,"url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2025\/09\/our-testers-and-their-copenhagen-wrap-dresses.html","url_meta":{"origin":61309,"position":3},"title":"our testers and their copenhagen wrap dresses","author":"Liesl Gibson","date":"September 22, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Our testers chose terrific fabrics and prints for the new Copenhagen Wrap Dress, and here are some of their photos to inspire your own version of this fun sewing pattern.","rel":"","context":"In "general post"","block_context":{"text":"general post","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/list\/general"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/copenhagen-test-feature.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":60719,"url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2017\/04\/ask-me-housekeeping-questions.html","url_meta":{"origin":61309,"position":4},"title":"ask me: housekeeping questions","author":"Liesl Gibson","date":"April 24, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Liesl is back with another Ask Me post today. Have a question you want to ask her? Read through the post to find out how.","rel":"","context":"In "general post"","block_context":{"text":"general post","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/list\/general"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/AMlinedFeatured.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4367,"url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2012\/08\/the-ladies-stitching-club-is-now-shipping.html","url_meta":{"origin":61309,"position":5},"title":"the ladies’ stitching club is now shipping","author":"Liesl Gibson","date":"August 1, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"A giant box of fabric arrived at the studio today, and around here we all know what that means: my newest Oliver + S fabric collection, The Ladies' Stitching Club, is now shipping! 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