sewing with Oliver+S

Sewing with a pattern is difficult for me as that if i feel like i am getting confused i just toss the instructions aside and do it my way. The problem with this is that patterns come with instructions because there is a specific way they are meant to be put together, DUH. If you do not follow the instruction odds are your result will be less than what you intended.

My journey with Oliver +S starts with THIS post from Sweet Pea Fabrics, "How cute" i thought "the Ice Cream Dress"  So i went on over to the Oliver+S website clicked on find a store and i found a little place here in town called Heirloom Creations. I called them and i was delighted to find that not only did they carry the pattern but they are only a block from my house, weird because i pass them almost every morning on the way to school but i never noticed that they are in a shopping center in the middle of our neighborhood (probably because i am such a good driver that i never take my eyes off the road, nOt)

The ladies at Heirloom Creations are an extremely talented bunch with sewing skills that far surpass mine in every way. The great news is that they teach and give sewing advice on every level, they even give classes. Before i left the store i had picked the ladies brain silly and was armed with a roll of tracing paper. The coolest stuff ever, its a roll of paper like used at doctors offices on exam tables, cheep and effective, 7$ for enough paper at least a year.

The pattern although not cheep was wonderful to work with. The pattern itself is printed on sturdy white paper making it a breeze to handle and easy to see the cutting lines. Tracing out the entire pattern was time consuming but well worth the trouble. The original pattern remained nice and neat and best of all, ready for its next use in any size i choose.

The cut of the dress is wonderful and the double fold hem creates a great hang for a perfect finish. Sewing with a pattern was great. All the kinks were already worked out for me, saving so much time and frustration. The Oliver +S pattern is a winner in my book. Simple design with attention to details that make it easy to sew and beautiful to wear.
Lou-Lou's fabric choice was also a winner. She was happy to help with the entire process, in fact she loved the finished product so much that since its finish i have rarely seen her in anything else. She folds it up at the end of each day and brings it to me to wash. She is very careful not to stain it and lets me know if she needs me to fix and spills. I love that she appreciates the work i do for her, it makes me wont to sew more and with this Oliver + S pattern I think I will.