ask me: popular patterns and new sizes

ask me: popular patterns and new sizes

Greetings from extra-cold northern Michigan (yikes, it was -29 degrees Fahrenheit when we woke up this morning!), where we're spending a few days with family and getting ready to celebrate S's 10th birthday tomorrow. Can you believe it? S is already 10 years old! It feels like just yesterday that I started Oliver + S when she was only 2 and a half. I guess it's time to throw a little company birthday bash too, since our first collection of patterns hit the shelves back in March 2008—seven years ago already! Anyway, I thought it was high time for another installment of our "Ask Me" series. You've been sending in some great questions, so here are a few answers for you. ---

Ask Me

**Which patterns surprised you with their popularity or lack thereof? And which pattern has inspired incredible interpretations that completely changed your view of what the pattern was supposed to be?** To be honest, I'm always a little surprised by how certain patterns perform. Some of our simplest designs have turned out to be big hits—like the Ice Cream Dress, the Roller Skate Dress, and the Playtime Dress. These were unexpected favorites, and it makes me wonder if there's something about simplicity that resonates with people. On the flip side, the Fairy Tale Dress, though beloved by many, tends to intimidate newer sewists. While it's a fantastic learning project, I think its complexity still scares some people away. The School Days Jacket and the Secret Agent Trench Coat didn't sell as well as I'd hoped, partly because they look complicated and have a lot of pieces. Todd mentioned that the Croquet Dress has been underwhelming in terms of sales, despite its adorable shape. Sometimes it feels like no matter how much you love a design, it doesn't always connect with everyone. Recently, I've been focusing on creating patterns that look cute but are simpler to construct—fewer pieces, fewer details that might seem overwhelming to beginners. I'd love to work on more elaborate patterns eventually, but I also need to think about what sells. Patterns take a lot of resources to produce and store, from printing costs to warehousing expenses. It's a balancing act. When it comes to our women's patterns, I can usually predict which ones will do well. A dress with a fitted waist is almost guaranteed to sell well, but I feel it's my responsibility as a designer to push boundaries and introduce new ideas. I want to inspire people to think differently about clothing and explore unique silhouettes. It's something I'm passionate about, even if it means sacrificing some short-term sales for the sake of creativity. --- **Do you plan to update some of your older patterns for bigger kids? I’d love to sew the Puppet Show ensemble for my 9-year-old daughter, or the Sunday Brunch jacket or the Birthday Party dress for my 11-year-old.** I've been hesitant to revisit older patterns so far because I have so many new ideas I want to explore. However, we're definitely considering re-releasing some of those styles in larger sizes. The Puppet Show Shorts and the Sailboat Top are strong candidates. Grading and formatting patterns takes a lot of time, though, so I've held off until now. --- **I’m really curious about the design process. Have you ever seen a design evolve dramatically during development? Any "aha" moments where you added a new detail or technique? Your designs are so clever—I’d love to know how they come together!** You know, I need to document my design process better. Most of the time, I'm working solo in the studio, and I don't always pause to take photos of muslins or scan my sketches. Moving forward, I'll make sure to do that more often. Recently, I've shared some muslins and sketches from the Lisette collection on Instagram, but the process for that line is different since I work with design partners and need to communicate with a large team at Butterick. Those designs are typically more structured from the start. For Oliver + S and Liesl + Co., it's just me, so I have more freedom to experiment. I allow myself to tweak details as I go. I promise to show you more of that creative journey when we release our new patterns this spring! --- If you have a question, drop me a line at [insert email]. I'll add it to my list! (And yes, I know there are ads below—sorry about that!) --- This writing captures the personal tone of someone reflecting on life, family, and work, while also addressing reader inquiries in a conversational manner.

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