I was inspired by this famous Claire McCardell dress when I started designing the Positano Blouse + Dress. I’ve always loved its simplicity and the way the draping resembles the drapery of Roman sculptures. This dress is part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with the following description: McCardell’s classic day-to-evening dress is a synthesis of the unassuming drawstring peasant blouse and the chic Empire silhouette achieved through spaghetti-string tying at the waist and collar. Is she Esmeralda or Madame Récamier? In fact, she is both vernacular and commonplace and ext ..read more

afdda Erica is really good at choosing fabrics that suit the pattern she’s testing, isn’t she? I love these subtle dots with the more angular lines of the pattern itself. Janice’s daughter has grown up wearing our patterns, so it’s a thrill to see her wearing this one! (And hi, how is she basically my height now?!?) I’m so curious about this fabric Kiran chose. She said it’s eyelet fused with lining, and I can’t quite get my head around that but I certainly like the result! Shelley mixed her plaids to fantastic effect! Isn’t this cool! And of course Shelley went the extra mile and sewed th ..read more

Our testers always do such a great job of checking the details of our patterns just before they go to print to make sure I didn’t miss something or to tell me if I need to clarify steps, and it’s a treat to see what fabrics they choose and how they style the patterns. Here are some of the Positano Blouse + Dress patterns they sewed! Kari chose this fantastic floral for her test of View B, the dress. I think this just might be the perfect summer dress for her, do you agree? Those sandals! I love Shelley’s dress, too, and she actually got to wear it for the Australian summer, so it works out to ..read more

I introduced you to our new Positano Blouse + Dress pattern the other day. Today let’s talk about other inspiration and fabric ideas for this pattern. There are many ways you can sew and wear this style. I’ll show you a few of my ideas and see if they inspire you, too. I love this style in simple solid fabrics, whether in soft cotton or linen. Take a look at these similar examples I found. I love the look of this style whether it’s tucked into jeans, a slim skirt, or worn with trousers and under a blazer, and the styling versatility of this style is the best part, a great feature. I’ll talk m ..read more

Hello again! Here we are with our third spring pattern, which I hope you will love. If you missed them, our other new patterns are the Prado Trench Coat and the Positano Blouse + Dress pattern. Here is the third and final of our new patterns, the Laureles Square-Neck Top + Dress pattern. This style was designed specifically to fill a gap that often isn’t covered in sewing patterns. This is an easy-to-sew pull-on square-neck top with princess seams to help you get a great fit. And, like many of our sewing patterns, it comes with cup sizes! What I like about this pattern is that it’s contempora ..read more

Hello! It’s that time of year, when I have the great pleasure to introduce to you our newest collection of sewing patterns. I’ve already introduced our Prado Trench Coat which we released last month. Now I get to introduce two other patterns, both of which are available in both paper and digital formats. Here is the first, the Positano Blouse + Dress. The Positano is another versatile pattern that’s both classic and trendy. Traditionally this style is called a peasant blouse, but I think it really deserves a better name, a little more glamorous, so I’ve named this one the Positano after that ..read more

Hello friends! It’s been a long time since my last weekend links entry. I’m going to try to bring it back again on, at least, a monthly basis, so let’s see if I can maintain it; running a small business is time-consuming! If you’ve been following along, I’ve been doing a series of blog posts about personal style and a core wardrobe that works with versatile items that can be worn in many combinations. How do you approach your sewing and wardrobe? Do you plan your projects in advance or take it one project at a time? I often have a wish list of items I’m considering sewing. Right now, in additi ..read more

Do you participate in Me Made May? It’s a fun way to encourage you to wear your handmade items more often or in some way differently to how you usually get dressed, and to see what you learn from the experience. I love it because the weather is finally starting to warm up and it’s a great opportunity to get out and experiment with the clothing I packed away during the winter months. This is a personal challenge: you decide how you want to participate, be it every day or once a week, wearing one item or maybe you want to wear only handmade if you’re really ambitious? It’s entirely up to you. An ..read more

I’ve written quite a few posts about personal style recently and thought it would be useful to do a round-up of them here so they’re all in one place. And in case you’ve missed them. how to add texture and depth to your wardrobe a reflection on personal style finding your style : the three word method timeless vs. classic and how to develop your own style my essential suitcase: if you had to condense your wardrobe into a single suitcase, what would you include? how to use photos and tear sheets to inspire your outfits 6 fall looks and the patterns to make them Enjoy! Lots more to come, so i ..read more

Spring is here, and that means it’s time for a spring sale! From now through Saturday, March 30 2024, you’ll save 30% off the retail price of all Liesl + Co., Lisette, Oliver + S,and Straight Stitch Society patterns when you use coupon code Spring24 at checkout. Both paper and digital patterns are included in this offer. But that’s not all. You’ll also save 30% on copies of Liesl’s book Oliver + S Building Block Dress: A Sewing Pattern Alteration Guide. Quantities are limited on some items. If there is a paper pattern you have wanted, don’t delay. It may not be around for much longer. Offer ..read more