Welcome to another edition of the “My Favorite Oliver + S Pattern†series. It’s always exciting to hear from fellow fans about their favorite patterns and the stories behind them. Today, we're thrilled to feature Emily and Ashley from Frances Suzanne. Let’s hear what they have to say:
Déjà vu, anyone? Yep, we've shared our favorite Oliver + S patterns before, but since there are two of us, we got special permission for two favorites! Choosing just two was tough—our indecisiveness knows no bounds!
After much deliberation, we decided to pick the patterns that best represent our personal style. Spoiler alert: we absolutely adore both the Puppet Show and Music Class patterns, and they perfectly capture our aesthetic.
Though we’ve sewn the Puppet Show Tunic, Dress + Shorts combo multiple times, the Music Class Blouse + Skirt posed a bit of a challenge. How could it be our favorite if we hadn’t even attempted the skirt yet? (*Though, it does happen sometimes!)
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Let’s start with the Music Class Blouse: a timeless piece with a modern twist, reminiscent of what we wore as kids. This blouse is a must-have in every little girl’s wardrobe. Each time we’ve sewn it, we’ve added piping to highlight the yoke and collar. This time around, instead of making the piping stand out, we matched it with the blouse fabric. While it looks polished, it was somewhat frustrating to put in so much effort without a significant visual payoff.
The pattern offers two views: one with short sleeves and a classic collar, and another more suited for fall and winter with long sleeves and a band collar. As always, we love all the thoughtful details that make this pattern unique! Our favorite feature is the tiny tucks on the front and back. The long-sleeve version includes cuffs and a placket for a professional finish.
Ever find yourself reflecting on projects and thinking about ways to improve next time? For us, our first attempt at the sleeve band placket was “needs improvement.†While it wasn’t terrible, we knew we could do better. Luckily, the helpful community on the forum directed us to this tutorial by Nicole.
On to the skirt...
We set ourselves a goal to at least try the skirt before this post went live. You might wonder why we hadn’t tackled the skirt earlier. Honestly, we had this irrational aversion to skirts. Yes, we admit it.
About three years ago, our dear sewing mentor pulled out her copy of the Oliver + S Music Class pattern and suggested it for a project. Emily might have been sneakier about it, but I’m pretty sure I wrinkled my nose in mild distaste. Why? Because dresses are for little girls, and skirts are for ladies. End of story.
Fast forward about a year and a half. We finally caved and bought the Music Class pattern—for the blouse and its collar, of course.
We’re happy to report that our sewing journey has evolved, and we now see skirts as adorable on little girls. We’ve even sewn quite a few! Not to mention, they’re super practical for encouraging independence during potty training. Plus, skirts are usually quick to sew—another bonus!
We adore how the skirt turned out, but the process of making it was just as fascinating. Though this pattern is rated two scissors on the Oliver + S scale, we think a beginner could tackle the skirt and feel like a pro. It features cute pleats and pockets that any little girl would love! The only change we made was adding piping on either side of the center front and back panels.
Our first Music Class skirt followed the pattern to the letter, and we loved it!
The winterized version, shown here, broke some rules. The fabric was heavier than recommended, possibly a bouclé or tweed. While the results were fine, it didn’t fully capture the essence of the pattern.
Because of the fabric’s thickness, we had to use gathers instead of pleats, which was disappointing since pleats and pockets are such a winning combination. Still, our niece loved the whole outfit, and isn’t that what really matters?
Now, we’re debating what to make with a blue fabric meant for our winterized version of the Puppet Show Shorts. Our gut says the details in those shorts might overwhelm this fabric. Any suggestions?
Looking for a trip down memory lane? Here’s Liesl’s original introduction of the Music Class Skirt from 2010! And here’s some Music Class Skirt inspiration.
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