With the cash Mo slipped me in my dinner bag (sneaky wench!) when she picked up her wedding dress (wish I could show you how LOVELY Heathen looked on her big day- Oh wow.) I went out and splurged on a pattern. Often I skip patterns entirely and wing it- once you know the basics of fit and seams, it’s not hard. But… a well-written pattern can teach a seamstress new tricks- and the Oliver + S Bubble Dress did not disappoint.

Aside from the design being darling and the package scrumptious, the pattern is very well written. As a pattern writer myself, I appreciate when an artists takes the time to be both accurate and concise. This pattern is both. The illustrations are clear and easy to follow- anything beyond basic sewing skills, you could follow along fine.

The pattern itself is printed on highter quality, thicker paper than mass-market patterns, making it both easier to cut and handle, and strong enough for many uses. The notations are clear, and the graphics are simply accurate.

I loved this fabric on the bolt, but transformed into the dress, I’m not so in love. Abby likes it though, and I know to chose something simpler next time. It’s fully lined, and done so in a way that is easy, clean and beautiful. Like I said, I learned a few tricks- tricks I can parlay easily into making other patterns work better. Also, I learned how to do this:

I knew making it a Bubble Dress would involve elastic, but this was just brilliant. No tubing, no pulling elastic through with a safety pin, just perfect stretch, completely concealed in the lining. Fantastic.

Abby is delighted with it- and wore it both yesterday and pulled it on again today. She loves the little wing-things in the side of the bubble, and pretends to fly around the house. I’m definitely making another one of these.

Sometimes when I purchase something because I love the package, or the vintage-y illustrations, I am disappointed in the product. Not so here. Oliver + S, while priced compatibly with mass market patterns, is so much better that I will actively seek out their work next time I want both a cute dress, a good design, and  maybe even to learn a new trick or two.

I give it Five Stars.