All The Skirts - my Oliver + S skirt collection!

Today's blog post is a skirt round up!

I've corralled photos of all the Oliver + S skirts I've sewn in order to join in with Skirt Fixation and their skirt pattern celebration All The Skirts

All The Skirts is a month long sew along to create all (or as many as you like) of the skirt patterns from a particular pattern designer. There's a link up party where you can post the skirts you've sewn, as well as discount codes for the skirt patterns and the chance to win patterns and fabrics from the sponsors. Awesome!

This month, all the skirts being featured are those from Oliver + S, and yep, I've pretty much sewn all of them. Many of them date back to before this blog was created so I 've dug out the photos for a little trip down memory lane....

I should declare up front that I write for the Oliver + S blog and am an employee of sorts. But, every one of these skirts dates to prior to that arrangement. I bought all the patterns myself, and I can't possibly recommend something I don't honestly like. Trust me, when it comes to Oliver + S I love All The Skirts!

 

This Sunday Brunch outfit from three years ago was probably A's first skirt. This photo would have been right around the time of her 1st birthday.  The skirt has a sweet A-line shape and super cute little kick pleat in the back. I found it to be quite a slim fit and since she wore cloth nappies it was only really suitable for weekends away in slimmer undergarments!

 

I made another, possibly one size bigger (who remembers?), out of a little remnant of Hilco corduroy and added hot pink piping!

This pattern is one that I really must make again soon. - Get the feeling you're going to read that a few times in this blog post? Well, you're right!

Another cute, slim fitting skirt that I haven't made for ages, but really must is the Sailboat Skirt.

 

This was my first ever attempt at piping, and I hadn't quite got my head around how thick a cord I was meant to use. I think I got the upholstery piping there (novice!), but the effect of the chunky piping is actually kinda great. Yep, I need to redo this one for this upcoming winter, and I think I have just enough denim left over too.

 

A little mustard onesie, some thick tights, a cute retro skirt and a drawer full of chopsticks to empty. What could be cuter?!

 

Continuing with the straighter, I-wish-they-came-in-my-size skirt patterns. The next is the Music Class skirt. This is a pattern that you could buy for the blouse alone, and overlook the little skirt, but you'd be ignoring an absolute gem.

 

This one, is my most recent Oliver + S skirt and was made from a remnant from my first Diplomat dress. While these narrow un-twirly skirts may get rejected by the girls they're sewn for, there is much joy in being able to cut a skirt from the teensiest of remnants, and this is one such thrifty pattern.

 

This LEGO Music Class skirt was sewn for a friend's daughter and was also eeked out of leftover fabric.

 

My first Music Class skirt was this one. Sadly it was another skirt that was only suitable for disposable nappy days. The sticking point was not waist or hip measurements but getting the waistband past the combined width of her thighs (and that's why this pattern would not work for me!!)

 

Time to size up and make another one, right?!

The 2+2 skirt is a pretty pleated skirt with a side opening, so there's zero risk of not getting this one to fit, regardless of what you wear under your skirt. I made the skirt below ages ago, and I'm somewhat embarrassed to say that it's still in her wardrobe and in rotation almost two years later.



 

It's undoubtedly too short now, but with tights or leggings underneath it still looks pretty sweet. Still, you know what I need to do, don't you?... OK, add it to the list. 

 

So, while I'm in confessional mode; here are two more skirts that are probably only size 2 and are still being worn by my 4 year old! It's the Hopscotch pattern. This pattern comes with a gorgeous knit top/dress pattern but the skirt is such a beauty on it's own.

The pockets are really charming, and there's room to hide all sorts of things in them. The button placket doesn't need to be functional, so if buttonholes aren't your thing you could just fake it and sew the buttons straight through.

I've seen this pattern sewn up for older girls and I really like the proportions of the skirt in the larger sizes.

One little skirt that didn't get as much wear as it should have was this Badminton skirt. It was also a more narrow fit, and the lightweight fabric meant it was very much a summer skirt, and she just never took a shine to it.

The Badminton skirt is really a skort and I suspect if I make this one in a knit and leave off the scallops, I'd have the perfect school skirt. So I'll pull this pattern out again for sure next year when she needs a school uniform sewn up.

Perhaps my very favourite of all is the Swingset skirt.

But look, I've only made one so far. How can that be?! It's a bias cut, swingy, twirly, adorable skirt which is lined and looks so professional but sews up in no time at all. I think this one might also only be size 2, but it's still in heavy rotation. Of all the skirt patterns this is the only one that tops out at size 5, so I need to get a move one and put this one at the top of the must-sew-soon list.

The last two skirts are sort of peripheral to the main collection. One is the free Lazy Days PDF and the other is the Tutu from Little Things To Sew. The tutu is the perfect fancy dress up skirt, and the spotty Lazy Days skirt was whipped up super quick for a spotty picnic at the Art Gallery.

There's another free skirt pattern, the Onstage tutu skirt which I haven't made yet. I saw a very expensive tulle layered skirt in a shop recently and thought I could do exactly that with a free pattern from Oliver + S!

One for the trainspotters; have you picked the only other Oliver + S skirt pattern I haven't sewn? I guess I need to make one just so I really can claim to have sewn All The Skirts.

If you've read this far, thank you, now go treat yourself to the chance to win skirt patterns from Oliver + S, or fabric from the Fat Quarter Shop. Enter the competition over at Skirt Fixation or pick up the skirt pattern discount code and then join me in sewing at least one new skirt before the month is out!