it's pretty obvious i love all 49 of my oliver + s patterns (94 if you count each size), but according to all the podcasts about blogging one should do 'list posts' so here it goes:

love aunt maggie five favorite oliver and s patterns

5. the bubble dress

the bubble dress is one of the earlier oliver + s patterns. it's name comes from the design of the skirt, which poofs and billows out at the bottom.

the first time i used this pattern for maya's power clashing dress:

it came out so well i found myself returning to it again a few weeks later for her peacock dress:

however what i really love about this pattern is the bodice. it has faux cap sleeves and an adorable placket that is a pleasure to sew. i've almost lost count for how many times i've paired it with various skirts...almost, but not quite.

there was the beatles dress for maya:

the tea dresses for nora and etta:

a polka dot dress for my cousin's baby:

and most recently the poppy dress for maya:

4. roller skate dress

when i first saw this dress in the spring of 2013 i envisioned it in chevron. so chevron it was for nora, etta, and maya:

the style also takes a surprisingly small about of fabric (i've done a size 5 with just a yard). so later that summer when i was up against fabric limitations i used it again to make nora and etta's first day of school dresses:

a few weeks after that i made maya's polka dot tunic:

the next winter i made maya's put a bird on it dress:

another thing I love about this style: because it has only three pieces of the main fabric it can handle a large bold print, which is rare when you're dealing with kids clothing. because of this it was the obvious choice when using the amy butler's lark collection fabric for nora and etta's beatles dresses:

3. the hopscotch skirt & top

the hopscotch is a new-ish pattern for me. the first time i made the skirt was for nora and etta's first day of school this year:

the top stitching, the placket, those pockets, the buttons...it's just darling. plus with an elastic back waist (same construction as liesl + co everyday skirt) it's also comfortable and practical for kids.

the top of this pattern holds its own. it's a knit t-shirt with a cute cross over design. i've made the short sleeved version for nora and etta:

and the long sleeved version for neela's snow day outfit:

2. the sketchbook shirt

the sketchbook shirt (available for older children here) is another new pattern for me. having made vic his mountain man flannel with fabric from jackson hole and the walden negroni pattern i wanted to see how o + s approached a button down so i decided to try this pattern.

they did not disappoint and the lil' man flannel is one of my favorite creations. the way the yoke was finished is just brilliant and the placket and collar came together perfectly. it turned out so well i quickly made it again (out of the same fabric) for another friend. now lets look at those teeny tiny details.

1. the library dress

i was smitten with this design when it was released in the fall of 2013. it's the sophistication of a wrap dress but still fit for a little girl. additionally the waist band and flat piping provide the perfect opportunity to introduce contrasting fabrics and accent colors.

i knew immediately this style would be perfect for nora and etta if I could put in a zippered back (they are past the age where dresses that button up the back are practical). at the time i was pretty sure i could modify the pattern myself but just to be sure i made the dress once as instructed and came out with maya's spunky polka dot dress:

with the help of this tutorial from the oliver + s blog i tried by hand at a back zipper version for nora and etta's back to school dresses in 2014 and it turned out fantastic:

so fantastic that this past winter when i started to get serious about busting my stash i used some corduroy i'd had for years to make the long sleeve version for nora and etta's show and tell dresses.

so there you have it, my five favorite oliver + s patterns, but ask me again tomorrow and i'll probably have a different answer.