my favorite oliver + s pattern: genevieve from the orla project

Here's the latest edition of the "My Favorite Oliver + S Pattern" series. We're asking Oliver + S fans to share their thoughts on their favorite patterns, explaining why they adore them, what they've learned during the process, and showing off how many times they've created them. Today, we have Genevieve from The Orla Project. Her favorite pattern comes from the Little Things to Sew collection. Let’s hear what she has to say. --- Thank you so much to Oliver + S for letting me share my enthusiasm for their Reversible Bucket Hat pattern, along with some tips I’ve picked up along the way, and a little bit about myself. My name is Genevieve, and you can find me on Instagram as @TheOrlaProject. I hail from Brisbane, Australia, and I’m a self-taught sewist and crafter with a lifelong passion for anything creative or artistic. Over the past 20 years, I’ve dabbled in sewing garments, crafting handbags, designing home decor items like cushions and doorstops, creating toys, making jewelry, and even dabbling in leatherwork—journals, bags, and pen pouches are among my favorites. There’s always something new to try, and I jump at every opportunity to experiment with different crafts. Two years ago, I discovered quilting, and it quickly became my primary focus. I also enjoy crocheting and continue to refine my garment sewing and drafting skills, along with dabbling in amateur photography. Playing with color in any form is my true passion. My favorite Oliver + S pattern? It’s the one I’ve made the most—the Bucket Hat. I stumbled upon this pattern three years ago, and it’s become my go-to choice for birthdays, Christmas gifts, and spontaneous presents. These hats fit well, feel comfortable, and are a hit even with kids who aren’t usually keen on wearing hats. I love choosing fabrics that coordinate for the reversible style, always keeping both the main fabric and the lining in mind. I’ve made this pattern 21 times now, and I still keep the instructions close at hand while sewing. The instructions are straightforward and easy to follow, which is fantastic. A quick glance to double-check the seam allowances, grading, or clipping for a specific seam gives me peace of mind, especially if it’s been a while since my last project. As I’ve worked on this pattern, I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks that might be useful for others: - I like to sew a couple of hats at a time and batch the steps—sewing all the seams using the chain piecing method, pressing them all at once, trimming the allowances, clipping the seams, and attaching the sides to the crowns, then adding the brims. - Using a sleeve board to press seams open is incredibly helpful, given all the curves involved. - Wonder clips are great for holding seams together before or while sewing, especially for aligning seams where they meet. However, I still find it best to use pins to ease in a seam and attach the crown to the side where it’s clipped. - Cutting two pieces at once by folding the fabric right sides together means you can sew directly without having to handle the fabric again or align the seams—straight to the machine. - You can get one side of a hat from a fat quarter, making it fat-quarter friendly—as long as you cut each piece separately rather than on a fold. By the time you reach the Large pattern size, cutting efficiently becomes a bit of a puzzle. So trace out with a removable marker where you want all the pieces to go before you cut. - If you have extra fabric to play with, you can fussy-cut a fun print, especially for the crown and perhaps the sides (the brim is a bit trickier due to its curved shape). I’ve experimented with a few adaptations. It’s easy to increase the brim’s depth by extending the pattern piece straight out at the side seams and following the curve. I made a Small hat with a very wide brim, but it turned out to be a bit difficult to see out from under! I think about ½ inch for the XS and S, and 1 inch for the M and L sizes would work better. I tried a couple more with a wide brim and added ties that went through buttonholes to sit on the outside of the hat, allowing it to remain reversible. I also did a version with a strap that tightened with a toggle and went through a large buttonhole to switch sides—but I don’t think it’s quick enough for parents to change back and forth easily, so it’s not very practical. The toggle would work well with sewn-in long straps. Recently, feedback has favored a strap, especially since it can get quite windy on our sunny Aussie beaches. So, I’ve settled on adding a strap with a long strip of soft, flexible Velcro to accommodate different head sizes. I sew the straps into the hat at the side seams, after step six, with plenty of stitches just to be sure. You can’t see them after the lining piece has been added anyway. I make one strap slightly longer than the other so it fastens to the side, which is easier for adults to reach over and do up. It also seems a bit more comfortable. As a rough guide, I make the straps these lengths—XS and S: 6.5” + 4.5”; M: 7.5” + 5.5”; L: 8.5” + 6.5”. But it’s always best to measure the child if possible. Topstitching the brim is a great way to make it more solid. Each time I sew one, I try to improve my stitch accuracy (which always needs work) and find new ways to use my machine’s guidelines and the edge of the foot to get even spacing. I increase the stitch length to 2.8 when topstitching and go fairly slowly to keep the lines even, aiming to line up the backstitching and minimize bulky stitches. Also, you don’t have to cut the threads each time you go around—just lift up the needle, move across, and do the next round. This saves time, and you can just snip the connecting threads at the end. I discovered Liesl Gibson and her wonderful designs a few years ago and started purchasing her patterns. My godson inspired me to start making cute little outfits. The first Oliver + S pattern I bought and made was the Bedtime Story Pajama top. So far, I’ve made only a couple of the other Oliver + S patterns I’ve collected, including short and long sleeve versions of the Sketchbook Shirt. The Forget-Me-Not Jewelry Pouch pattern from Straight Stitch Society got a lot of use last Christmas. I made templates for this pattern too, knowing it will get a lot more use. All my other Oliver + S patterns (26 of them—including multiple sizes and digital patterns) are patiently waiting for the little ones to grow up and for me to find some extra spare time to make them up. I can’t wait! The bucket hat is a quick project to finish. It’s very rewarding to see them being used and enjoyed, and most importantly, protecting those precious faces from the harsh sun. The best part is that the kids keep growing, so they’ll always need a new hat in a bigger size or a fresh new color for the summer holidays. Thank you to my lovely friends and family for sharing their adorable hat models. This hat has become known as “the Gen hat” in one household and can be worn anytime, even indoors! In conclusion, the bucket hat works well for the really little ones and stays on well at the playground, perfect for strolls in the park, and fresh colors are ideal for spring. This hat has been passed down between brothers and even taken on a trip to Thailand! Thanks for having me, Oliver + S, and happy sewing everyone! Thanks Genevieve! If you enjoyed this post, you might also like our Reversible Bucket Hat sew-along. (Adsense code here) Related posts will appear below. --- I hope this captures the essence of Genevieve’s experience and adds a touch of authenticity while keeping the content fresh and engaging.

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