Shopping With... Liesl Gibson of Oliver + S

By Felicity Loughrey
May 19, 2010

In an earlier life, pattern-maker Liesl Gibson of Oliver + S covered real estate investment trusts on Wall Street for Salomon Smith Barney (now Morgan Stanley Smith Barney). “It was a very intense job,” she says. “One of the things I did to relieve the stress was to sew.”

Gibson would make dresses for her young niece. Seven years later, when her own daughter was born, she found that the patterns available were the same as before. “I was unhappy with the sizing, the instructions and the details weren’t what I wanted. So I started drafting my own patterns. I got a tremendous response and people were asking me, where did I get that dress? They were my own designs.”

When her daughter was a year old, Gibson wrote a business plan and started work on Oliver + S, her range of adorable sewing patterns for children (check out the ice cream pinafore for girls) packaged with retro paper-doll illustrations.

Oliver + S is a hit on craft and mom blogs—Amanda Blake Soule of Soule Mama notably stitches from her patterns. And on Flickr, there’s an Oliver + S group with 875 membersand nearly 3000 handsewn items photographed. “That’s the most fun part of what I do,” says Gibson. “Seeing people make the dresses, skirts, coats and shorts.”

For over ten years now, Gibson has been a longtime eBay user. “I go through stages,” she says. “I used to buy a lot of vintage Ralph Lauren clothing. There was a while where I was collecting hotel silverware. And I’m always looking for old Ferragamo spectator pumps.

“I sometimes look for inspiration for future patterns as well. I just bought a sewing book from the 1920s—I can’t wait 'til it arrives.” Gibson also uses eBay for Oliver + S trade shows. “All of our patterns have a name, so whenever we do a trade show we like to do a prop fit so there’s a visual memory. Last spring, I remember looking for vintage umbrellas and jump ropes. This year I was searching for a child-size violin. I didn’t want a real violin, just a prop. I wouldn’t know where to go to find something like that in New York City but on eBay you can find it—that’s what blows my mind!”

See what Liesl Gibson of Oliver + S is currently coveting:

Roll over items for details

Bonnie Cashin for Coach Swing Bag

“I adore vintage Coach by Bonnie Cashin, one of my favorite designers. This one even has her signature striped lining.”

(buy it now price, $355)

Eames DCW Herman Miller Chair

“... although, aesthetically, I prefer the DCW chair which wouldn't be as comfortable to sit on.”

(buy it now price, $500)

Cast Iron Model Woolworth Building
“I've always wanted to collect souvenir buildings, especially the Flatiron Building, where I used to work. But any vintage New York building would do.”
(buy it now price, $177)

Eames Aluminum Lounge Chair
“We want to replace the chair in our living room and I’ve been eyeing this classic Eames design ….”
(sold for $659)

French Linen Sheet Set with Handmade Lace
“Vintage linen sheets last forever and get softer with age.”
(buy it now price, $525)

Ferragamo Two-Tone T-Strap Pumps
“These spectator pumps are classic and gorgeous. Too bad they're not my size.”
(buy it now price, $150)

Four-Piece Oilily Soap in Ornamental Tins
“Someone gave me an Oilily soap in the company’s signature heart-shaped tin a few years ago, and it spawned a small collection for my daughter.”
(buy it now price, $44)

Large Lot of Mother of Pearl Vintage Buttons

“We're always running out of buttons for samples at the studio, and I'm forever stocking up on vintage mother-of-pearl buttons for some of our more classic designs.”

(buy it now price, $18)

15lb Lot of Vintage Buttons

“And these buttons would just be fun to play with. It would take a while to sort them by color, the way I like to organize buttons.”

(buy it now price, $495)

The Art of Dressmaking

by Buttrick (1927) (buy it now price, $24.95) “I just purchased a copy of this book. The illustrations are great, and it looks like it will include lots of useful sewing information as well.”

(buy it now price, $24.95)