english paper piecing

Hi fellow enthusiasts of Oliver + S patterns! This is Lisa from @sewwhatyoulove. For today’s project, I decided to showcase a unique twist on the classic Ice Cream Dress by incorporating EPP elements. It’s a beautiful blend of quilting and garment sewing that I think you’ll love.

Before I got hooked on quilting, I spent most of my sewing time making dresses for my girls. One day, I thought, why not combine my passion for quilting with my love for clothing? By adding quilt-inspired details to garments, I’ve found a whole new avenue for creativity. I hope you’ll join me in experimenting with your own designs!

What You’ll Need:

• EPP papers (I used pre-cut papers from “Tales of Cloth”).
• Fabric scraps or fat quarters for the EPP sections, plus yardage for the rest of the dress.
• Hand quilting thread—choose a color that blends well with your fabrics.
• Lightweight fusible interfacing.
• A glue stick (if you glue baste, like I do).
• Fabric scissors or a rotary cutter, along with a ruler.
• A hand quilting needle.
• Paper scissors.
• An iron.
• A sewing machine (for assembling the dress).
• Pins.

To start, decide which view of the dress you’d like to work with and which parts you’d like to embellish with EPP. I went with View C, the blouse-length version of the dress, including the optional matching pockets. I chose to paper piece both the yoke and the pockets.

Lay your chosen pattern pieces flat on a table and cover them with your EPP papers. Pre-cut papers are a dream—they let you experiment with different layouts until you’re completely satisfied. Once you’ve finalized your design, it’s time to baste your pieces together. I use glue basting, but feel free to use whatever method works best for you. If you’re new to basting, there are tons of helpful videos on YouTube to guide you through the process.

Tip: Before starting to baste, snap a quick photo of your layout. This can serve as a reference if things get jumbled during the process.

Once your pieces are basted, it’s time to stitch them together. Start connecting the individual EPP pieces using a small, even stitch. It’s a meditative process, but incredibly rewarding when completed.

After stitching all the pieces together, check if they still fit your original pattern piece. If necessary, add additional EPP pieces to complete the design.

Once everything aligns properly, carefully remove the papers and press the piece with an iron. Celebrate—you’ve conquered the toughest part!

Next, trace the outlines of your yoke and pocket pattern pieces onto lightweight fusible interfacing and attach it to the wrong side of your pieced fabric. This step ensures your design stays crisp and prevents distortion.

Pro Tip: When working with fusible interfacing, I recommend pressing instead of ironing directly. This helps maintain the integrity of the interfacing.

Cut along the outer edge of the fused interfacing, and voilà—your EPP highlights are ready to be incorporated into the dress.

Congratulations—you’ve created something truly special that everyone will adore!

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions while trying this technique. I’d love to help!

I’ve also experimented with this technique on other Oliver + S patterns, like the Hide-and-Seek Dress and the Music Box Jumper. As you can see, the possibilities are endless! I’m already brainstorming ideas for matching Christmas dresses. Sewing really opens up so many creative doors.

Happy sewing to you!

With gratitude,

xoxo Lisa

For more inspiration on yoke designs, check out our Ten Yoke Tutorials post.

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