Twinkle Toes and Company

Sewing pants has always scared me just a little.   Not because I don’t think I have the skills, but rather because I’ve always heard that fitting them can be a nightmare.  (Note, I have sewn bottoms before.  However, never anything “woven with stretch.”) Let me tell you, that’s a MYTH! The Lazy Day Pants  are anything but difficult!   Miss. Opinionated Teen is not only short, but petite pants never fit her right.  They always drag on the ground no matter what size I buy her. So, after a lengthy discussion about fabric choices and whether or not the pants I would make would look “homemade” and geeky (she was assured they wouldn’t look either), I entered the world of sewing pants. I used the information from Closet Case Patterns  to help get them to fit her just right. I wasn’t too sure at first how she would feel about the pockets on the front of the pants.  As it turns out she has VERY strong feelings about women’s clothing not being fully functional

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it’s off to sew I go! This test was..... Oh....So....COZY! That’s right folks, with fall setting in; it’s time to embrace the warmth of Hoodies, long sleeves, pants and everything else that comes with the season! So, without further adieu I introduce the  MEGA MEENA HOODIE . This hoodie is AMAZING!  Very rarely do I find a top that I don’t have to alter by adding length in.  And guess what....I didn’t have to add anything to this baby!  I know I’ve said it before, but I’m tall.  The Mega Meena with nothing added is long enough that I feel comfortable wearing it around with just leggings (and I’m not really a legging without a knee length dress kind of a gal).  Seriously, this thing is fabulous!   I know I have a tendency to like the patterns I test, and that could be because I test for the designers I like.  However, this pattern is so comfortable!  Just ask my dog Finn, he and I got all cuddly on the couch to take a nap.  Well, I wa

The Kourtney Knot Pattern by Made for Mermaids has achieved Rock Star Status in my home this last week!  So much, that I will be including the following warning label on the manila envelope I store the pattern in : WARNING:  The Kourtney Knot Top, Tunic & Dress MAY (READ:  WILL) cause Dancing! Your child may not be able to control the need to dance.    When I was choosing which options to test, I had Miss. Thang look at both the pocket and the knot, and she decided she needed both. I'm blaming the Knot for the dancing.  It brings out a sassy side that has the desire to move.....A LOT!   The moment Miss. Thang stepped out of the car to take pictures, she started dancing.  She tried her very hardest to stifle that dancing, but then the Chicken Dance escaped.  After that happened, her sister and I embraced the dancing and joined in.  I'm sure we all looked a tad crazy! I was so grateful for my camera's ability to do continuous shooting! Without that fea

I’m always on the look out for the perfect shirt, and the designer who takes their time making sure everything is perfect. A friend of mine has tested for Max & Meena before and has talked about how she takes her time making sure everything fits correctly in every size.  And, I had the opportunity to be added to the testing for the Neapolitan Tee testing towards the end of the process.  And it’s true.   Jamie at Max & Meena made sure everything was perfect!   As someone who sews A LOT, I’m very grateful for her thorough process .  I know I can buy her patterns and get a pattern that has had the flaws worked out.  I can buy with confidence. Now the shirt! I have seen so many of these color blocked shirts around!   I actually made two of them, but didn’t manage to get pictures of my other shirt.   This is such a great sew!  I added 1” to the top of the bodice (right where the feet fabric meets the map fabric) and then 1.5” to the hemline.  I’m tall

I have a Little Red Headed Girl.   She's our youngest and therefore a tad spoiled.   She is one of my favorite photographic models and I love to sew for her because she gushes over everything I make for her.   It buoys my self esteem.....a lot.   On occasion though, I stun her. The brand new Practical Princess pattern from Peek-A-Boo Patterns is a dress that gave me the occasion to stun her! Ever since she was little, she has loved Merida from the movie Brave.  She has red hair and it’s curly just like Merida (although not quite as curly as Merida’s), so in her opinion she should always be Merida. The testers who were testing "Princesses" dresses/peplums were given the freedom to "hack" away.  And I did!  I was lucky enough to test the pattern for “Merida”!  (*Note:  if you’d like to read how I hacked the sleeves and the neckline please see the end of the post....I’ve put the instructions there.) I had enough teal cotton lycra to do