Twinkle Toes and Company

{Please note that some of these links are affiliate links.  If you purchase something I have recommended, sewn etc. through those links I will receive a small percentage of compensation.  It helps me support my sewing "therapy" and the ability to review and test more patterns.} I could live in long tunic length tops and leggings.  Somehow though without some serious lengthening of a pattern I rarely get the length I love.  Don't get me wrong, I can lengthen a pattern with the best of them because I have come to face the reality that I'm half giant.  Go ahead and laugh, I'm either half giant or my parents fed me miracle grow when I was little.   Regardless of which is true, I have a REALLY long side waist and even longer legs.   So when I had the opportunity to make the Autumn Sweater by Halla, I jumped on it!   I'm a big fan of comfort and this absolutely falls into the comfort wear category! I have several ...

{Please note that some of these links are affiliate links.  If you purchase something I have recommended, sewn etc. through those links I will receive a small percentage of compensation.  It helps me support my sewing "therapy" and the ability to review and test more patterns.} Beautiful.  Stunning.  Gorgeous. These simple yet very meaningful words were uttered from my husbands mouth when he first saw me in my Runway Dress and then he asked if he needed to put his tux on so he could take me out to dinner.  My 16 year-old daughter asked me who I was planning on going to Prom with.  After I finished laughing, I offered to be her date for Prom.  HA! I've had this green Cotton Lycra and Embroidered Mesh for a looooong time.  My dress form  Anastasia got to "wear" the embroidered mesh for the entire time I've had the mesh.  (My kids think it's funny to "dress" her in my fabric).    My husband thought it would...

{Please note that some of these links are affiliate links.  If you purchase something I have recommended, sewn etc. through those links I will receive a small percentage of compensation.  It helps me support my sewing "therapy" and the ability to review and test more patterns.} On occasion I do pattern tests for those who aren't members of my family.   When I saw this pattern, I thought of Miss. E.  She is a confident, beautiful girl who does this pattern justice!   The 10K Racerback for Girls by Pickle Toe Patterns spent quite a bit of time in testing being perfected.   I really love how unique the 10K is, and how many options there are! It can be a top, tunic or dress length; tank or racerback; can have bands or bindings; be slim or loose fitting; and it's color blocked! To make it even better, it goes fantastic with the Circle Add-On Skirt (not pictured) I did the dress length for Miss. E. however, I didn't ...

{Please note that some of these links are affiliate links.  If you purchase something I have recommended, sewn etc. through those links I will receive a small percentage of compensation.  It helps me support my sewing "therapy" and the ability to review and test more patterns. T-shirts can be hard to come by for tall men.  Add in large shoulders or a big chest paired with a thinner waist and the fit goes out the window.   I've sewn quite a few Henley's or Raglan's for my guys, but until the Zesty Pickles Tee I hadn't actually sewn any patterns specifically for T-shirts.   The fit of the Zesty Pickles Tee is fantastic!  The Music Man has large shoulders and a large chest and then he tapers down into a sports cut size waist.  I was able to grade the pattern so that the Zesty Pickles Tee fit him really nicely.  It has a loose fit, but it isn't as loose as most shirts he buys ready to wear, nor is it as short; he's 5'1...

{Please note that some of these links are affiliate links.  If you purchase something I have recommended, sewn etc. through those links I will receive a small percentage of compensation.  It helps me support my sewing "therapy" and the ability to review and test more patterns.} I sew and test patterns A LOT, and so when I have a chance to sew something that's "for fun" I have a few go to designers and patterns. This last week as I was thinking about what I wanted to sew Pickle Toes Petra Taylor Ladies Tee kept peeking my interest.  I love Pickle Toes for my boys and youngest daughter, but I haven't sewn a lot of their adult clothing.  I had intentions of sewing all of the "adult" sized people in my house something new.  But of course life and illness got in the way. So, Miss. Opinionated Teen got to pick the fabrics I’ve been collecting (It’s not a bad thing if you call it a collection.   Hoarding is bad, collecting is acceptable.   Lo...

Comfortable clothes that look fantastic are what we live for in my house! When I apply to test patterns I typically run it by the person I'm applying to  test for.  I didn't even have to ask for this one.   All I had to ask was which fabric to use. So, she went "shopping" in my fabric stash and came up with this Harry Potter panel, some cozy French Terry and some cotton lycra. The Aspen by Peek A Boo is easy to assemble, and the tutorial was great to follow.  The pictures are detailed and the steps are well written.    Piping is optional and can be replaced by a strip of cotton lycra, which is the option I chose because then everything matched.  I'm a tad picky about everything coordinating...so is she! While I know some people have issues with a raglan sleeve being cut on the fold, I personally don't find it an issue with this pattern.  It doesn't really feel very "raglany" (is that a word??) to me. ...

The males in my life are getting A LOT of love right now! Pickle Toe Patterns is re-releasing their Dill Pickles Tee   with so many options! The pattern is on sale until Monday, September 18th !  It's not just a regular tee anymore!  We're talking long sleeves, short sleeves (both with banded options!), shirt length or tunic length (again, with banded options...who needs to hem?!?!),  a kangaroo pocket which is ALWAYS a favorite in my house and hood options.  Hood options?  That's right, you can line the hood (I chose that option.  See below pictures), you can hem the hood or you can band the hood!  I LOVE options!  And I love that I can change up each shirt to look different! To make it even better, this is a uni-sex pattern that has from size 2 to 22!  That means it'll fit up to my 15 year-old! That's A LOT of sizes!  To be able to buy one pattern with that many options to fit that many kids is a STEAL! It...