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 have SO many pairs of Knotty Pants.  I tried to come up with a word that describes just how much I like them and even looked in a thesaurus.  I finally came upon the word ENCHANTED.    That's how I would describe how I feel about the Knotty pants.   I am ENCHANTED by them.  They are comfortable, they look good and all I want to do is wear them.  I *may* want to wear them  ALL.  THE.  TIME! So, when it was announced that there was going to be Kids Knotty Pants my daughter was extremely excited! Look at how AMAZING these are!     They can be "shorts; full length, wide leg hemmed pant; full length, tied hem pant...

Emerson and Maya...a match made in sewing heaven! Jennifer Jeremiah with Petite Stitchery did a beautiful job drafting both of these patterns.  As a tester, sometimes I get the opportunity to see glimpses of the process a designer takes in drafting a pattern.  The Emerson is one of those patterns.   Jennifer had a vision for the pattern, and it looked beautiful on her.  However, it wasn't coming across the same way when sewn by the testers.  So she performed some amazing "CPR" and out came a beautiful top!  She worked tirelessly to create the best pattern she could and I truly believe she did an excellent job! I adore the sleeves on this Emerson!  The sleeves can be made with a bell sleeve, a plain sleeve or up to three flounces.  While I really like all of the sleeves, my favorite is the bell sleeve! The fit of the Emerson is spot on and looks fantastic with the "V" in the front and the back of the shirt.  The V lends an ...

We live in Washington State. When most people think of Washington State, they think rainy and chilly. That's not the reality we live in though, we're on the other side of the state.   You know, where sunny, dry weather is the standard. While my kids have winter coats because we do get good gusts of wind through here that makes it cold, we just don't get the terribly cold weather.  In fact, I don't own a winter coat.  So, I (and most of my household) prefers to wear sweatshirts and hoodies during the winter rather than their coats.   They provide just enough warmth to keep me/us from being cold when I'm outside. So, I almost feel like an expert on judging hoodies/jackets.   Don't get me wrong though.   I'm only semi-pro, and that's because I've sewn 8 of them in the past three to four weeks! The Go To Jacket s by Patterns for Pirates fits the bill of being comfortable, warm enough to keep us from getting a chill...

It's not often I test for the Music Man.   He's pretty laid back about the whole process which is really nice!   He is however pretty picky about fabrics, what looks good together, how the garment fits and the overall style.   After he finished "shopping" and made his selection from the fabric I have in stock.  {Who am I kidding, fabric I have in stock?  More like the fabric I have in my stash!} He put the pattern together for me.  I put patterns together on a regular basis and so I often wonder how easy/hard patterns are to put together from a beginners opinion.  I figured if he messed up with it I could always reprint the pattern and put it together myself.   He did a great job assembling it and because it was for a test, he wouldn't put it together without me watching over him.  So, I sat by him as he glued the pieces together.   The only question he had when he was putting it together was "...

Oh Baby! Sewing for babies isn't normally something I do a lot of.  My "babies" are sadly quite a bit bigger than  typical babies.  But Patterns for Pirates gave me the chance to wade back into the baby sewing waters! And, oh how cute they are....the clothes AND the babies! I actually made a few more sets than I have pictures for, but sadly...sometimes disasters strike and ink + fabric not only makes a very sad looking top, but it makes a very sad (and possibly irritated mom).   I'm in the process of re-making that shirt for the sweet little boy. Anyway, back on topic. Patterns for Pirates has FOUR new patterns!  And, because they now have 75,000+ members...WOW!  That's A LOT of Pirates! And, to make it even better...They're FREE! That's right, FREE!                                               ...