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.} 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.} Sewing for teen boys is really hit or miss.   I always thought it would be my girls who would be the hard ones to sew for.  They have always been the pickier ones as far as clothing options are concerned. Then my oldest son hit his teen years.  And he discovered girls which lead to the discovery of mirrors and a sudden desire to look dashing and debonair.  The days of clothing him in bowties on Sunday morning quickly flew out the window.  While I appreciate his new found love for styling his hair and smelling good, I'm a tad sad I can't clothe him in cuter boy clothes anymore. It's difficult to find good patterns for older boys who aren't quite big enough to ...

{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...

{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.} My kids seem to go through pants, shorts, capri's etc. like they're made out of paper.   They either hit a growth spurt and all of the sudden are waiting for flood or they come home from an activity or playing outside with holes in the knees.   It doesn't matter how often I buy them pants,  it always happens!   So, one of my goals this year is to make the kids pants.  If I can make them to fit their skinny frames perhaps I can keep up with their growth spurts/crawling around/sports accidents.   You can stop laughing.  Logically I know that won't happen, but if I can realistically make  a pair or two when they need them ...

{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.}   This last fall I had the opportunity to do a pretest  for the Perfect Play Henley.  Just the pretest version has become my younger three kids favorite shirt.  *NOTE*: this is the pretest version.   They love that they can "match" and yet not look identical at the same time.  I love that I can add some extra details and make it "girly" for my very girly daughter and "cool" for the high schooler who typically wouldn't be caught dead in mom-made clothes.  He actually wears this top regularly.  When he first wore it to school he kept getting asked what store he got it at because it was so "cool"!  I *may* have been a tad bit tickled that he was ...

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 wome...

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...