Tester - The Peggy Swim Cap from Filles a Maman Patterns!

I am an absolute fan of Melanie, of Filles a maman patterns. Mel has a wonderful sense of design, with a modern, chic outlook. She primarily speaks French, although her patterns are available in both English and French. Her store is beautiful, I must say, with patterns for men, women, boys and girls. There are also a few free patterns!

One such free pattern, releasing today, is the Peggy Swim Cap.

 Have you ever gotten frustrated with your kiddo's hair getting in their eyes when you're at the pool? The Peggy Swim Cap is tied under the chin and is fully lined.

It's a very easy, super quick sew with a few cool tips to handle swimsuit fabric along the way. Best of all, it's free! And tested by yours truly! He he. 

The matching swimsuit is from Cole's Creations, the CCC's Bowalicious Suit. That is a review all of its own. 

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Tester - Greenstyle Inspire Tights!

GreenStyle Creations is a brilliant pattern company. The patterns are modern and stylish, yet easy and fun to both sew and wear. There is a nice variety of men's, women's and kids' wear, with their Centerfield Raglan and Brassie Joggers being my all-time favorites. I do have my eye on the Taylor Shorts and Jillian Tank which I will probably buy at full price - these patterns are really worth it!

The Inspire Tights are very comfortable. That's what was foremost in the minds of us testers, and the designer who is very fit herself. We worked with the pattern over and over, until the tights didn't slip even once over a full, grueling workout for most of the sizes. The instructions were tweaked, the hidden pocket was added (I love pockets), the rise was adjusted for larger hips and big bellies like mine - I can honestly say these are comprehensively tested, because none of us "phoned it in" - like Jillian Michaels says.

I had the most fun buying fabric for the tights. The Fabric Fairy's extensive swimsuit fabric collection sucked me in and stole my heart. The fabric in these pics is called Euphoric, That's how I feel in them, Inspired and Euphoric. I went out and bought an elliptical machine the day I made these tights. I swear. I just have to make a few more pairs so I can actually work out!

I also had a blast posing for these photos. Obviously, I have very little idea of exercise, but I did what I could distantly remember about working out :) 

The Inspire Tights have a few great options that includebasic tights, back of knee inserts, front angled inserts, back angled inserts (or both at the same time), an athletic crotch gusset, and  a hidden waistband pocket.  The length options are capri (shown), cropped, regular and extra long I believe,

GreenStyle Creations Inspire Tights

Sizes Included: XXS to 3XL
Skill Level: Confident Beginner and Up
Pattern Features: PDF Instant Download, Layered Sizes, No Trim Pages, A4 and Large Format available upon request

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Tester: Fresh Stitch Patterns - Testing The Overlap T-Shirt and Harem 3/4 Pants!

I've always been intrigued by tees and onesies that overlap at the shoulder. The resulting boat neckline is very cute, and has great coverage for babies that burn easily (like mine). Fresh Stitch Patterns is releasing these cute patterns this week (and are on sale right now), the Overlap T-shirt and the Harem 3/4 pants, and I was chosen to participate in testing them. You can buy the combination of  both patterns for an even deeper discount here.

The T-shirt is easy to sew, with plenty of style and the cute boat neckline which is great for big toddler heads. It's not a fitted top, so there is room to grow. There are two sleeve options, full and short. There is also an option for a banded hem that is great for adding length if you need it.

The Harem pants take about an hour from start to finish, and the directions are so clear even a beginner can make these in one sitting. The drop crotch makes cloth diapering easier, while the elastic waist keeps the bulk down. These pants would make great gender neutral gifts at baby showers!

 The Harem pants are really easy to play in, too. Here you can see Miki squatting, a pose she manages with ease, She spends a lot of time sitting like that, and not once did her pants ride down! The pic below shows how much ease there is, and I do think that that's what kiddy play clothes should be - easy.

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Thoughts on Being a Tester

I've recently applied to be a pattern tester for a few designers, which I really doubt I will be chosen for. My photo skills are rusty, since photographing jewelry is totally different from great clothing pictures with a very unwilling and fast model like Miki. My sewing skills are quite good but again, no real proof since I haven't got photo proof. Catch-22, huh?

But ya know what? I'm really, really good at photographing jewelry. See?

These are photos from my etsy jewelry store, which I moved on from when I had Miki. I still have some inventory, though, I should probably start wearing it now!

In the meantime, here are a couple of fabric combinations I want to plan for in the next few weeks. Yay! But seriously, please send me good vibes that I get a pattern testing gig as soon as possible!! I really want to collaborate with designers and be a part of this fabulous world, not just a spectator.

Both sets of fabrics are from Hobby Lobby.

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