What to wear, a rebuttal.

Gonna have to argue with Xan's last post regarding adult skating wear. Black? Modesty? Where am I, Afghanistan?

Weekdays I wear pants. I have a pair of black and a pair of purple velvet. The velvets look great (OMG they are NOT BLACK!) but they have to be cleaned before I wear them out as they attract cat hair. Lots. Of Cat Hair. But after reading this post, I have a sudden and fierce urge to burn every pair of black skating pants I have and never again make another pair. I wear pants not out of any "modesty" but because I practice at ungodly hours of the morning. I don't have the luxury of sensible practice hours, and in the winter I'd wear my jeans over them. I need something I can get on in the dark, and something I can get out of fast to put on my day clothes and get going. Often I'm in a "normal" shirt so I can skip that step when I'm doing my quick change after practice. My jacket is black only because I paid $6 for it at a resale shop. After reading this post, I'm stepping up the search for a colored jacket, and I do have a purple shrug and white shrug for summer.

Which isn't to say I don't rock dresses and skirts. I just save those for the weekends which are more leisurely. I like wearing skirts. It's rare for me to actually get to wear them in real life, because the days I do, I usually end up in the shop, doing shop-type work which is completely incompatible with skirts. Wearing a skating dress or skirt, I can actually feel feminine for a change. I made a practice dress, a few skirts and a leotard. I own one prefab leotard, given to me by my friends at IDS. And wow, does that backline plunge! Sorry, Xan! (No, not sorry.)

Also, I made a pair of burgundy boot covers which I will wear with my black pants (OMG they DO NOT MATCH), and also with my jeans when I am a Rink Guard.

My ice show dress, which was the first true skating dress I made for myself, broke a whole slew of Xan's modesty rules for adults. It was black, because we were told to wear black, (ADULTS MUST WEAR BLACK) but:
It was really short. I mean, short. It rode a good few inches above that mid-thigh. It covered me, but if I did any good extension I'd be showing my ass. The one I literally ran off in before dawn in single digit temperatures.
It had a keyhole back. My back and shoulders were proudly on display. I worked hard for that muscle.
It showed some cleavage. I have cleavage. I had experimented with a supportive inner layer, and had some success. I'll know how to do it better next time, to avoid the Bra Conundrum. Two words: Halter Top. (How's that backline holding up? Ha, puns!)

All these Fashion Rules, written and unwritten, regarding Adult Skating have a theme: Be plain. Be unobtrusive. Skating clothes are for skaters, you're not a skater. Blend in. Black only. For pity's sake, cover up. No one wants to see that. Modesty! The judges like modesty? Well, as every coach I've ever conversed with regardng adult skating is so very fond of pointing out, it's not like we're going to the Olympics. If I hear one more Olympic joke I may snap. They're not funny.

Treating other people's bodies, or your own body for that matter, as disgusting things that do not belong on display is the worst form of body policing. And no, I don't know anything about skating, and if knowing about skating means engaging in fat shaming then I don't want to. Leave me to my practice and stop educating me on this ridiculous culture.

By all means, wear what you're comfortable in. But to be perfectly frank, this habit of Adults practicing in weird amalgamations of workout wear or jeans makes me insane. We're not running, doing yoga or playing tennis. We're skaters and we're skating. They make skatewear in adult sizes, and if it's not what you like or can afford, it's simple enough to make.

http://www.jalie.com/jalie3136-skating-dance-leotard-sewing-pattern.html

This is my pick of leotard/practice dress pattern at the moment. It's not ideal. The binding on the neckline is a total pain in the ass, and I skip it if it's just a practice dress. Also bear in mind Jalie patterns tend to run a scoche small, so make it in a size larger than your measurements if you've got anything less than a 75% four way stretch fabric. Leotards are fun, but be sure to pee before you get them on. My dress is cotton teal with unfinished elbow length sleeves and a gray skirt. The leotard I made is in a red organic bamboo fabric (I splurged on that one) and my IDS leotard is bright purple. To give myself a lining, I've simply been basting in illusion/liner fabric where I've felt it's needed.

http://www.jalie.com/jalie3025-skating-dance-skirts.html

Here is a collection of skirt patterns. I've made the full in a burgundy and the A-Line in a lightweight gray for summer. In fact, I have some yardage of *RED* velvet I found on the remnant table to make a new one. I find I prefer the A-Line. I'm simply too squared off physically to pull off a full or froufy skirt without looking silly. (Picture a Clydesdale in a feathered halter.) These go together fast, but again, Jalie runs them small. Make it a size bigger if you're unsure, you can always take it in. I did not make the long one out of principle. To make the skirt longer to your preference, simply draw the tracing out three to four inches on the length. If you can't freehand it, move the tracing paper itself.

http://www.jalie.com/jalie2920-leggings-sewing-pattern.html

This is my pants pattern. Attach the stirrup bottom sans hole for length, and cut it 2" - 3" wider than the pattern on both sides, starting at the mid-calf level so the bottom goes over the skate boot. I'm not trying to make my legs look longer, I'm trying to make my feet look smaller. A toe peeping out seems less bulky than a whole boot on the end of my leg. I'll also add elastic around the bottom of the leg, to ensure it stays on the boot and doesn't ride up.

Kwik Sew makes an assortment of leotard patterns, but I tried two of those and hated them both. Kwik Sew may be fast, but they run really big and fit poorly. I made the first one and vowed never to eat again before I realized the pattern was at fault. I mentioned it to a costumer friend and he rolled his eyes at the mention of Kwik Sew. That having been said, I do like their wrap skirt pattern. Not a lot of fitting required there.

As for Fabric, you don't have to go black. We're not in mourning and we have nothing to hide. Yes, black is slimming, but red can set off your amazing complexion, blue can bring out your eyes, purple can set off your hair, neon green can make sure you get right of way, you get the idea. You're more than a shape, and anyone decrying that you don't look like a skater can get bent. (They're usually in the stands anyway, nursing their lattes and being judgey. Besides, the ones in their expensive clean running shoes, ill fitting yoga pants and massive Louis Vitton hobos posit a bigger fashion disaster than I ever could in a skating dress.) There is a vast selection of fabric in color and pattern at Spandex World. Go Red, Burgundy, Purple, Blue, Teal, Gray. Wear what you want. If these little girls can practice in pajama bottoms (seen it!) and skanky booty shorts, we can dare to wear color. The performance Spandex works well for pants, and cotton spandex makes a good warm leotard that breathes. At $8 to $12 a yard, and one 60" yard yielding a pair of pants, full skirt or leotard for an average size person, it's not that expensive to experiment.

To test for stretch, take the pattern with you and use the handy diagram on the back. It MUST stretch as far as they say in ALL FOUR directions. If you're buying online, the description will tell you 2-way or 4-way stretch, and the company should send you samples on request.

I had the priviledge of exhibiting at a dance tradeshow with IDS, a company that makes Ballet wear, and they are the main supplier for American Ballet Theatre. Across the aisle from us was a large booth selling a healthy array of booty shorts and crop tops in various neons and spangles. If you wanted, you could have things printed across the butt. (And I don't care what the letters are, it says, "LOOK AT MY BUTT.") Crop tops had anything from "DANCE" to "BRING IT" emblazoned on them.

I mentioned to the VP of Customer Relations at IDS that Booty Shorts were coming into vogue at the skating rink, and she shook her head. "If a real ballet student were to show up in those shorts, she'd be asked to leave."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. No serious student of dance wears anything like that," she had this great crisp British accent. "It's tawdry. Unprofessional." And she pointed to the solid color leotards and gorgeous matching wrap skirts and cardigans her company sold to ABT as the *standard uniform* of the school. Yes, a uniform, and not in the "everyone else has this so I must, too" way. **cough*Chloe Noel*cough** "It sets the tone," she explained. "You're in the right mindset to be serious. Not cutesy. You're there to work, not goof off in playclothes." Say it like Mary Poppins and it becomes an imperative. We talked a lot about costuming and booty shorts, and as a parting gift I got my purple leotard.

The kind VP from IDS is right. Just like the right suit can make you confident enough to speak in a big meeting, the right cocktail dress makes you poised to make a good impression, or the right shoes can help you to kick ass when warranted (I own two pairs of such heels. Look out when I wear them.) Wearing true skating clothing can help put you in the right state of mind. When my mind drifts to office problems or the housework I need to do, I just have to catch a glimpse of myself in the glass, looking like a skater and it brings me back. The real plus side of skating in actual skating clothing and not running clothes is that it's not so foreign when you do have to wear that "real" dress. You've already encountered and solved a lot of those logistical problems Xan brings up.

Unfortunately for my first "real" skating dress, it got a good bloodstain from where I fell and cut my chin open. As I'm terribly superstitious, I don't like to wear anything with physical memories of a bad accident. If I can't get the stain out, it may just be a pretty souvenir. Along with my chin scar. As for my Dignity, I apparently sacrificed most of that when I decided to strap on skates at 35. The rest I usually lose somewhere between mile 2, splits attempts, and crashing into the ground on "isolated rotations" during my off-ice mornings. I can sometimes find it again in the puddle of sweat I leave on my mat after crunches and hamstring/piriformis stretches. But I'd rather have my ice packs over my dignity anyway.

Wear what you damn well please.

What does Stitch Think?

It's hard for me to comment back on the posts, but thanks for all the encouragement. Last night we hit Public Ice on Thursday for the first time in ages, and I actually made a concerted effort at practicing. I did crossovers until my legs were sore, stroking with my free leg back and not to the side, and backwards half pumps. Towards the end of the session, I got really brave and tried backwards stroking and T-stops. (Holding the wall... does that count?) I want to go back tonight.

Stitch enjoys just playing around, and he was all over the place. He made snow with his friends, ate ice cream, and harassed Rink Pal.

On the way home, I felt pretty good about what I'd done. "What do you think?" I asked him. "Think I could do this?"
"Maybe," he was unsure.
"Doesn't seem too hard. Just a lot of practice. Maybe I could be doing back crossovers by the end of summer. Maybe I could compete someday."
He borked. "You? Compete?"
"Sure. Why not? Other adults do it."
"Uuuh, okay..." He really didn't know about this idea.
"Think I could look good in a skating dress?" I polished off that thought with *after you drop about thirty pounds* in my head.
"Please don't do that," I could hear his dread.
"Why?"
"Because that would be embarassing."

On this point, I have to agree with him. I'll need to come up with something reasonable to skate in.

Crystal Blue Persuasion

It's common knowledge that you can't do Figure Skating without Sparkle. The more elaborate, unique, blinged out thing you're wearing, the better. Freestyle dresses have been turned away by Coach because they were not sparkly enough.

But Sparkle isn't cheap. Go online shopping for a figure skating dress, and you'll fast learn that the more crystal a dress has, the price goes up exponentially. A common practice in the Skating Universe is to buy a prefab dress and stone it yourself.

In the not-so-distant past, you could Crystal just about anything using The Device Which Shall Not Be Named. I have only found a few people willing to admit that they owned The Device Which Shall Not Be Named, because ownership of said Device seems to carry a cultural imperative that you create a denim jacket with a unicorn motif.



Nowadays, we use Flatback Crystal and some form of Glue.

Where do you get Crystal? Does it have to be Swarovski? How much do you need to buy, and what color? And most importantly, how do you stick it on the dress?

As it so happens, I've been in the thick of a few projects that are heavy on the Crystal, in addition to stoning a few dresses for my fellow skating parents. So, let's talk about the Crystal Mysteries.

Swarovski, as I've stated before, is quite possibly the most commonly known crystal around. Swarovski used to limit itself to crystal knicknacks, stemware and commercial jewelry, but then it discovered that hoardes of amatuer jewelers like myself were buying up old costume jewelry and prying out the stones to create our own things. (The old style round stones in sew-on metal settings were terrible.) So, Swarovski, smart company that it is, moved in to accommodate us, and now there is a vast array of beads and gems under the Swarovski Elements line.

Firstly, Swarovski Crystal is not a true crystal like quartz or tourmaline or amethyst. It's just leaded glass with a high refractive index, finely cut like a traditional gemstone. But when you facet leaded glass, the results are stunning.

You can buy Swarovski Elements any number of internet vendors, or even a local bead store. Bead stores, however, are more likely to carry bicone and cube shapes, and not the flatbacks needed for costuming. I've found the most unique shapes and cuts on Artbeads, and when I need common cuts and colors I just go to Fire Mountain. Keep your eyes open, always be shopping, always price compare.

Crystal Colors
What color you choose is dictated by the garment. When I'm making Jewelry, I steer clear of A/B (rainbow) Coatings as I find they look chintzy. But for Costuming, they look pretty good. I'd say the most common crystal I see is an A/B Coated one, but don't limit yourself. Swarovski offers an incredible array of colors, coatings, and foilbacked stones. Look around. Spend a little money to experiment. See what others are doing. Collaborate.

Crystal Sizes
Coming from Jewelry, I'm used to measuring my stones in millimeters, but apparently costume design uses some kind of arbitrary numbering system. I found this image, with the various stones and their size numbers next to a US Penny, which clears things up.

I've never gone larger than 5mm. In the right color, a 5mm can pop with just as much drama as a larger stone, and they are cheap.

What truly staggers me is that the only shape of Crystal I see out there is round. Did you know Swarovski makes a wide variety of shapes and facets in the Flatback Style? Doubtless, once you drop below a certain size, no one will know if it's a snowflake shape or a round shape from forty feet away, but all the same, I would imagine it would be fun to have a different crystal style than everyone else. Check out Artbeads' Swarovski Resource Page for colors, wire diagrams, shapes, sizes and a glossary of terms!

Snowflakes in a Rivoli Cut, 5mm AB Coat

About Hotfix
I've never used Hotfix, mostly because I'm too cheap to buy a seperate implement for the express purpose of gluing crystal, but also because I fear burning my projects. I'm not alone in my fear. If you have experience with Hotfix, please speak up!

Gluing them on.
Most people, I've found, use some incredibly toxic and annoying substance called E6000. I personally cannot stand this stuff. It's impossible to work with because the tubes are so much larger than the stones themselves, and you end up squirting way too much adhesive on everything. Or if you try squirting a set amount of E6000 into a dish and try using a toothpick or some other tiny pokey thing to poke the adhesive onto the place you want to glue, you drag tendrils of adhesive all over the garment. And you can kiss that dish goodbye, because E6000 is instantaneously permanent as all hell. Then you have E6000 all over your fingers for at least three days, from trying to wipe away the tendrils. I find E6000 to be the most unforgiving substance in the universe, and since I make tons of mistakes, I use something different.

I use Rosco Crystal Gel. Even Rosco found this surprising. Take a tablespoon of Crystal Gel, put it in a sandwich bag. Nip off the end and voila! Piping bag. Pipe a small dab of the Gel onto the spot you want a crystal. You can even let it sit for awhile, because unlike E6000, Crystal Gel does not start to set instantaneously. You have about five minutes.

I use tweezers to drop stones onto the Gel, and then I give them a little tap on the head to squish them into the Gel. If a little seeps up onto the side of the stone, don't fret. It dries completely clear. If you accidentally smudge the gel, you can wipe it away quickly with a wet washcloth, as the Gel is water soluble. (Unlike the Evil E6000.) Wash your implements before the Gel dries.

In a half hour, the Gel should be dry enough that you can pick up the garment. In 24 hours, the Gel will have cured completely.

I have used Crystal Gel successfully for the past year to adhere crystal to knits, spandex, fleece, stretch velvet and canvas. Because Crystal Gel offers a degree of flexibility, it doesn't seem to mind when the fabric underneath it stretches.

I have also never used Gemtack. If you have some Gemtack experience, speak up!

Do not use Hot Glue. Hot Glue is simply plastic that melts at a low temperature, and if it sticks to anything then you've found the exception to the rule. I got over Hot Glue in the early Nineties, you should, too.

Crystal will fall off. No matter what you use, you will have a failure rate. Even my prized Cherri Chau Crystal Barrette, advertised as being the only crystalled jewelry that would never lose a stone, has a few bare spots. Buy 10% additional stones to cover for failures. Check the garment before and after wearing to see if you've lost anyone. Have a moment of silence for the MIA and Presumed Dead stones, and replace as needed.

Consider Crystal on a Garment as you would Icing on a Cake. The right amount tastes wonderful, but too much or too little is ruinous. Fifty well placed stones can do so much more than a hundred just thrown scattershot at a dress. Make a drawing, lay out the stones before you commit with glue, sleep on it and collaborate with your fellow seamstresses.

Have fun. Don't be afraid to mess up. My beading Stash is replete with failed projects. Without failing, how will you learn what works?

I did it.

Today I sewed the pants. With a zipper, and belt loops. Stitch tried them on, and there is at least six months of growth room in them provided he doesn't shoot up and around more than three inches. It actually wasn't so bad. I took my time, followed the instructions, set everything out precisely as the pictures showed, drank some wine and I have to say that when I flipped it all out, it was magic. Who knew?

I'm ready to head to the fabric store tomorrow to get some stuff and make practice pants. All his practice pants are getting too short, and I'm feeling gutsy.

Happy New Year

Last night I was sitting with Stitch and playing with Legos when I remembered some contraband in the high cabinet above the fridge. I beckoned Stitch to put on his shoes and coat, and come with me to "take down the recycling." I shoved a nondescript white bag and a box of matches in his hands, I grabbed the bottles and other crap, and down we went into the gangway. We lit old Firework Tanks until we heard sirens and raced back upstairs, laughing. Once the commotion died down, we went down again, this time with the old "party poppers" I bought a case of one year for some reason. I still have four tanks.

We all made it to midnight, playing rounds of dominoes and Scrabble. Stitch is still learning the art of Scrabble, so we play without points for now. And I watched in extreme pleasure as Stitch lost to his Dad with humor and grace. We've certainly come a long way.

Had anyone told me last New Year that Stitch would be on a path to becoming a competitive figure skater, I would have laughed my ass off. Stitch couldn't make it through a game of Connect Four without throwing down the pieces and storming off at the first indication of loss. Stitch would wail and cry at papercuts. He'd cringe in the shadow of the high jungle gyms at the playground. If someone made a snotty remark, he'd want to go home, and he'd wallow in his sadness for days. All his friends had neat things that were unique to them. Stitch, well, Stitch had no niche. And he knew it. He watched his friends do their swimming, their soccer, their baseball, and when I asked him if he would like to try, he always said a sad no. Perhaps it's for the best, I thought. Things like determination, courage, and competitiveness were just not things I saw in my son. I knew he was smart, I knew he had some potential, but I didn't know of any way to get him out of his self-imposed shell.

All of this changed. It's like night and day.

Now, when he loses, he sets his lip and tries again. When he's hurt, he brushes it off. When someone makes a snarky comment, he rolls his eyes and walks away. He's at the top of those scary jungle gyms. And when things aren't going his way and he's had enough, I can see those tears at the edges of his eyes and that firm look that says he's trying not to let them fall. (This is actually kind of sad.) Stitch has come 180 since last year, and it all started in March with that first Pre-Alpha skating lesson, when he fell and got back up.

Stitch isn't just on his way to being a great skater, he's on his way to owning himself as a whole person. This is what I care about, not the medals. Stitch isn't afraid anymore to show off his knowledge of science in school, he's not shy about his quirky sense of humor, he's.... he's just... grown.

To say I'm proud of Stitch is a gross understatement. I want to hold him aloft a la Rafiki in the Lion King, "Isn't he the coolest kid ever??" All this means more to me than any medal, anywhere.

I do consider what will happen if/when he decides to stop skating. It's become such a facet of our lives that we'll have a gap for awhile. I'll be fine, just give me something shiny to play with. (Swarovski Rivolis are a sure win. I like the green/pink foilbacks.)What matters to me is that Stitch has gotten so much out of it in such a short time.

The family is convinced that he is the next Evan. I don't care about any of that, really. Would it be cool? Sure, but what's really important is that Stitch learns this most important character lesson:

I made a resolution last night. I can fund the skating by selling boy's skatewear. Two or three shirts a month will be plenty to cover it at the moment, and the rest will go into savings. I'm getting my sewing machine today, the nice new high-test one, putting the word out and going on My Skating Mall. As Prepschool, Richie Rich and now Gordon are certain to be competing, then that's a solid customer base for a PreStyle skater. I've also decided to switch from beadweaving to bead embroidery. Everyone and their dog can do a right angle weave (but I have to say that I do a killer cubical right angle weave), and as such I can't do much with the jewelry. But I love shiny things, and skaters love shiny things, so $10 per hour for bead embroidery work. Includes design. (I am partial to Native American.)

Happy New Year, Skating Universe. 

Equipment Issues, Ice Show, The Escape Artist

Stitch loves to T-stop. Loves to T-stop endlessly on his right foot. He's not Snowplow stopping anymore unless he's trying to snowplow someone, so all stops are now t-stops.

As a result, his right skate boot is soaked by the end of any skating session. I've noticed it, and I'm concerned. I asked Rink Pal if this would pose a problem, and he seemed to think that since Stitch would outgrow the boots within a year anyway, it probably wouldn't matter. I'm still worried, as now the sole of the right boot seems permanently discolored. I take them out of the skate bag, pull off the soakers and set them out to dry, but all this water does seem to be doing some damage.

Worst case scenario, the sole could crack and not hold the screws, making the blade loose. Should the blade come loose when Stitch is pulling his terrifying galloping or jogging act, that would be disastrous. I've noticed that his Right Foot is also the foot he's picking to do one-foot spins on, so that sole has got to remain solid as he and Coach start working on those.

I called the skate shop and arranged for a sharpening this weekend. I'll ask them to take a look at that sole and let me know what needs to be done, if anything. This situation ranks right up there with going to the mechanic or the dentist, because I'm well aware that the worst case will be costly.

In the meantime, I'll be begging Stitch to please t-stop on the left foot for awhile.

Last night was Ice Show rehearsal. Richie Rich's mom and dad hovered by the window, with Mom in her furs gliding in to take a picture every now and then. We hovered by the window for awhile until Stitch began glaring at me and making hand signs that he didn't want to be watched. Dad and I had been dismissed! So we stood back and chatted with Rink Pal and Ice Dad (whose kid just qualified to compete in Junior Nationals in Ice Dance.) Ice Dad looks like a deer in the headlights, it's kind of fun.

Later on, two moms joined in, and we talked about costumes. I mentioned the requirement that boys supply their own black pants, and how I'd made Stitch's pants out of a peachskin suede that was nice.

"You can make them?" one mom asked.

"Uh, yeah."

"Can you make some for us?"

"Sure. Bring me the materials, and I'll charge you twenty bucks for labor." I gave her  list of the supplies I'd need, and to check in with me Saturday at next rehearsal. Without even thinking, I'd made forty bucks. I'll measure the boys Saturday, but they're roughly the same size as Stitch.

Stitch wanted to go back to public skate to play. So we ran out for a quick dinner, and ran back to the rink so Stitch could gallop and fly free for awhile. He showed dad his hops, and he spun whenever the girls vacated the center. (I keep telling him he can go center whenever, but those girls are sort of annoying.)  I meandered the rink, went and sat with Speedskating Mom and watched her boy practice for awhile. They have a meet in March that everyone will be at! I noted the time, and then went back to the small rink. I held up my scrolling sign on my phone at Dad: "HOMEWORK."  Time to go.

If you've never seen two grown men attempt to corner and pin a small boy who is remarkably quick on ice skates, you're missing something. Stitch darted and sped off, escaping Dad and Rink Pal with squeals of laughter. Finally Rink Pal cornered him, and Dad grabbed him. Stitch grabbed his skate blade, peeled off some ice and tossed it up at Dad. I was in hysterics.

Rink Pal said goodbye, and "see you this weekend." Ice Show rehearsal is every Saturday from now until Showtime. (Stitch also has a lesson Saturday morning before rehearsal.)

I came home and put Stitch's nose to the grindstone on homework. Three tries to get it right, and sent him to bed. I just about finished the Gunther Gabel Williams shirt, all that's left are some snaps. (Dad insists that this is a misnomer, Gunther Gabel Williams didn't wear shirts.) I'll start cutting the black shirt tonight. Perhaps I can sell shirts, too.... Hmmm. There's definitely a market out there!

 Gunther did wear shirts. Sort of.

Preparing for Competition, Part 1

I was driving back from MadTown this afternoon. I had attended a raucous party which led to oaths of "NEVAR DRINKING AGAIN", was nursing a rather awful hangover and contemplating mustard, when the thought struck me; "Don't make the first thing you sew a competition costume. Sew a practice outfit first."

There is no skate clothing for boys to speak of. None. Just about the only skate pants you will find will be on eBay (happy hunting) or faraway internets vendors who will nearly always model their pants on This Guy:

Who is This Guy? How long has he been standing there? And is that Ass Padded?

Anyway, what skating apparel you will find for boys is always overpriced. Somehow the addition of an elastic strap at the foot will raise the price of a standard pair of pants anywhere from $30 to $70. Try here, or here. How about here? How about some used pants? That's some serious fucking elastic. I, for one, refuse to shell out $70 to $90 for a pair of athletic pants that have a strap on the foot. Sorry.

So what are my alternatives?

K has been skating in just regular old athletic pants. They're warm, they stretch, they are comfy and get the job done. But when he's out there and all the little sparkly princesses have on their skating apparel, he feels gypped. I understand. It would be nice to have some true skating apparel.

It just so happens that I can sew a serviceable garment, and Jalie makes patterns for figure skating. So, with a borrowed sewing machine, some stretchy fabric, time, patience and some sequins, I can help K out. Let's just hope that my time and effort expenditure doesn't turn out to make $90 look like a bargain.