Pattern Review: Tofino from Little Lizard King

I don’t get to sew dresses very often, but this week I made two using the Tofino pattern from Little Lizard King. It’s a cute, twirly knit dress pattern with a full circle skirt — the kind of dress kids instantly want to spin around in.

I also got the chance to try something new. Carriage House Printery was testing a fabric-cutting service, and I was one of the first people to give it a try. They partnered with Little Lizard King to offer select patterns precut and ready to sew. You simply choose the pattern, fabric, and size, and they send everything already cut out for you. I received a size 14 Tofino cut from a heavy double-brushed poly knit.

One of the most time-consuming parts of sewing is cutting out fabric, especially with patterns that have large pieces like circle skirts. That’s what makes this service so interesting. If you’re sewing for someone who fits standard sizing, having everything precut could save a lot of time and make the process feel much less overwhelming. Since all my pieces arrived ready to sew, I was able to finish this dress in under two hours.

Carriage House Printery’s cutting service is still in beta testing. If you want to try it, you’ll need to join the Little Lizard King Facebook group to access the order form. If the service does well, they plan to eventually add it to their website.

Tofino Dress Review

Here’s the finished dress on my cute model:

Pattern Description: Above-the-knee twirly dress with a full circle skirt, lined bodice, and four sleeve options. The skirt has a high-low hem.

Time to Sew: 2–3 hours

Difficulty: Intermediate

Format: PDF pattern (though mine arrived precut through Carriage House Printery)

The Tofino was the first Little Lizard King pattern I’ve sewn, and overall, I thought the instructions were easy to follow. I’d still consider it an intermediate-level pattern, though, mainly because full circle skirts can be tricky for beginners. Getting everything lined up evenly at the waist takes a little patience.

One thing I really liked about the pattern was the lined bodice. It eliminates the need for a knit neckband, which makes the neckline look cleaner and more polished. The lining also helps prevent lighter knit fabrics from looking too sheer. I’m also a fan of the higher neckline.

My biggest complaint is the length. Because of the way the circle skirt hangs, the sides sit higher while the front and back dip lower into a slight V shape. It’s a cute look, but the dress ended up shorter than I expected. Taller kids would probably want to wear leggings or shorts underneath, or you could add a little extra length before cutting.

The nice thing about the Tofino is that it works with a variety of knit fabrics. The first version I made used a heavy double-brushed poly knit, which gave the dress a cozy, almost sweater-like feel. The second dress was sewn from a lightweight polyester-spandex blend, which created a softer, flowier look.

If you’re looking for a cute twirly dress pattern for knit fabric, I think the Tofino is a solid choice. You can even purchase it for your Ditto Sewing Projector. What do you think? Would you sew this pattern?