Tiered skirt for Sara the Librarian

This was McCall's pattern 7604. I took out the waistband and just made a hem for a drawstring/elastic on the first tier. I did actually baste the gathers! The hem is sewn with a simple looping stitch on my machine. 

First attempt at a shirt

This was Simplicity pattern 8052. Well, that was an epic fail. I suspect this might work better with a knit, rather than cotton, but there were many factors involved. It's basically a front and back and you sew them together in sections. I found the facing around the collar very tricky (and also, I suspect, unnecessary, even though I left out the interfacing). The sleeves crimped and that part was several inches too small anyways.

When I did the bottom half, I found that it didn't match the top - I'm not sure if I cut it wrong or what, but there's supposed to be a dart in front and gathers behind. Basically it didn't match! I didn't bother to hem the bottom - I was able to get it on, but the sleeves and back were so tight I couldn't lift my arms (and had trouble getting it off!) while the lower "skirt" part was way too big, making it look like I was wearing a badly fitted scrubs top. Back to the drawing board! Skirts are a LOT easier!

Peanut turtles and stuff

I went back to the old way of doing it, with one slight change. I buttered all the pans, melted the caramel and mixed in peanuts, then dumped the whole thing in a buttered pan. Then I melted the chocolate. I divided up the caramel (burning my fingers a little b/c it was still hot and not very workable) then I used a slotted spoon and spatula to dip them in the chocolate. Worked much better! The remaining chocolate I mixed with the leftover salted pecans and dumped in a pan.

Then I had to wash butter off of everything.

Pecan turtles

I melted caramel, mixed in salted pecan pieces, then dumped it in spoonfuls into a buttered foil pan. Then I melted two bars of dipping chocolate. I squished the caramel/pecan mixture into chunks and dipped it in the chocolate. Then I got bored and pour a layer of chocolate into a buttered pan, then squished flat the rest of the caramel mixture and added another layer of chocolate on top. Once it's cooled and hardened (and I've cleaned my cutting board) I'll turn it out and slice it up.

Well, that didn't work. I ended up with a giant slab but when I cut it up it kind of... disintegrated. I guess I'll stick to the slow way.

Rocky Road candy

I meant to make this candy back in December. And then in January. Now it's March. I bought dipping chocolate in bulk - the big chunks - melted it in my double boiler, and stirred in peanuts. For the first batch I also stirred in marshmallows, for the second I layered the pan and poured the chocolate/peanut mixture on top. I put them in aluminum pans that I greased with butter. The staff liked them, but I think there were to many marshmallows in the first batch.

Patchwork skirt in earth patterns part 2

 Really, really hope I pinned this right. It's three layers - the flannel underskirt, patchwork overskirt, and yoke of the waistband.

And of course I DIDN'T pin it right, b/c the flannel ended up wrong side out. Well, I'm not undoing it now, especially since I double-stitched the waistband! 

Really doesn't look that bad - only the bottom edge will occasionally show anyways.

I still have all the leftover pieces - have to decide if I have enough for another skirt.

Patchwork skirt in earth patterns part 1

I've been planning this for a long time. I had lots of strips tidied away for.... several years. The plan is to sew them together, then cut the skirt pieces, then cut a second set of skirt pieces in red flannel, then sew them all together into a layered winter skirt. I cut the pattern to a mid-length - same length as the corduroy skirt I made. For the patchwork pieces I extended the pattern 2 inches on each side, so it will be looser over the flannel.