Tiered skirt for Sara the Librarian

Used

• McCall's pattern 7604 (view C)
• Removed the waistband, expanded the first tier with tissue paper, folded over the top for a drawstring/elastic
• Fabric
• First tier - premium cotton, watercolor floral on cream, JoAnn 15833171 (2 yards)
• Second tier - premium cotton, pink and pearl packed flowers, JoAnn 15833254 (1.5 yards)
• Third tier - premium cotton, watercolor floral on navy, JoAnn 15833387 (2.25 yards)
• Notions
• 2.5" white lace swirl, JoAnn 3883642 (6 yards)
• Gutermann thread color no. 323

After I made the three tiers and hemmed and added lace to the bottom (yes, I had not yet gathered or stitched the tiers together) I realized that I should have gone with my initial estimate of 15+ yards of lace, since I wanted to add extra on each tier. Then I decided that it really would have been over-kill on the lace anyways. My mom gathered one tier and then I finally finished the last one. I double-stitched the gathers. I had second thoughts afterwards - was it too pink? too bright? but I figured we could add a lacy overskirt or just pass it on and try something else.

Baking for work part 2

Still baking. A lot was left that I didn't have time to bake, plus the mess.

Leftover chunks of dipping chocolate

 Leftover bits of white chocolate and pretzel bits

Chopped pecans and leftover bits of... everything. Chocolate, marshmallows, bits of peanuts, etc.

Baking for work

I've had a ton of baking stuff collected that I kept meaning to do something with, probably for the January bake sale. Well, that didn't happen. Then it was summer, and my a/c went out and anyways I finally got to the Friday of the summer book and bake sale. Then, of course, I decided to make stuff.

I melted the rest of the white chocolate (dipping) that I had gotten and dipped pretzel sticks in it then shook toffee bits over them. Then I discovered that the chocolate was getting thicker. The internet was not helpful in suggestions and I tried butter, which turned it into a kind of frosting. So I frosted the rest of the sticks and added mini chocolate chips. Finally, I just dumped the rest with the pretzels in a big lump intended to chop it up for cookies later. I put all of them in front of my a/c to cool, since it's the only cool place in the house (note - even turned down to 60, which is as cold as it goes, it's still 75 in the kitchen...)

Then I used the basic Nestle chocolate chip cookie recipe. I threw in the rest of the mini chocolate chips and toffee bits (probably some white chocolate in there as well.)

That was all I had time for, which left a huge mess in my kitchen a ton of stuff still to bake.

Quilted Panel

My mom finished sewing the lace and binding by hand. Not sure what I'm going to do with it, but it looks great!

Updated projects

I took apart two of the first skirts I made - the hems were uneven and the pockets weird. They'll make good quilt scraps. 

This was the blue batik - I removed and raised the pocket.

I took the straps off and crossed them so they'd quit falling down. My mom helped pin them.

Underwater Applique Quilt part 4

Pieces spread out on my bed for placement.

The first panel. I fit lots of pieces of muslin to get it even.

The back is plain muslin

I left the edges raw, because I think I'm going to add a border of the green/gold batik. Maybe.

Knitted/crochet purple/blue bag

I had two pieces of knitting, one big and one small. I folded the big one over to make a purse and crocheted on the small pieces for a flap. I simultaneously crocheted up the sides and added a handle. It's not a really strong handle, so if you put anything heavy in it it will probably sag badly.