So much going on, so little time

It has been one busy week, and I am not going to lie to you. I am exhausted. I am getting ready for the Skills competition, and I finished my tulle underskirt.

It is removable, so I will be able to use it under other skirts.

Also for the community service project for a pregnant battered women's room at a local hospital, I made this unisex baby blanket.

I ruffled the edges and used a variegated yarn. I double-crocheted it.

I used the pattern of single, double, and then on the opposite side, I double-crocheted in the single and single-crocheted in the double. I used pima cotton and bamboo. Should be super soft for the babies-to-be!

This week, we celebrated friendship Valentine's Day at school. My girlfriend Simone made an incredible spread for us.

She is a gifted cook. She is from Haiti, and I am blessed to get to taste all of her nummy food.

That night I had to work, so we planned to go to a local BBQ restaurant that has the best friend pickles. Well, it wasn't open past 8 p.m., and since I don't get home from work until 9 p.m. that was out of the question. We tried to go to a steakhouse, but the wait was 55 minutes, and I was starving! We lucked out into the best Italian restaurant I have eaten at, since I left Clarksburg.

Let me just say that after being spooled by my girlfriend's mom Frankie growing up, I can be kind of picky with Italian food. But, this by far, is incredible Italian food. I had a creamy tomato penne with homemade Italian bread. My hubby had veal parmigiana and loved it, as well. Highly recommend this ristorante!!

Who's getting ready for Skills USA?

This gal. I am competing in the Action Skills category as a sewing presenter. I am going to demonstrate how to make a woman's skirt out of a men's dress shirt. I wrote the script Friday and am going to start rehearsing after I finish up shorts for Bub this week. My competition is Thursday, March 1. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

And, I am crocheting a baby blanket for the Skills USA school community service project. We are redoing a room in a hospital for a battered woman and her new baby. I hope the blanket may add some comfort for the baby and mama bear.

Get ur swimsuit done!

Yes, I got my sexy swimsuit completed, and I love it.

I sewed the elastic on with my own serger, and now I can do the swimsuit on my own.

I think it is a beautiful swimsuit.

The side cut out was not difficult to do. I think I got the elastic perfect on this.

I double-lined the crotch area and fully lined the whole suit. It came out so nicely.

...and onto the swimsuit

I finished up another top and panties. I LOVE THEM. The material is so silky smooth. I love it.

The top is a tube top. Super stretchy comfortable.

The underwear are super cute with the black, stretch, scalloped elastic.
And, I finally started my swimsuit.

My teacher taught me how to put the free-floating cups in the lining.

In order to better understand how to make adjustments on the serger, I brought mine into class. And, my littler serger man icon that sits on the tension wheel watched over me while I sewed. Can't wait to post the finished product.