Judi Anne

Lightweight wool, as I know it, is about the same weight as crushed velvet rather than a heavy weight wool which would be used for outerwear like a coat or drapery.

Yes! Go for the walking skirt pattern when you can. Best I can tell from the link it is the same style as my favorite skirt pattern. 5 gores is 5 panels or pieces cut in a gore(ie triangular shape- narrower at top, wider at the bottom. 3 gores in front with the middle one cut straighter which makes it hang nicely/not bunch up in the middle and yet the side pieces and space for hip room and drape and ease of movement. 2 gores in back with some gathers most likely for a nice drape over the "bum".

Alder Burns, I'm curious as to why you say jack-o-lanterns are much larger. I've often found jacks smaller than chants. There are other fairly obvious distinctions once you know it such as -usually-growing in clumps, and true gills.

Anyway, I just took the time to check references because your comment keep rolling around in my head. It looks very possible to find similarly sized jacks and chants with the size on jacks ranging from 3-20 cm. http://www.mushroomexpert.com/omphalotus_illudens.html

The mushroomexpert link in MK's post above has the spore print info.

Well, there ya go. Two ayes.

Ok, first, the caveats.... I 've always gathered with experienced folks present to back up my id so I am not as confident as I wish to be. And secondly, I will tell you what I think but I am not saying eat it. Check with an expert or do the spore print to double check your id.

The dark ones look like chants to me. That is the distinctive white stem that looks sort like string cheese. The lighter may be an old one or a different species. I've heard there's more than one, but have only seen one for myself.

The inside color of the stem is a good way to double check that brighter colored chants are indeed not Jack o lanterns which would be a dangerous mix-up.

Cut the stems in half and show us a picture of the stem middle as well.

An underneath shot of the dark orange will help.

Stir it up and then give it a good shake every day.

In general if you want to tincture dry powdered herbs it is useful to moisten all the herb in part of the menstrum (the fluid you are using to tincture with) for 12-24 hrs before adding the rest.