Consider the Source

I had a fine time at the Urbana Market at the Square this past Saturday, and I'm gearing up to return this coming Saturday. Back-to-back Saturdays at the farmers' market is something I haven't tried before. One limitation of the tight scheduling is that I only have a few days to sew items I'm running out of. If I'm out of a raw material, ordering more to be mailed to me will be very last-minute as well.
Nevertheless, I do need a few more items. I am down to my last 2 black zippers. I explained this to my mom, and she encouraged me to order more zippers right away. A few minutes in the conversation passed, and we returned to the idea that I was short on zippers. My mom said, "Well, you better order more zippers, if you only have 2 left." She should consider the source; or course I have zippers left, more than 100, I'm sure. I just don't have a comfortable quantity of black zippers remaining. And I could really use a few more vanilla, navy, slate, turquoise....

Big Clip

While surfing around recently I came across this idea for using fabric-covered buttons as the top on an over-sized clip. I love that the small amount of fabric necessary makes excellent use of my scraps. (I just knew it was a good idea to keep those boxes and boxes of scraps!) It's also fun to isolate a small pattern or frame only a portion of a larger design.
After some experimentation, I've found a good mix of interfacing to keep any metal from showing through the different weave density of some fabrics. I've also learned taking time to prepare the metal surfaces of the clip and button back helps the epoxy really grip. I use a series of Pac Man clips to organize receipts in my purse, lists on the counter and mail that needs to be dealt with.

Original Art Days

Stop by the $10 Original Art Days at Shared Space Art Coop, on Main Street in Urbana. They are selling items donated by their crafting vendors to raise extra funds for the operation of the store. This Friday and Saturday are the official dates of $10 Original Art Days, but remaining items will be available afterwards.
My contribution is a set of this oil cloth boxy pouch. Lined in coordinating oil cloth, I fussed with the math of the pattern in advance so I could achieve accuracy. I had never tried sewing with oil cloth before; it was hard to resist taking an iron to it.

Pac Man Playing

My kids love video games. New releases and "classics" hold the same appeal. I have never been interested in electronic games, but this Pac Man fabric called to me nonetheless. The ghost icon etched onto a bead cut at the Community Fab Lab finishes off the fun. I must resist the urge to make fabric-specific beads for every pattern I use, but maybe simple heart or flower or bike shapes would be cute on more than one fabric.