Make a Note of It

I have a new cell phone; it's a so-called smart phone. Now I can take pictures and keep a calendar and scan bar codes with my phone. I've been trying to make the most of the thing by switching over from paper to electronic versions of lists, notes and schedules. But, I miss paper. Sometimes what you need is a little notebook in your purse for jotting down gift idea or things to do the next time the kids have a day off from school. So, if I'm going to revert to "the old way" of doing things, I can at least cover it in fabric.

Oh, But Look

I bought a yard of red and green Marimekko fabric on Ebay, thinking it would be good for slicing into festive pieces for pouches and fabric baskets to be sold at the Lincoln Square Holiday Market and at Shared Space. Today the fabric arrived in the mail; I love its large scale, and I'm tempted. I wonder if I should replace the fabric over our fireplace with something new. Or, maybe my husband, M, would make a second board and frame it with molding so I might have two large swaths of Marimekko fabric to liven my family room--one for the warm months and one for the cold ones.
Now, to find out how often M reads this blog...

Lunch

It is astounding what patterns and ideas abound on the internet. I browse often; this lunch sack made from a Gingercake Patterns tutorial is one result. Though I'm not a fan of the time it takes to construct tapered fabric handles, I like the purse-like look of the sack. I lined it in a wipeable fabric and used insulative batting for function, but of course the real fun is playing with fabric combinations on the outside. The next time I'll substitute cotton webbing for the upper part of the handle to see if that short-cut helps to endear the project to me more.