Done Deal: Sewing Swap Set: Tuesday, June 30*

I did it. I ventured out in the winter cold yesterday to the Rogers Park Library even though there's nary a book on hold under my name. Signed all the paperwork, flashed my driver's license, all to secure a meeting room for the purpose of exchanging fabric, patterns and notions with fellow sewers on the evening of Tuesday, June 30. That's a heads up for all you locals to get your stuff organized - the fabric into boxes, the unused zippers into bags, the buttons in baggies. You've got more than three Tuesdays in a row to get your stuff in order. This will also give you time to shop at Vogue Fabrics' sale beginning Sunday. Acquire some new jerseys and eyelets that you will give you the guts to ditch the fabric you bought at last year's summer sale that's still sitting in the bottom of your mesh bin in the closet. In with the new and out boldly with the old!

Better yet, best to start a pile for the swap now while you're doing your everyday cleaning. If there's a pattern coated with a fine powder, into the Trader Joe's bag it goes. Ditto the zippers you bought at last year's garage sale but never used. Same deal for the swaths of the stretch lace you swear you were going to make into a top in January, but never did. Be sure to tag that with my name. I want it. I'll stitch it up in no time flat, cats.

I trust it will be a lot warmer on the 30th, probably blazing hot, making the library a pleasant retreat from the humid haziness outside. Count on more goodies and swappers than last time because I intend to advertise a lot more widely. Not quite to the corners of the earth. But almost. I'll post on Craig's list, double up on the Facebook status updates, Twitter ten times ten. For those of you with blogs, I'd appreciate a link.

My contribution so far? A box of unused yarn from Ireland. Still in a Carson Pirie Scott box, I'm guessing back from the days when department stores sold yarn. There's also a carton of emerald-green wool skeins, and then another smaller one, same manufacturer, black fiber. I know it's not exactly the stuff of a sewer's dream, but a knitter might find it wonderful. So I'll bring that as my lone donation at the moment. No doubt I'll add other things to the collection soon. Isn't that the fun of getting ready for a party weeks in advance? It's not quite the same as dressing up on the big day, but anticipation, no matter how you slice this watermelon, is still delicious. Besides, it's the Tuesday before the Fourth of July, a festive week in my book. Start the fireworks early by coming to the swap. One more time: it's Tuesday, June 30, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Rogers Park Library, 6907 N, Clark St, Chicago, second floor, the south room. Again, that's Tuesday, June 30, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Rogers Park Library, 6907 N, Clark St, Chicago, second floor, the south room. I feel like a radio announcer. Email me for details or leave a note in the comments.
* The fabric above? I'm not sure about the price, but I'm sure it's bound to go on sale Sunday. I think this cotton would be terrific made up into a 1950s shirtwaist dress with a Peter Pan collar.