Chicagoland is silly with markets and bazaars.

One one hand, you have the city attracting nationally-known shows like Renegade Craft and the International Vintage Poster Fair. On the other, you have the rest of Illinois, where self-reliant folk have amassed generation upon generation of vintage goods and have honed traditional skills (I'll bet a dollar every Illinoisan reading this has gone to Amish Country at least once). This creates a crafty/vintagey apex to feed my constant obsession with "things".

Over the 4th of July weekend I took a trip to the Randolph Street Market in Chicago. 
Considering Chicago is a mere 30 minute drive and my friends live there, I have no excuse for not going more than I do. It was great. I was so focused on finding good stuff that I forgot I was supposed to be taking photos for the first half of the trip.

Here are a few camera phone shots gussied up by Instagram:

Oh, look: jars of things. I love jars of things! I almost bought one with screws in it, but JB talked some sense into me. I sort of still want one.

More after the jump...

Scrimshaw Plate Set

Design*Sponge let me know Thomas Paul is debuting a new line of bedding in the fall, which reminds me of the intense love I have for everything Thomas Paul does.

More after the jump...

I use a sturdy wooden chair in my studio that stands up to tipping, leaning, and being knocked into, but it gets uncomfortable after a few hours. I made myself a nice little solution using remnants of previous sewing projects.

The Elements:

- Red grosgrain ribbon

- Printed cotton duck

- Leftover batting 

I started by laying the batting over the seat of the chair and roughly cutting around it. I cut it down further until it fit on top of the seat, and I cut out a second layer of batting to give it extra height.

More after the jump...

You may remember the pillows I mentioned I made a few weeks ago. I made those shortly after purchasing a portable sewing machine at (where else, but) Goodwill. After a friend's Grandma showed me where the thread goes, I spent a few hours fiddling with tensions and bobbins and eventually got straight lines down. Of course, figuring out how to sew a straight line though cotton left me self-impressed enough to believe I was ready to move on to clothing, or accessories, or maybe a landscape quilt.

How long could it take? A few hours? I can sew lines! What else do I need?? 

More after the jump...