Two Things

Yep. I have two things I want to talk about today and I could work hard to try to connect them and actually it wouldn't be that hard, but I'm just going to lay them both out there.
Thing #1 :
I get the weekly Sew Daily email newsletter from Stitch magazine. I imagine the newsletter will eventually be a daily occurrence, otherwise what's the deal with calling it Sew Daily? Anyway, today they announced that Interweave Press, publisher of Stitch, Quilting Arts, Interweave Knits and Crochet as well as little ole me, is launching the Sew Daily Pattern Store. This store allows you to purchase patterns that have been featured in past issues of Stitch magazine...one at a time. That means you don't necessarily have to buy an entire back issue if you just want one pattern. Also, the patterns are downloadable, so it's instant gratification, baby!
In the interest of full disclosure, I will note that because I've been lucky enough to be published in Stitch several times, my patterns along with a bunch of others are for sale in the pattern store and I do earn a royalty from those patterns. But, you know what, that's not why I'm excited about this. I said this a week or so ago, knitters have had downloadable, instant patterns and a site(Ravelry) to share and compare those patterns for a while. Sewers of the world, it's our turn now! The world of downloadable sewing patterns is beginning to emerge and I think this pattern store is part of that.  I read the other day that C&T publishing is planning to launch a site called Patternspot which they're describing as, "a downloadable pattern marketplace." Now, I think we need a Ravelry-like site to bring all this together. A place for sewers to share their creations, link to their downloadable patterns, and create community.
I feel pretty passionately about this, so I'm jazzed about this new pattern store because it's a step in this direction.

Thing #2 :
This is perhaps loosely linked to thing #1 because it is sewn and it is a unique design and I may write up the pattern and offer it for sale over the intewebs, but it's also a totally separate thing so I'm giving it its own heading. That's a lot of build-up for this:

I altered the standard way I make my Patches Camera Straps based on a customer's requests and I think her suggestions are brilliant. She wanted a strap that could be worn across the hips as well as around the neck. That was simple enough to accommodate, but it was her other specifications that I've fallen in love with.

  She also wanted a pocket in the strap to hold the lens cap. Wow, so simple, yet really handy. If I'm shooting pictures and wearing something without pockets, I honestly don't know what to do with my lens cap.

 And she asked for a couple of pockets on the strap to hold extra memory cards. I love these additions.
To accommodate the lens cap I did make the strap 1/2" wider and had to redesign the end pieces that connect to the adjustable straps. I also lengthened the adjustable part of the strap to 18" so she can wear the camera as she chooses. All in all, I think these are terrific modifications and I can't wait to make one for myself...strictly for testing purposes of course.