jump off?

what is a "jump off" exactly? i'm not sure, but here's my inspiration:


a little storefront near my house, BEDSTUY FISH & CHIP JUMP OFF. i was so excited the first weekend after my boyfriend and i moved in a few years ago, the 4th of July, 2004 - fish & chips one block away! i love anything fried, and fish & chips fits squarely in that category. sadly, days turned into weeks into months into years, and it never opened. our landlord tells us that it opened for only one day, then closed again. come back, little fish & chip place!

incidentally, if anyone knows why this place is called a "jump off", or what it might mean, please let me know.

first post

i'm kicking off miss mousey's arts and crafts jump off today. i'll be adding some of my past (and future) sewing projects, quilts and crocheted goodies, as well as crafting shops and resources that i come across in new york, books and boutiques for inspiration. i used to keep these things in various notebooks, but you lose them so easily... check back in a week or so!