peagood

I love this project, and became aware of it when a customer came into our store to buy oilcloth for it. The oilcloth we use, and most likely the one pictured here, is made by Oilcloth International, and in their about page, they state that it has a certain level of pthalates in it that keep it flexible, and so it falls under the recent CPSIA act of 2008 that prohibits it from being used in certain products: http://oilcloth.com/about.php. Sunlight causes PVC to deteriorate, so your suggestion to put the product in the sun to help the smell dissipate might be a concern: http://healthychild.org/issues/chemical-pop/phthalates/

I hate to be a fearmonger, and while I use a lunchbag made from oilcloth to carry our food (wrapped or in containers) often and use oilcloth in other applications around our house; and considering glass houses, stones etc. -- I'd still use a different material for this project, - others have suggested above.