Inch by inch, row by row...

Happy Spring! Doesn't it seem like it's been winter forever?
Those of us who garden were happy to read that the White House is turning a section of that lovely yet wasteful lawn into a garden! (It's enough to warm Dave
Mallet's and Alice Water's hearts.) Mr. Hunting Creek and I would get rid of most of our lawn if we could and just grow herbs and flowers. Every year we convert just a little bit more of the front lawn into garden. Sneaky but effective.
I like to order my seeds from Pinetree Garden Seeds. They have a great selection and great prices. (not affiliated, just a happy customer)
We grow herbs on the back porch in pots and also in the flower beds. Since I live in the woods it's difficult to find a sunny spot for tomatoes, but I think we'll try some in the front garden by the roses. Who says tomatoes can't be ornamental?
If it's warm this weekend I'll have to plant some seeds. Happy Spring!

Spring Cleaning Confessional

In this illustration, don't these women look like they are 27 feet tall? The Vogue Pattern illustrator has an interesting view of women's proportions.
This is only one of the eleven patterns I found on my desk in the great Spring Cleaning episode on Sunday.

I also found the following projects, cut out and ready to go:




2 men's shirts, same pattern as my DBIL's shirt, but different fabrics. Poor Mr. Hunting Creek! His Hawaiian shirts were set aside so I could complete a shirt for another man! Good thing it is still too cold to wear them. I must get these done before it gets warm.




1 blouse in white eyelet,Butterick 4984, left from last summer that I did not get around to until it was fall, and then what is the point of making a white eyelet blouse in October?
1 top, McCall's 5469, also cut out last summer, same reason for not completing
1 pair of shorts, in cream twill, same reason
1 blue knit top, Vogue Koos - I can't find the number on the tissue because I traced it and of course did not write that down on the tissue. Really, the cutting out me is very inconsiderate of the documenting me. I will try to be more observant of keeping track of what's what.
1 green taffeta skirt, Burda 8176 from (I am embarassed to admit this, but truth will set you free, right?) December 2007.(hangs head in shame)
A pink gingham eyelet blouse cut out two summers ago. but wait, it gets worse:
A batik top with fishes on it, cut out so long ago that I had no memory of cutting it out, or where the fabric came from. Someone is sneaking projects on to my desk, that is the only explanation.

My goal this weekend? Complete what I have already cut out, and not start anything new. At least, not start anything new this weekend.
How is your Spring Cleaning coming along?
(isn't that a guilt-inducing question worthy of my mother-in-law?)

I resolved to keep cleaning until the room is finished.
(I know that I am easily distracted from tasks that I don't like doing. This is a personal failing that my mother pointed out many, many times.) Mr. Hunting Creek suggested that he'd take before and after pictures, to keep me motivated. "But my Dad reads my blog!" I cried in horror! "Innocent women and children might see!"
"Then you'd better finish", he said with an evil gleam in his eye.
Since the sword of Damocles is hanging over my head, perhaps I'd better.
Happy Sewing!

p.s. The website is fixed and people can place orders without getting scary messages from the Security Gods. Oh, Happy Day!

Feeling Insecure

When I tell people I have my own internet business, they say, "Oh you're so lucky! I'd like to start my own internet business!". To those people, I share the following story: Yesterday we got a phone call from a customer who wanted to place a phone order. Which is totally fine. Except the reason, she said, is that the website gave her a warning message saying that the site security certificate was invalid. Which is a weird crazy error. Mr. Hunting Creek calls the website people to find out why they are scaring all of our customers and driving off what business is out there, and discovers that they are no longer open on the weekends. Gee thanks, Network Solutions! Now all our customers will think we've been hijacked by Sengala Rebel Forces. SIGH.
A gal could lie awake at night and worry about all the business being driven away by this error, but, as Mr. Hunting Creek says, no worries, no one is buying anything nowadays anyway. Isn't he a little ray of sunshine!
Since there is absolutely nothing I can do until tomorrow, I have decided to clean my sewing zone. It has evolved into a mess so profound, that even the researchers who wrote about messiness and political preferences were unable to determine my political leanings. "You've moved beyond all of our research.", they said. Kind of like those old maps in story books that show the unknown parts of the world with the warning: Beyond these lands, there be dragons. That's the only only explanation for what is on, under and around my desk: dragons. They sneak in at night, like the mouse in the kitchen that my daughter saw last night, trying to drag a girl scout cookie bigger than the mouse itself into its secret mouse lair. (We will find you, Mrs. Mouse. These *&^#@# dogs are good for nothing. What we need is a cat around here!)
Scientists have found that cleaning and organizing makes people feel happier and more in control of their lives. Maybe if ALL of us cleaned and organized our desks this month for spring cleaning, we'd all be more cheerful lately.
Something to think about.
Happy Sewing (and cleaning!)