Right now, it’s a lot more like spring here in our corner of British Columbia than it is in my home state of Massachusetts. This is my first B.C. spring, and our first spring in the little house by the sea that we rented when we moved out here last summer. Our yard is the product of a long series of tenants, each one taking a whack at it in their own way, according to their own skills and inclinations. In a neighborhood of mostly neat, modest homes owned by families and retirees, our house looks semi-derelict, hedges and bushes poking out through the piecemeal fencing in an ungainly way. Personally, I like the semi-neglected look, but we are making an effort to tame it a bit. It has been many years since I’ve had dirt to dig, and I love it.

We spent a lot of time outside this weekend, and it felt great. I saw very little of my computer. When the rain showers passed through, as they did off and on all weekend, I had time for some organizing indoors. Here’s a quick sewing project I have been meaning to do: a plastic grocery bag organizer for our kitchen closet.
I made it easy by using two dishtowels (the plaid backing one has a big stain on it anyway), which meant that most of the edges were already finished and they were conveniently color-coordinated. The pocket is gusseted on either side, with just a regular seam down the middle. The tubes are partly open at the bottom to allow the bags to be pulled out like wet-naps from a plastic can.

Look at those fat little sausage legs! I’ve always liked the vegetable pattern, so I am happy to have it on display, even if its tucked into a closet. The real question is whether I will change my ways and start bringing my own bags to the grocery store. I think my next task will be a bag-tote that I can use to carry all the bags to the store with me.