5-a-day, odd bugs, and sustainability synergy

I have now finished my first quilt since Hazel was born, I call it "5-a-day." I created it for my quilt guild Block-of-the-Month and it is all paper-pieced blocks. I do like how it turned out, I've been wanting to use the Farmer's Market style fabrics ever since they came out. I actually have the pattern started for this and am working on finishing writing it up and getting it in digital format to distribute. I don't know if it would sell, but I'll try. I also tried using a different free motion filler in the background of each block, as you can see by my tomato close-up here. 

It's a long way from perfect, but I'm satisfied.

When I created the "peas" block, I expected it to be a hard block with lots of different pieces, but it ended up being fairly easy. It surprised me which blocks were harder or easier to design and sew.

We've also recently been invaded by some strange little bugs. They don't seem aggressive, nor do they bite, but they like wet places. This is the first year I've seen these little suckers and I just can't identify them. Can anyone help? For those of you who are not so much a fan of bug pictures, sorry!

I just want to say one more thing about sustainability synergy. We use cloth diapers with Hazel during the day and a disposable at night (so that she's not waking up because her diaper's wet). But I find it interesting that cloth diapers dry much better and easier on the clothesline than they do in the dryer. They always take 2 rounds through the dryer, and it doesn't get out stains. On the line it only takes them a little while in the sun to dry and the sun bleaches out the stains. This is not the only "sustainability" thing that is this way, but they always fascinate me when I find them. 


On a follow-up note, we had a big storm last night and the leaning tower of Reasnor stands no more. It will have to be re-erected.

Breezy Blues & the Leaning Tower of Reasnor

My best friend from college called me almost 2 years ago to tell me she got engaged (it was inevitable, and we all knew it was coming, but I was excited nonetheless!). So I immediately decided I was going to make them a quilt for their wedding. I called her and asked her what she wanted for a quilt. She talked to her fiance and said "Pinwheels and Blues." So after I spent a couple of weeks doodling ideas while in boring meetings, I came up with this pattern. I did hand quilt it, and I finished this quilt in March of '09 because I was so excited to work on it. Ah well, better to be done early than late! It is a throw sized quilt, and I paper pieced all of the pinwheels so I wouldn't lose the points.

Did I mention it's been a wet year? I think I may have...

Ryan did not take this picture on an angle. I'm going to rename our wren house "the Leaning Tower of Reasnor." Apparently the entire base is rotten, which is sad because the wrens were actually using it! Although I do love how the prior owners felt they needed a sum total of 3 posts just to hold this thing up.

Then again, maybe they were right.