a simple quilt project

Since it’s been so hot this summer, we’ve been sleeping under a thin quilt my great-grandmother made long ago out of an old sheet and old dress fabric.  Because it was hand-pieced, however, the quilt is very fragile, and we’ve been wanting to find a substitute for daily use.  This weekend, I got inspired and made a very simple quilt.  It only took me one day, and as I am not the most patient of seamstresses, it was a perfect design that didn’t cause a lot of frustration.  I used fat quarters from my collection of fabric, with a simple floral cotton backing, which I also used to bind the quilt edges.  The whole thing is machine-stitched, with no piecework.  It fits perfectly with our simple design aesthetic.

early morning

I woke up very early this morning, hoping to go running, but my back was in knots after yesterday’s theatre training.  This week, I’ve been attending a Theatre of the Oppressed workshop in Durham to learn additional techniques for working with children on nonviolent approaches to conflict resolution.  And, I may have forgotten to stretch yesterday after some more intense exercises…In any case, since running this morning was a “no go,” I went about my usual morning routine.  As I finished making breakfast and looked out toward our balcony, I noticed this brilliant orange flower from our zucchini plant.

We’ve had trouble figuring out ways to get enough sunlight to grow food on our covered balcony, but over the weekend I figured out a way to prop up our plants on the railing, using the containers hanging over the edge as additional trailing space for the larger zucchini plants.  Our tomatoes, which hang down from the ceiling, already are propped up on these containers for additional support as they begin to produce more fruit.  I stepped outside to take a closer look at the flower, and hidden beneath the petals were three small zucchini beginning to form!

I love how the squash plants grow in general, as they push the flower out as the vegetable expands.  In addition to the three small zucchini, we also have two new tomatoes starting on the vine, and a large hot pepper curling downwards from the top of one of the pepper plants.  It is amazing to be able to produce our own food in such a tiny space, and it makes it easier to think about living in urban, student housing when little bits of sustainability efforts work.