Halloween Candy Quilt

 

Doesn’t this one just look like a bowl of candies waiting to be collected by an excited child? When I was browsing through my mom’s collection of Halloween fabrics, I discovered several that were glittery. It felt only right to use them together in a Halloween quilt. And what better way to honor these bright, fun, yummy looking fabrics than to make it look like a candy bowl.

 

 

I knew I wanted to do a scrappy squares quilt, but I wasn’t sure what to put in the centers of the squares. Then I found this neat black fabric that had squiggly lines in different Halloween colors. Later I discovered it was supposed to go with the witches brew set from the last quilt finish, but it worked so perfectly to tie these glitter fabrics together I had to go for it.

 

 

Once I got all my squares and strips cut out, I got to work sewing them all together. These blocks came together pretty quickly, and soon I had a big stack of blocks ready to be mixed up and placed for the quilt top.

 

 

The color I had the least of was green so I really wanted to make sure I placed those all over the quilt. Orange was the color I had the most of, so it was a little challenging to keep a mixed up look. Of course, the purple was a great buffer between them all and once I was happy with the layout, I began methodically sewing them all together.

 

 

Honestly, it’s probably the hardest part of scrappy quilts for me. I don’t have a piece board for placement. They are laid out on the floor and I try to get done as fast as I can so the cats don’t mess it up.  It’s challenging sometimes, and sometimes the blocks don’t end up where I intended. I wish the greens had been placed a bit different, but it’s all good.

 

 

Once the top was done, I used the Halloween fabric that we had the most of for the backing, and did a simple meander in black. It minimizes the visual distraction from the fun part of this quilt, which is the glittery fabric.

 

 

I went for a solid black binding to create a simple frame and declared this fun quilt finished. I am so happy with how this one turned out. It’s everything “Halloween” I was looking for. Spooky designs, fun colors, eclectic pattern with a scrappy look. I Look forward to displaying this one next year for the spooky holiday in fall.

 

 

Scrappy Witches Brew Wall Hanging Quilt

 

For several years I have relied on a couple of Halloween quilts to decorate my house. My mom has a huge collection of fun Halloween fabrics, and this year I thought it was time to update my décor.

 

 

This is the first of my Halloween quilts. My mom had a neat collection of scraps from a project she did years ago. I decided to try strip quilting. I started with paper squares to give me an idea of how big I wanted them to be.  I used a solid orange fabric to create the center angle, but I didn't measure so the blocks don't all match up perfectly. 

 

 

After that, I simply took the strips of scrap fabric and sewed them on one at a time. Similar to paper piecing. Once a block was finished, I trimmed the fabric to make equally sized squares.

The strips were not of equal size, but they were all within a ½” of each other. There was actually two different fabric lines mixed together here, which helped create a more scrappy feel.

 

Once I had used up all of the small strip scraps to make the blocks, I realized the quilt was still quite small. I also hadn’t incorporated the witches from a matching panel. I decided with the remaining long strips I would incorporate the witches and their pumpkins. 

 

 

There was some sewing and picking to make sure it was laid out just how I wanted. At first, it ended up super long and awkward for hanging as decoration. I doubled up the witches on the top and bottom and added some of the strips to the side to make it a bit wider. This shortened it as well and gave the quilt more balance. 

 

 

Next, I got to work on the backing. I took the largest cut in the pile and used that to make the backing. It is a fun pattern and compliments the front on the quilt well. I pinned the quilt together and used black thread for a basic meander. I kept the quilting simple, but used a stitch that does a great job creating great texture.  

 

Finally, the binding finished the project. I used the solid orange that is in the scrappy blocks. I think it did a nice job pulling everything together.

 

 

I’m so happy with how this turned out. It was a lot of fun experimenting with strip quilting. I never realized how time consuming the process can be. I look forward to doing another one in the future with the collection of scraps I’ve been saving. Until then, I will enjoy my new Halloween quilt.

Sausage Orecchiette and Broccoli in a Cream Sauce

 

I’m not going to lie, this recipe was attractive to me because of the noodles. The little bowl shaped pasta is irresistible. I envisioned a delicious sauce sitting in the beds of those  little pasta bowls, ready to tantalize my taste buds with their yumminess. And let me tell you, this recipe does not disappoint.

 

 

The sausage adds a wonderful layer of flavor. I used a sweet sausage for my kiddos, but it would taste amazing with a spice sausage as well. I did add red pepper flakes, but if you use the spicy sausage, you might taste it first. It all depends on how hot you like it. 

 

 

The other nice thing is that this is a quick meal. It doesn’t take long to put together the ingredients and have a tasty meal for the family. You just can’t go wrong with a great pasta dish for dinner!

 

Sausage Orecchiette and Broccoli in a Cream Sauce

 

3 sausage links, casings removed (mild, sweet, or hot)

1 Tbs EVOO

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbs butter

2 Tbs all purpose flour

2 c milk (whole or 2%)

2 Tbs parmesan cheese, grated

1 12oz box orecchiette pasta, cooked to al dente

1 c reserved pasta water

10 oz broccoli, frozen or fresh, cooked and drained

Red pepper flakes, optional

 

Boil the pasta, following the directions on the package. Drain, reserving 1 cup of water, and set aside. Warm a skillet to med-high. Add the EVOO and brown the sausage. Once cooked, lower the heat to med-low and add the minced garlic. Cook for another minute, stirring frequently.

 

Add the butter to the skillet. Once melted, add the flour and mix well. Add the milk and parm cheese to the skillet. Stir as the liquid heats, scraping any bits off the bottom of the skillet. Once the sauce reaches a simmer, cover the skillet and cook for about 10 minutes. If it starts to get too hot, turn it down to keep it at a simmer.

 

Cook the broccoli and add it to the sauce. Next, add the pasta and about ¼ c reserved water to help thin out the sauce. Stir together and add more water if the sauce still seems too thick. Add salt if needed, and sprinkle some red pepper flakes on top. Serve immediately.