Western Scrappy Log Cabin Quilt

 

When I first got into quilting, and began collecting my stash, I was really interested in western fabrics. Horse shoes and paisleys, horses and cowboys, bandanas in all colors. You name it. I’ve made a couple over the years, but I still have quite an extensive collection.

 

 

While working on another scrappy quilt, I came across some dusty pink fabrics and I thought they’d go well with my dusty pink western fabrics. I bunched them together to wait for an idea.

 

 

Then, while working on a different project, I had leftover blue bandana fabric. An idea began to brew! What if I put my dusty pinks with a bunch of western blues? I’ve never tried a log cabin pattern before and decided this would be a good collection to try it with.

 

 

True to my form, I couldn’t use a normal pattern. I wanted the center blocks in tan and oversized, and I wanted the strips to be 1 ½ inches. Why not? It creates the balance I was looking for between the pinks and blues, and it helps the center tan pieces pop more.

 

 

I thought I’d cut everything out right, but when I started sewing I found they were all too long. There was several scraps, which was a bummer because I hate wasting fabric but it was a learning experience for sure.

 

 

After I got all of my blocks together, I played around with the layout a bit. I debated whether I wanted a diamond setting, or lightning bolts…

 

 

In the end, I chose zigzags. It just looked fun, and I wanted this quilt to be about fun. For the backing, I went back to my stash to try and find something that would match and follow the theme of the front. This beautiful blue piece with horses running on it was perfect! Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite big enough so I added some tan from the front to finish it off. 

 

 

Once again, a basic meander for the quilting seemed to work best. The star of this quilt was the scrappy log cabin, not the quilting. I used the tan once more for the binding, and it was all finished.

 

 

When I showed my husband, he insisted it was red, not pink. I am sticking with that story for him because it’s happily displayed on our couch and I want it to stay there.

 

 

This was such a great project. Always learning! What’s next!

Fall Table Runner

 

I’m continuing to work through the fall fabric stash, and I came across a neat piece that had a repeating pattern of scarecrows and pumpkins.

 

 

I had seen a pinterest post that used a panel to create a table runner. I felt like this fabric would work for that idea and started laying things out.

 

 

I quickly realized this pattern wasn’t going to work perfectly based on the sample I saw, but it would be close. If I’d had enough fabric, I could have made 2 different table runners. Instead, I decided to go with what I had and not worry about the fact that it wasn’t a perfect mirror image.

 

 

The point on the runner is where it’s most obvious it doesn’t match up all the way around and along the wedges. I had to make command decisions about which piece would be where.

 

 

I also added a red fall fabric strip down the center. The is partly to create balance and separate the different patterns a bit, but also because it increased the width.

 

 

It was simple enough to construct, and I did a basic meander all over for quilting. I finished it with a binding matching the red fabric that goes down the center of the runner. Another fun project. I am liking table runners a lot. They use up fabric scraps that I don’t want to get rid of, but also aren’t big enough for another large project.

 

 

I had one more fall project I wanted to do, but I think I’m out of time. Maybe next year. Now it’s time to move on to other seasons. Oh, and this runner is kitty approved.

 

Fall Scrappy Irish Chain Quilt

 

Talk about a quilt by accident. I had this crazy idea in my head to make a double irish chain quilt with fall colors. As I mentioned in my blog post about my moms scrappy quilt, I had gotten all of the green blocks done and was so excited about how it was turning out. 

 

 

As I started putting together the fall colors for the alternating block, I realized a lot of the colors weren’t really “fall” like.  There wasn’t hardly any orange, but there was a lot of browns and pinks, which I wasn’t thrilled with. I wanted it to look like the mountain range covered in fall colored trees.

 

 

I decided to switch gears. I set the green chain blocks aside and finished the scrappy, colored blocks in a separate scrappy block quilt for my mom. 

 

 

Once that was done, I could get back to the green irish chain blocks I made.  I found a couple more oranges at the LQS and also used the ones in my mom’s collection that worked.  I began piecing together the fall colors, and was instantly falling in love with how bold and bright it was. 

 

 

The final step was to assemble the top. I laid it all out and put it all together before the cats could mess it up too much. 

 

 

I used the same purple fabric for the backing that I used on my moms scrappy quilt, and the quilting is a basic meander. The real star in this quilt is the shining colors.

 

 

I didn’t have any green left from the blocks, but I had another green that matched well enough for a binding. I didn’t want to bright a binding, and I didn’t want to introduce a new color.

 

 

If could change anything on this quilt, I would make it bigger. I Love the colors, the scrappy look, and it was pretty easy to put together. I will be doing more irish chains in the future; this was a fun pattern.

 

Mom's Patchwork Quilt

 

 

After my Halloween fabric kick, I moved on to fall colored stuff. Now, this is my moms favorite season and she loves the colors that come with it. She has so many fabrics, it was a little difficult at first to figure out what to work on. 

 

It didn’t take long though, to get some ideas to pop in my head. I came across 2 packs of 5 inch blocks cut from all her fabrics. There are times that our LQS will offer their machine cutting system to people if they bring their fabric in. Usually it’s for preparing for a class, but sometimes it’s for those that have a project requiring a whole of blocks.  They had different sizes, but for some reason my mom chose the 5 inch. That works.

 

 

I took the packs home and pulled one of the packs out. I thought I’d pulled out the one that was mostly reds, oranges, and yellows. I got to work reducing the blocks to 2 ½ inch pieces. My plan was to try making a double irish chain with green chains and the colors in between as the fall colors in the patchwork forest.

 

 

I had some green fabrics and I picked up a solid dark green and a couple more green prints to mix it up and make it scrappy.

 

My first step was to construct the green chains. I whipped through it and made sure to mix a few of the reds and oranges to incorporate the other blocks together later.

 

 

Now, I know what you’re thinking… this is not a double irish chain quilt. It’s not even a single irish chain quilt. It was about this time that I realized my reds, oranges, and yellows also included pinks and browns and even greens. This wasn't going to work. I needed to change course.

 

 

I set the chain blocks aside and included them in another quilt as it was intended to be. More on that later. I kept going with sewing the other scraps together and came up with these fun and colorful 8x8 blocks.

 

 

I decided to keep it simple and found a nice fabric to add sashing between the blocks with capstones in the corners from more of the scraps. I put a matching border around it and called the top complete.

 

 

The backing is this super nice purple fabric with fall colored leaves. My mom had several yards of this, making it a great pick for a backing. I did a basic meander for the quilting, and used a different fall colored fabric for the binding.

 

 

It’s not a very big quilt, which is unfortunate. I had more fabric and could have made it bigger. In the moment, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the patchwork of scrappy fabrics. This quilt really helped me build confidence in the scrapwork abilities and I will trust the process more in the future.

 

 

When it was all said and done, I was cleaning up and sorting the fabrics left and found the bag of 5 inch squares that were ACTUALLY the fall color I’d intended. I had mixed the bags up.  Ha! Oh well, I got 2 quilts out of this project and now I still have more to do another. I’ll take it.

 

Spooky Log Cabin Quilt

I was running out of time to get as many Halloween quilts done as fast as I could.  There was just one more I wanted to complete, and hoped I could fit it in before the actual holiday hit.

 

In my efforts to use as much of the Halloween fabric as I could, I decided to make a log cabin scrappy quilt. Great way to use all those oranges and blacks, right? 

 

 

There was one catch… I had way more blacks and purples than I had oranges. I had to head to the LQS and pick up a couple more to balance out my numbers.

 

Once I had my scrappy balance, I got to work on cutting out the strips. I even made a sample block to make sure I had the right measurements. 

 

 

Full disclosure, my last log cabin I had cut the strips too long and had a lot of waste, and that’s always sad. I was determined to not let that happen again.

 

 

With all the strips cut, I got to work sewing… and immediately hit a snag. I couldn’t remember if the center was meant to be orange or black. It changes how the strips are organized in the block, and it determines whether there’s more black or orange in the finished product. After some contemplation, I was confident I had chosen wisely. I continued with my block construction.

 

 

By the time I reached the end of the blocks, I realized I had chosen poorly and now I had a stack of orange strips that weren’t going to fit in these blocks. I will have to find something else to do with those. Ha!

 

Once my stack of blocks was finished, it was just a matter of picking a layout and sewing the top together. I really liked the diagonal stripe for this quilt. The colors are so bold against each other, I felt like the layout didn’t need to be super busy too.

 

 

Once again, for the backing I used the fabric my mom had the most of and that’s the black with ghosts and bats. It’s a fun fabric so it’s perfect for a Halloween backing. 

 

 

I used a basic meander for the top; in this case the shining start is truly the bold statement these fabrics are making together.

 

I finished with a basic black binding. It created a nice frame around the top and didn’t take away from the backing, which is also a black base.

 

 

I have to admit, this was a fun one. Even though I messed up and didn’t get to use all of the strips I cut, it still turned out awesome. I am really enjoying the log cabin pattern; if I could just use the typical sizes that are readily available instead of constantly having to make my own, I’d be doing much better. 

 

 

 But where’s the fun in that? 

Round Roast Steaks in Gravy, Instant Pot

 

 

For some reason, I have really been craving old fashioned American meals. 

 

Meat and Potatoes!

 

My mind immediately drifts to my grandmother, who was the breadwinner for the family when my mom was growing up. She would come home from work and pull out her pressure cooker and make the most amazing meals. The meat was always tender and juicy and the flavors were rich and bold. I tried very hard to learn how to use her pressure cooker, but alas was unable to duplicate her craft.

 

 

The instant pot changed this for me! Suddenly, I was able to make meals from my childhood. They immediately sent me back to her kitchen; the smells and flavors are all there. 

 

Along with nostalgia, the Instant Pot has allowed me to make meals on the go as well.  I can set the delayed time setting and have a meal ready when we get home from soccer practice or doctors appointments after school. No fuss or worry.

 

This is definitely one of those meals.  I wanted beef and gravy with mashed potatoes, and this recipe delivers. You will not regret throwing this one together, and maybe you’ll have a flashback to grandmas kitchen too. 

 

 

I have done this recipe with round roast steaks and stew meat, which both come out soft and juicy. Eye of Round steaks work as well, but that cut has less marbling and doesn’t fall apart the same; the flavor is still there though. Honestly, I usually shop for a sale cut at the grocery store and that’s what we’re having.

 

 

IP Round Roast Steaks in Gravy

 

 

4-6 slices round roast (1 ½ lbs stew meat)

1 Tbs EVOO

1 pouch dried onion soup

1 ¼ c hot water

½ medium yellow onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ c water

2 Tbs corn starch

 

 

Set your instant pot to sauté. Once warmed, add EVOO and allow it to heat up, slightly smoking. Place half the meat in the pot to sear. After a few minutes, flip it to the other side. Remove and set aside in a bowl, then follow the steps for the rest of the meat. This will take a couple of batches so juices don’t build up and stop the searing process. Once all the meat is seared, heat the pot up again and brown the onion. After a few minutes, add the garlic and cook for just one more minute.

 

Turn off the sauté setting and place the meat back in the pot. Sprinkle the dried onion soup on the meat and then pour the water over it all. Give it a little stir to make sure the seasonings are dissolving in the water.

 

Place the lid on the instant pot and turn on the pressure cook function. Set it to high pressure for 20 minutes. Allow the pressure to slow release for at least 5-10 minutes before using the quick release. This allows the meat a bit more time to soften, so it’s optional.

 

After releasing all the pressure, remove the lid and turn off the pressure cook function. Turn the sauté function on again and let the gravy come to a simmer, just a couple minutes. Mix the ½ c water and corn starch together and add it to the gravy to thicken. Let it simmer while you stir for just a minute more. Turn off and serve with your favorite potatoes or noodles.