Rainbow Cubic Scraps Table Runner

 

Once I completed the Rainbow Cubic Quilt, I had scraps left over from the strip cutting. It felt like such a waste to toss them, but I also didn’t want to pick them all apart to create something new.

 

 

I looked at the pieces and realized they create a pattern of their own. It would be just enough to make a cute table runner. 

 

 

I sewed the scraps together, but had an uneven number. To keep from having any waste, I pieced them together so colors would blend together. Red with pink, blue with purple, and teal with green. It was a nice touch to create a unique pattern.

 

 

Because of the nature of the scraps, I didn’t really need to add a border to this one. Also, I was trying to keep it to the size of a table runner so no need to make it too wide for that.

 

 

I found a nice and calm backing of clouds in blues and whites. It was perfect.

 

 

I used a basic meander and was able to finish the quilting quickly. I used the same grey binding I used on the cubic quilt, and that was it! This table runner was ready for running tables.

 

 

I’m so glad I was able to use the scraps from the cubic quilt to create something new. I am also glad there was no waste. This little fabric pack was a lot of fun and I created a couple neat projects from it.

 

I actually think I have enough scraps left for one more project…

Rainbow Cubic Quilt

 

When I first started getting into quilting, my mom and I went to a local quilt show. They had so many beautiful quilts to admire and inspire, and they had a great selection of venders with more inspiration and the fabrics to match. As a door prize, there was a raffle and out of some freak of luck, I won a prize! That never happens. 

 

The prize was a beautiful pack of eighths that were all the same pattern but different colors in a rainbow. I loved them, but I didn’t know what I was going to do with them so they were put away for safe keeping.

 

 

Over the years, my quilting skills improved and I became interested in trying a cubic quilt. During the pandemic, the fabric pack came out and I started to think it might be a good fabric for a cubic quilt. While I was confident with angled sewing, I decided to try using a cheater method that uses strip quilting to create half-hexagons and then sew things together in a row to create the cubic illusion.

 

 

 

It worked really well and came together mostly quickly. The slowest part was having it on the floor for layout. My cats thought it was a great runway and tried to change my sewing order a few times. Such creative spirits.

 

 

 

 

Once all the cubes were sewn together, I felt like the quilt needed a border to pull it together. I kept it simple, matching the grey in the quilt to the grey in the border. I also used the grey for the binding, creating a nice simple border to frame the quilt.

 

 

I found this great neutral backing at the LQS that was perfect for this project. Darker than the grey on the front, but still in the same shade group and the flowers were just too cute.

 

 

I used the basic meander again for this quilt because of the scrappy nature of the quilt. However, when quilting I only quilted on the white and grey. I didn’t quilt on the colors at all. It creates a nice puffed up look for the colors, really making them pop out from the quilt.

 

 

This quilt was a fun experiment and challenge. I really enjoyed figuring out how to get this to work, and it’s fun to look at it and get confused about where the cubes are going. Now my cats can sleep on it without a re-design too.  We’re all winning.

Chicken Chili Verde Soup

 

Last year I had a BUMPER crop of tomatillos.  They are delicious, and I absolutely love them, but I was running out of ideas. I decided to combine them with my healthy pepper crop and make a huge batch of chili verde sauce.

 

 

Actually, I ended up making several batches of chili verde sauce. We have been able to enjoy the sauce throughout the fall and winter; it’s been fabulous. We were looking for some new things to do with it, and one cold wintery day, soup came to my mind.

 

 

There’s something wonderful about a bowl of warm soup when it’s cold and rainy. It’s even better when the soup brings a little heat with it as well. I will say, this soup isn’t necessarily very spicy, but it has some great pepper tones and you could definitely add some more jalepeno to it as well. Kick the spice level up a notch.

 

 

I like to make this when I’m in a pinch for time as well. You can use frozen chicken pieces if you don’t have fresh or shredded chicken on hand, which happens a lot in our house. You can also use different beans, or add more. I have tried this with black and pinto together and it’s wonderful! I’m all about the experimenting and mixing it up.

 

 

Chicken Chili Verde Soup

 

 

 

2 Tbs EVOO

1 medium onion, diced

2 stalks celery, sliced

2 cloves garlic

3 c chicken broth

1-2 c water

16 oz chili verde sauce (homemade recipe)

3 pieces fresh or frozen chicken, or 2c shredded chicken

1 15oz can beans, pinto or great northern

1 c frozen corn

½ c sour cream (optional)

 

 

 

In a large cast iron pot, heat the oil at medium-high heat. Add the onion and allow to brown and caramelize a bit, about 3-4 minutes. Add the celery and allow that to cook 3-4 minutes to sweat. Add the garlic and let that cook for 1-2 minutes.

 

Add the chicken broth, the chili verde sauce, and one cup of the water. Bring that to a boil and then add the fresh or frozen chicken to the pot to cook. Put the lid on the pot and allow to simmer for about 15-20 minutes; long enough for the chicken to cook through.

 

*If you’re using cooked shredded chicken, skip this step and move on. Pull the chicken pieces out and set aside. Add the beans and the corn to the pot and bring it back to a boil. Meanwhile shred the chicken and add it back to the pot. Put the lid on and let everything cook for another 10-15 minutes to help build the flavors. If your soup needs more water, add it now.

 

Finally, add the sour cream and mix everything together. Once the sour cream is well incorporated, you are ready to serve. Enjoy with some delicious corn bread or crunchy tortilla chips.