Scrappy Block Valentine Quilt

 

Just in time for Valentines Day, I was able to finish this beauty.  After completing a couple red and pink valentines inspired quilts, I had a lot of red and pink scraps left. Rather than tuck them away in storage, I decided I’d rather make a fun scrappy quilt with them.

 

 

My original thought was to make squares with the two different colors. I already had my piles of 2 ½ inch squares and a cute white with hearts on it for the center of each block. After completing a fair number of blocks, I realized I had a lot more squares than I first thought.

 

 

I decided to expand each block by adding scraps of the opposite color to make the block two squares instead of one, but in different colors. If the inner square is pink, the outer square is red and vice versa.

 

 

One benefit to this approach is that it adds a new level of interest and complexity. The downfall is that it made the quilt that much more busy.

 

 

I think the “more busy” is a fun thing and it works great in this quilt. It’s what scrappy quilts should be, right?

 

 

I found a great sale fabric piece at my LQS for the backing, and did a simple meander all over except on the white center blocks. The chaos of this quilt is powerful enough without an overbearing quilting pattern.

 

 

I used the excess backing to complete the binding, and added my new 2022 label. I always struggle with what year to designate a quilt. If the top is made in one year, but the quilting and completion is done another year, which is the “finish” year? 

 

 

I went with complete finish in 2022 for this one since I really did finish it in January but haven’t had time to get it on the blog.

 

 This was a fun way to use up a lot of scraps. When you start doing the math and realizing how many squares you just sewed together, it’s mind-blowing. Of course, then I look in my scrap bin and see hundreds more squares. Ack! Time to get to work on another scrap buster.

Saucy Red Wine Beef Stew

 

I am always on the hunt for another good beef stew recipe, and this one hits the mark! We have had a particularly cold winter, even getting snow twice. It was a wonderful change of pace, and it allowed me to experiment with more soups and stews. It was fabulous!

 

 

I know I have a fun, classic beef stew recipe that is wonderful and hearty. This one is like the adult version with a rich red wine based sauce that creates a deeper flavor. I used veggies that I love and my family will enjoy, but there’s a lot of other veggies that could go in here. Mushrooms, baby potatoes, sweet corn, and other things like that would be quite tasty additions.

 

 

I usually like to serve my stew over a yummy potato mash. Delicious! Versatile recipes with lots of flexibility are my faves! Have fun with it.

 

 

 

Saucy Red Wine Beef Stew

 

 

1 lb stew meat

2 Tbs flour

1 tsp salt and pepper

3 Tbs EVOO

½ medium onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped in 1 inch pieces

2 celery stalks, chopped in 1 inch pieces

2 garlic cloves, minced

½c to 1c Dry Red Wine

2c to 2 ½c beef broth

1 bay leaf

½ tsp dried thyme, black pepper

1 tsp salt, more if needed

1c frozen green peas

 

 

Using a cast iron pot (or another pot that is oven safe) heat 2 Tbs olive oil. Before it starts smoking, add the onions, carrots, and celery. While that browns and softens, place your stew meat in a bowl, add salt and pepper, and flour. Mix it to make sure all the pieces of meat are evenly coated. Once onions are translucent and carrots and celery are softened, add the minced garlic. Let it cook for about a minute and then remove it and set aside. 

 

Add another tablespoon of oil and heat up to a smoke. Sear the meat, but don’t cook all the way through. Do this in batches if it’s too much for your pot at once; that will ensure a nice sear on all the meat. Once the meat is seared, add ½c red wine to the meat and bring it to a boil. Scrape up the bits in the pan; it will add to the flavor. Add a little more wine if desired, and then add the veggie mix back to the pot. Finally, add 2 to 2 ½ c beef broth, depending on how liquid you like your stew.

 

Cover the pot leaving a slight crack for breathing and place it in the oven at 325 for 1 ½ to 2 hours. When the meat is tender and veggies are soft, pull the pot from the oven and immediately add the frozen peas. Serve with mashed potatoes or noodles. 

 

Denim Raggy Cathedral Quilt

 

I somehow managed to accumulate a whole new pile of denim for quilting. It felt like the right time to work on that pile a bit, and I had just the project in mind.

 

I had seen a few examples of cathedral blocks done with flannel set in the centers. I had a collection of flannels that were left from various baby gift projects, which made their colors a bit different than your typical flannel collection but not so childish that they wouldn’t work in a different project. Just bright and upbeat and cheery colors and patterns. Love it! 

 

I cut out the circles first so I’d know how many of those I could get out of the denim I had. That told me how many square patches I needed, and I tried to make sure I had a balanced number from all of the colors I had.

 

I was able to use up the last of a few of the flannels, which was nice. We don’t get much use out of them down here in the desert, so this was a great way to use them up. I debated whether to include batting under the flannel because it adds cushioning but might be too heavy with the denim and flannel. 

 

 Ultimately, I chose to do it. I want this quilt to be heavy and durable and warm. Almost like a weighted blanket.

 

Once I had everything cut out, I started by sewing the denim circles together. I made rows and then sewed the rows together to make a giant denim mat. I loaded the denim patches with the batting and a flannel piece, making sure to keep the colors mixed up. 

 

 I pinned everything down, but realized quickly the pins weren’t going to do much so I adjusted each row as I sewed to make sure it all stayed in place. It was quite challenging and I think I’d find a different approach if I did it again.

 

The last step was to sew the crescent flaps around the edge and it was all done. Because this is a raggy quilt with rough denim edges, each wash will make it softer and add more texture. These pictures are after one wash. I just recently washed it a second time and it made a mess with all the fringes everywhere. The quilt itself looks amazing though! It will get better every time I wash it, I am sure.

It was nice to do the piecework and quilting work all at once, but man was it challenging to work with all that denim. I LOVE the final product and would totally do it again. Now I’m ready to head out for a picnic, and our weather has been just right for that.