Terrifically Tilda Quilt Finish

 In June 2022, the only UFOs I had were at the quilter's and I was ready to start something new.  I had been on a mission to sew up my collection of jelly rolls. This is a different type of fabric than I usually gravitate towards, but I'd noticed it in a few quilt shops back when it came out and I was drawn to the quilts made with it. I never bought any and by the time I decided to, I ran across 2 Tilda Plumb Garden jelly rolls on sale in 2020 and brought them home. 

I don't buy Tilda fabrics anymore because they are more expensive and I really have come close to reaching my capacity for stash storage anyway. And I finally decided I love fabric so much more once it's in a quilt so I am challenging myself to use what I have and that's pretty easy to do when I've got so many great choices. That led to these becoming a Jelly Strip Stash Buster Quilt. 

You can find the tutorial from Cluck Cluck Sew HERE. I didn't want to think, I just wanted to run fabric under the needle and this fit the bill although it probably took me longer to pair up fabrics than it should have. 

Still, 42 blocks came together over the course of about 10 days. And then it sat. For almost 4 years. Yikes. But I finally dug it back out in March and made another 39 blocks

I was short 1 block and cobbled one together

I still have the 2nd jelly roll, but didn't want to break it open for 1 piece. I cut a variety of the chambray fabrics for a scrappy binding

Sandy quilted a design called Asian Fan that complements the quilt top nicely

I was stumped for a backing. I couldn't find anything in my stash that I thought would work and I finally settled on this print that I picked up at Hobby Lobby. I wasn't completely sold on it, but I really like it now.

I like the way everything came together and at 62" x 74", it'll make a good throw quilt

I'll have to come up with another plan for the 2nd jelly roll. But for now, I think this will work. I like this simple, modern take. It looks somewhat like patchwork which is always a winner in my book.

Under the Needle : July

 How is it already the end of July?! We don't live a crazy busy life, but our days are full and every time I turn around, another week...month...year ìs in the rearview mirror.

If I didn't write this little blog, I'd look back and wonder what we did with our days. 

But I figure every time I step into my sewing room, I'm making progress on something. This month I  surprised myself and finished piecing all the blocks (64) for my America 250 quilt and am ready to get it into a top. I love everything about it.

Focusing on that filled up most of my sewing time in July, but I still really need to have a couple of masculine quilts on hand so these pieces were called into action 

I cut everything, pieced it into a top and made the binding, but I still need to press it and make a backing, and binding.

This is currently on my cutting table.

And as we close out the month, I'm binding my Terrifically Tilda quilt

I've been pretty good about finishing 2 quilts most months and I put the last stitch into my Tropical Twist quilt this month

And I finished clipping all the fringe on my First Ride Western Rag Quilt, giving us a cozy finish to enjoy on crisp mountain mornings.

Log Cabin Cowboy Quilt I Did Not Make

 My sister-in-law was up at my in-laws' recently and my MIL was agreeable to parting with a few quilting related items. Once my MIL began to get irritated, they stopped, but she said she wanted me to have this quilt top. I am honored. She doesn't remember making it, but she absolutely did. At 102"x 118", it is huge. 

I need to hunt for a backing, but It's just a hodge podge of so many old western prints combined into one fabulous scrappy quilt! 

We're thinking she made it about 20 years ago so the fabrics are probably 20-50 years old or whenever western fabrics were first produced.

 I don't know if low-volume prints were a thing back then, but she found some great ones to include 

She hand quilted every single quilt she ever made and part of me is considering doing the same with this one. Is that the crazy part talking or should I have it machine quilted?

I could use your input. My SIL is a quilter and she thinks it's crazy to hand quilt it. 

I'm on the fence....and of course it's barbed wire so I'd like to pick a side because it's a tad prickly up here. 😂

Pulled Pork

 We never ate much pork. Managing ranches and raising cattle, meant we always had deep freezes full of beef so in lieu of pulled pork, we'd shred brisket or roast and add barbecue sauce, but the last few years we've mixed in more pork and chicken. Fish was always available because our dirt tanks were full of fish and we liked to fish.

But last week, I picked up a pork butt and made pulled pork. I served it over baked potatoes. When I visited our girl a few weeks ago, she served it this way and I loved it.

I made a rub, coated the pork, wrapped it in plastic wrap, and left it in the fridge overnight.

Then I just put it in a baking pan and cooked it on 300 for 7 hours...it pulled so easily.

I used THIS recipe. The boys and little E loved it so I've added it to my tried and true recipe book because it'll be on the menu as a summer repeat from now on.

Pulled Pork Rub

1/4 C brown sugar

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tbsp paprika

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 tsp cayenne

1 bone-in pork butt

3-4 onions, halved

1 bottle good barbecue sauce

*Mix up all the spices in a small bowl and rub all over pork butt. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refigerate overnight. Place halved onions in bottom of baking pan. Place pork butt on top. Cover with foil. Bake 6-7 hours at 300. 

I've tried the pulled pork with the Dr. Pepper in the past, but we liked this better and I never have Dr. Pepper in the house anyway.

Despite the cayenne in the rub, this isn't spicy at all, so knowing my bunch, they all added pickled jalapenos or pico. 🤗