Friendship Basket Club March

March is such a season of transition. 
This year particularly has held challenges for many of us. 
We have seen the fury of nature across the country as well as across the globe.
Many have experienced loss in a variety of different areas.

It is said, "That which doesn't kill you,  makes you stronger". 

Through times like these we are blessed to have friends who hold us up when

we feel as though we can not go on another day.  Through times like these
we retreat to the comfort we find in expressing our emotions in cloth.
Through times like these we discover the true depths of our spiritual &
interpersonal relationships.

I believe we are all getting stronger as we participate in a good workout,  stretching & growing with our challenges, what ever they might be.

In choosing a block for this month I came upon "Grape Basket"
I love it.....One of my favorite things about March is,
you start to see spring bulbs awaken from their Winter slumber.
The very first to wake are the tiny Grape Hyacinths.  I love their
deep purple clusters in contrast with the remaining snow we usually
have on the ground. 

They whisper to me "The world is awakening, the cold death
of winter will hold us no more it it's icy grip....life will come
again to this part of the world & soon the summer sun will
warm us....body and soul"


Until next time.....Enjoy!

March Templates "HERE"



Remember all blocks will finish 8.5"x8.5" 
Refer to the introductory post for detailed information

February Friendship Basket Club

Ahhh..... The Month of LOVE!!
February can be so unpredictable....Weather can be mild or horrific, celebrations have slowed down yet the days seem to short to accomplish everything we have on our list.  We find ourselves caught in the winter doldrums & patiently waiting for the signs of spring.


I find it interesting that February is the month most people make their summer vacation plans.....Quilter's, they retreat! 
February & March are the biggest months for quilting retreats.  Now you could chalk it up to many things.....cabin fever, wanderlust, but being the month of LOVE.....I think it's all about the human connection.
As women we give, give, give from October through December... cooking, gifting, making sure every hope & dream for the holidays come true. 

Then February arrives..... we give ourselves a little gift, maybe a little splurge. 
It seems women naturally crave the companionship of those who know us & understand us best.....our sisters, friends & confidants. 

It reminds me of "Anne of Green Gables"  when Anne Shirley confides in Marilla...."Do you think that I shall ever have a bosom friend?  An intimate friend, you know....a really kindred spirit to whom I can confide my inmost soul.  I've dreamed of meeting her all my life". 

Shortly after, Anne meets Diana Barry & a friendship begins.  Anne has finally met her bosom friend, her kindred spirit.  They take an oath to be faithful to each other for as long as the sun & moon shall endure.

I recently attended a retreat at Bryce Canyon.  A lovely woman/quilter has been organizing this retreat/reunion for around 20 years.  It was such fun watching as old friends reunited.  Many consider this yearly ritual sacred, they make the trip to reconnect, refresh, & relax with their kindred spirits, their bosom friends.  It's like the "March of the Penguins" .... driven by nature to make the trek.....& nothing short of death will part them.
As the days progressed it was exciting to see new friendships blossom.  New opportunities to form bonds of friendship which held all the promise if nurtured tenderly, they too would become kindred spirits, bosom friends.

It gave me cause to reflect on my dearest friends, the kindred spirits, who hold a place of honor in my heart, whether they are near or far, they are always with me!

Remember:  "A friend is a gift you give yourself"

Till next time....

February Templates click    "HERE"

Friendship February Recipe

Layered Cheesecake Dessert:

This comes to me by way of another friend, and yes I did a little tweeking of the recipe again...
I told you I just can't help myself.  I must say that once it's made, it's almost too beautiful to eat!

3 C. sliced fresh strawberries
3 T. sugar
3 C. fresh blueberries
2 (8oz.) pkgs cream cheese, softened
2 C. cold milk
1 (3.4 oz.) pkg Instant vanilla pudding
2 C. thawed Cool Whip Lite topping
1 (16 oz.) Sara Lee frozen pound cake, cut into 1"cubes

Combine sliced strawberries with sugar, refrigerate.  In a seperate bowl, beat cream cheese until creamy.  Mix powdered pudding package with 2 C. milk, then beat into the cream cheese
and mix well.  Add 1 1/2 C. of the whipped topping and fold well into the mixture.

Now grab a lovely Trifle dish and lets build this beauty!

Start with a layer of cake, then berries, then cheesecake mixture, repeat cake,
berries & cheesecake mixture.  If you have a very tall dish you may have
enough for another small layer.

I finish it off with the leftover whipped topping and a few berries to decorate the top.  Then refrigerate covered until time to serve.

Ahhh....Heaven! 

Friendship Basket Club

Hurray!!  We are re-launching our
Friendship Basket Club

This will be a year long club.....celebrating,
Women, Sisters, Mothers, Daughters & Kindred Spirits. 
We hope to focus on our common love of quilting while we explore
friendships old & new.

Become a follower of the blog...

The end of each month you will find....
* A new pattern... (these will be available through a link to a storage site. 
The patterns will be done in template form so everything will be actual size  and compatible for US & International quilters).
* A newsletter... (thoughts, musings & stories about friendship).
* A recipe...  (sharing is caring!!! & what's better than food?)

The quilt consists of 12 basket blocks with some applique'.
A setting block which will be constructed multiple times. 
Blocks are 8 1/2" finished.

This is a mystery quilt format......so you will know what the finished quilt will look like 12 months from now.

We have a limited number of kits available for the monthly blocks as well as the background fabric.  Check with the store for availability.

Have questions?  email JoyLyn
broadbentsquiltshop@gmail.com

This project is complimentary...and holds a copyright.
Please print and reserve for your own use. 
No teaching, selling, etc.

Since each quilter has a unique style & method for quilting we make no guarantees as to the finished product.  Every effort has been made to produce an error free pattern.  Some quilting experience is suggested (or grab an experienced quilting friend to tutor you).

Friendship Basket Club January

Friendship; Webster's says a friend is one well known to another, regarded with affection and loyalty, someone emotionally close, someone who trusts & is fond of another, an ally, a defender & supporter...
With that said, where do we start to explore this vast arena called friendship?

January is behind us, New Year resolutions are well underway, so I feel the logical starting point would be to turn inward for a better look.  For example, each "New Year" we examine the past year and like a grade school report card we grade every aspect of our lives, judging whether we have made the grade or fallen short in different areas.  Each person has a different set of criteria on which they grade themselves, but one common thread connects us as women: quite often we expect a level of excellence from ourselves that we would never impose on anyone else.  After giving this some thought it felt only natural that our friendship journey begin with some self-evaluation.

Eleanor Roosevelt said "Friendship with oneself is all-important because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world". 
With that in mind I reslove this year to become better friends with myself. 
I will;  Treat myself better, speak kinder words to myself, and become better acquainted with who I am & the woman I want to be.  After all Robert Louis Stevenson said "A friend is a gift you give yourself". The way I look at it, I am going to spend my entire life with myself.  Do I really know who I am? 


Now comes the question, "Where do I start"?  My confession: some time ago (years ago, not months ago) I bought a book titled "Simple Abundance . . . A Daybook of Comfort and Joy" by Sarah Ban Breathnach.  The back cover explains that it is a book of 366 evocative essays - one for every day of the year - written for women.  The hope is that by heightening my awareness & simplifying my life, I will come to recognize the abundance in my daily life, take time to smell the roses as it were and live a simpler more authentic life.  I am finally digging in, reading & taking it to heart.  I must say that it's just a little something I am choosing to do for myself.  It has taken a while to get to this point, who knows why, but I must admit I like it.  I think I'm hooked!

Now for you!  Give yourself a treat.  What is that?  It is certainly different for each of us.  You will need to look inside and discover what your needs are.  It may take some time to get in tune with yourself.  Be kind & patient, it may have been a while since you had a good conversation with the girl in the mirror.  Give it a try, I think you'll like her . . . .keep it up and you might even become great friends!  As George Herbert said  "Take the Gentle path".

Until next time I hope you find Comfort & Joy
friendship-basket-january-templates
































NOTE:  The newsletter will contain my personal thoughts about the topic of "Friendship". The quilt blocks and tutorial are my creations and so all questions regarding them should be directed to me broadbentsquiltshop@gmail.com (save the girls at the shop from any mistakes made on my part). This also means the project is for your individual, personal use and enjoyment. This is not to be used in any commercial, retail or wholesale format such as selling kits, printing patterns or teaching classes. The "Friendship Basket Club", all patterns, instructions & newsletters are the property of "A Couple of Chicks and Some Sheep" copyright 2010. Kind comments and constructive criticism is always appreciated, anything else . . . Count to 10 and breathe deep. This is supposed to be fun!

Friendship January Recipe

Our January recipe will warm your soul.  Nothing is better than a simple bowl of delicious soup!  Sometime it's those simple meals shared with family or friends that are the most satisfying. 

The base recipe came to me from a friend, then I tweaked it a bit.....(I just can't restrain myself when I am in the kitchen.)  Hope you enjoy!

Creamy Tomato & Basil Bisque' Soup

1/4 Cup butter (yes it needs to be butter)
1 med. onion, diced
3 celery ribs, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 Cup flour
6 Cups chicken broth
3 cans (14.5 oz size) Italian Style stewed tomatoes w/basil
1 can (6oz.) tomato paste
1 Tbsp sugar
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. dry basil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3/4 Cup Whipping cream
salt & pepper to taste
croutons and fresh parmesan cheese for topping


Melt butter in a heavy stock pot, over med. heat.  Add onion, celery, carrot & garlic.  Cook until very tender. 

Whisk in flour over low heat.  Add broth & whisk while adding.  Add in the 2 cans tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, bay leaves & basil; bring to a simmer for about 15 min. whisking occasionally.  

Remove bay leaves. 

In blender, carefully puree' the soup & set aside.  Into the stock pot add remaining can of tomatoes, chunk and mash them up, then add the soup puree into the stock pot.

Slowly stir in cream & simmer for 10 min. then add the Balsamic vinegar.  

Season to taste.  Garnish with croutons and fresh shaved parmesan cheese & Basil sprig.  Now here is a little slice of heaven!