Quilt of the Month

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

I like to sew.  I'm learning...albeit slowly, from my friend, Jamie.  The very first thing we sewed together was a baby quilt for a teacher at the school where we used to work.  I have a hard time believing that was almost 8 years ago already!  She taught me how to make a basic log cabin quilt using the book Quilt in a Day by Eleanor Burns; which I highly recommend to anyone who wants to learn to sew but is hesitant in starting a big project (straight lines only for the log cabin!!).  I have to say, it is still my go-to quilt when I need to make a gift.  Don't be fooled by the name, however, it does take more than a day to make...athough, possibly if you had an entire day to commit (seriously..who HAS that kind of time??), it could feasibly be done.  

This past November/December, The Teacher's aunt has been battling esophageal cancer and, at the age of 84, underwent rounds of radiation and chemotherapy.  She's made of good stuff..by the end of her treatments she reported "a bit of a sore throat".  Amazing.  Anyhow, I thought she might like to have something snuggly to take with her to and from the hospital during her treatment, so I pulled out my handy dandy (and worn!) copy of Quilt in a Day, went to my neighborhood JoAnn store and came up with this color scheme:

Her favorite colors are blue/turquoise and these felt cheery and upbeat.  Anyhow, then I got busy stripping (heehee):

and soon had this:

Here you can see the super soft snuggly fabric on the back (which means I didn't have to use batting!):

Here's a close up:

And there it is:  The Eileen!  Here's praying that her treatments worked and that her 2012 will be chock full of health...goodness knows, she deserves it!

This year, one of my New Year's resolutions (#2) is to learn to put in a zipper.  How about you? Do you have a special craft or project that you use as your "go-to" when you want to give some one a "pick me up'?  OR do you have any craft-related resolutions for 2012??

Hope you are having a great 1st week of 2012!

~Bean

PS...I tried taking a picture of the Enchilada Soup this evening...let's just say it tasted WAAAY better than it looked in the picture..so I'll spare you!  Which reminds me:

Slowcooker Split Pea Soup:

In your slowcooker, combine:  2 Cups split peas, 2 C diced ham, 1 medium carrot (chopped), 2 ribs celery (chopped), 1 medium onion (chopped), 1/2 t salt, 1/4 t pepper, 1T Italian seasoning,  and 5 C stock.  Stir, cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-5 hours!  1 Cup= 265 calories and 5.4 g fat. Bon Appetite!