Applique Archives - Clever Chameleon Quilting

October 27, 2020January 19, 2024

Rats! Colour & Inspiration Tuesday

2020 – Year of the Rat

In the beginning there was the Rat. And the Rat jumped the queue.

According to Chinese legend, it was the Rat who (somewhat dodgily) won the Emperor’s race that decided the identity and order of the Zodiac animals. And so it is the Rat who is the first animal of the 12-year Lunar Calendar cycle. As one version of the story goes, the Rat caught a ride in the amiable Ox’s ear to cross a river during the race, but then abused the favour by dashing across the finish line first, claiming the honours.

And it seems that the ancient precedent for the Rat jumping the queue still holds. I started designing the Lunarcy quilt in 2018 with the Dog appliqué, and then followed in 2019 with the Pig appliqué, but it is the Rat appliqué that is released first. It seems only fitting though – 2020 is the Year of the Rat, the Year of the Lunarcy quilt, and coincidentally, also somewhat dodgy.

Year of the Rat Appliqué at Clever Chameleon

And so, today is the day to grab your copy of the Lunarcy Rat appliqué pattern. I hope you enjoy it. 🙂

READ ON TO KEEP COLLECTING YOUR LUNARCY PATTERNS

October 20, 2020January 19, 2024

Branches and Blossoms: Colour & Inspiration Tuesday

Branches and Blossoms colour board at Clever Chameleon

The Lunarcy Quilt continues today

Wasn’t the “It’s A Garden Party” row along this past month fun? I hope you were left with lots of resources and ideas. Now that that intermission is over though, we should return to our regular programming to see what the Chameleon’s been working on.

The big event in the main ring at Clever Chameleon’s circus at the moment is the Lunarcy Quilt, and it’s definitely time to get on with it! So, Part Two of the Lunarcy Quilt pattern is available for you to download today. This new pdf supplies you with all the appliqué templates you’ll need to create the branches and blossoms for the Lunarcy Quilt blocks, ready to add the animals and lanterns.

And the latest news at Arkaroola? Well, it has finally rained!

READ ON TO keep COLLECTING YOUR LUNARCY PATTERNS

October 13, 2020January 19, 2024

Lettuce Turnip the Beet: Colour & Inspiration Tuesday

Lettuce Turnip the Beet colour board at Clever Chameleon Quilting

Welcome to the Show and Tell Day for the Garden Party Quilts!

I hope that you’ve enjoyed the past month of the “It’s A Garden Party” row along. I certainly have. Congratulations to Marian at Seams to Be Sew on another successful event, and many thanks to all my co-designers for all their wonderful quilt block patterns and blog posts. Another huge, generous series this year.

And now – today is “Open Gardens Day”. The last day of the blog hop and time to share projects already made from one or more of the myriad of newly released patterns. It’s the “It’s a Garden Party row along” show and tell day!

Spring Garden Quilt by Dione Gardner-Stephen at Clever Chameleon Quilting

Today, twelve of the “It’s a Garden Party” bloggers have banded together to bring you one last Garden Quilt bonanza. Marian of Seams to be Sew is releasing another free block for your collection, and there will be numerous ideas shared to help you get the most out of your new quilt blocks. Hopefully you have been watching my Spring Garden Party quilt come together over the past month – well, today I can finally show you the whole thing! The pigeon’s even had an upgrade…. Bath? He’s not having a bath. It’s a pool party for one!

Come on in to find out more…. let the Chameleon lead you up the garden path!

October 6, 2020January 19, 2024

Gnome for the Holidays: Colour & Inspiration Tuesday

Quilt, quilt as fast as you can!

A surprise package of quilting-friendly weather arrived here at Arkaroola yesterday. You’d never know it now, but the week started out with days of 37C (99F), with severe wind and dust storms. Some poor school holiday campers in the caravan park even had to down their tents and book emergency accomodation in the main village; it was simply that YUCK. But then yesterday a cold front rolled in and now it’s raining. Today’s predicted maximum is 14C (57F)! I know, crazy, right?! Spring!

Mr. Mew is not happy. He’s just finished shedding his winter coat everywhere. So he’s cold and clingy. I am personally grateful for the sweet juxtaposition of the cooler weather, the school holidays and no travel commitments – perfect for quilting. I’ve just finished all the patchwork for my “It’s a Garden Party quilt” and I’ve started on the appliqués. First I stitched the pigeon and bird bath centre panel, and now I’m working on the blocks around it.

I’ve told the cat to stay off the quilt from now on – it’s been declared gnome man’s land. By way of reply, Mr. Mew pointed out that it is he who gets up to mischief at night, steals my bobbins and kills all my plants. Turns out, Mr. Mew is a fully qualified, card-carrying member of the Gnome Society. Figures.

September 29, 2020January 19, 2024

Too Coo’ for School: Colour & Inspiration Tuesday

Pigeon patchwork block colours at Clever Chameleon

School’s out for a fortnight. Time to play!

The Chameleon’s on Term break. The Arkaroola “school house” is closed. The tables have been reclaimed as sewing spaces. It’s time to catch up on some sewing, writing and other activities that have been on the backburner so long that they might just have mutated into new life forms.

To celebrate, I’ve started with sewing the next batch of blocks for my Garden Party quilt. Did you catch last week’s quilt blocks in the “It’s A Garden Party” row along and blog hop? I released my fun pigeon/bird bath block amid another flurry of amazing patterns, this time for cardinals, frogs and turtles, hexie flowers, fall leaves, a cactus garden, inspirational pillows, pinwheel flowers, octopuses and even a floral vine block.

Since then I’ve been collating printouts like crazy, and making all sorts of impossible decisions. Will this block fit? Does it suit? Can I squeeze it in? How should I balance the colours? You know, world changing stuff.

I’d like this quilt to turn out well, so I have actually spent a fair bit of time deliberating. I’ve got to make my sewing time count at the moment. So far, I’ve managed to incorporate eleven patterns into my small quilt and I think I have space for three or four more. In the end I will have used about one third of the Garden Party block options, although not all in their full form. Not bad going for a small lap quilt, I think. I estimate you’d have to make a queen size to use all the terrific patterns in this year’s row along!

Come on, let’s see what fun designs are on offer this week! I’m sure I can squeeze one or two more in!