Just add water: Colour & Inspiration Tuesday

The desert was only sleeping

I have been into the Australian Outback many times in the last 20 years, but this unique environment never fails to amaze me. It is resilient and diverse, and just because everything is bone dry, it doesn’t mean that everything is dead. On the contrary – when the conditions are right…… BAM! Life emerges from places and in forms you wouldn’t believe! Two nights ago I saw what looked like an ant that was only about 1/4 inch long, but with an antennae over an inch in length. It was investigating around about itself in an action very much like a blind person using a white cane. Curious company in the ladies’ room here, that’s for sure!

Anyway, you’ll hopefully remember that drought-stricken Arkaroola, where I currently live, received a large amount of rain about 3 weeks ago. Not enough to break the drought, but enough for a reprieve. And while I was disappointed not to be here when it fell, the runner-up’s prize is being able to stay here long enough to see the landscape respond to the water that fell, before the dryness resumes. Let me show you some of the interesting things that are appearing.

And then, I can show you, I’ve also added water to my new Island Batik fabrics. They are all washed and ironed, and poised to start on our Lunarcy New Year Quilt prototype. Here’s hoping that BAM! – that quilt top will appear quite quickly now that those conditions are right too!

Outback Australia does decoration differently

Now that there is water and feed, the large animals that were hanging around the village for survival have melted back into the hills. That is a good thing; they are wild and need to stay that way. But in their place we are now discovering all manner of interesting smaller things.

Here is a look at some of the flowers that are appearing.

One of the many types of Emu Bush (Eremophila) at Arkaroola has started to flower.

Here is a “Native Orange” (Capparis mitchellii) tree…. not related to citrus at all, but still an Indigenous bush tucker food. Paul saw this specimen on a trip he did Saturday, so sadly I didn’t see this impressive one. But I have seen others on trips where we haven’t stopped to take pictures.

A closer view of the incredible Native Orange flowers.

The Wattle trees have likewise wasted no time in starting to prepare new seed.

And I have spotted a bush with yellow pea-flowers that maybe I can photograph for you by next week.

From Unique Flora to Just as Unique Fauna

Here are some of the interesting critters we are seeing on our walks to shared staff dinners and back home. It seems that early evening is a good time for spotting things, like this very large grasshopper near a water hole.

We’ve also found some interesting caterpillars. After some internet searching I am pretty sure the cool cucumber below is the caterpillar of the Hawk Moth species Hyles livornicoides. What is even more fascinating to me is that if it is, it is the same type of caterpillar as eaten by indigenous people of Alice Springs, something I did not previously know. Also the plant appears to be the same Tar Vine shown in this site. Two IDs for the price of one. 😀

We have only found one of these caterpillars so far.

We’ve also been seeing a lot of the type of caterpillar below. Presumably another Hawk Moth species, although I haven’t been able to identify it yet. It has the telltale horn on its back end, which is a Hawk Moth thing, apparently.

These orange and black and white caterpillars make really cool tracks in the bulldust.

And they are really fast (as far as caterpillars go!). I was half expecting this one to be yelling “I’m late, I’m late for a very important date!”. These beasties seem to routinely travel quite reasonable distances even before they get wings.

And speaking of wings, even the night moths are interesting. I’ve been keeping an eye out for Hawk Moths, so this one below caught my eye. It is not a Hawk Moth though. It turns out to be a Grammodes ocellata, also known as the Large-Eyed Box Owlet Moth. It’s a bit tatty, but I still loved the stripes and the false eyes on the wings! This 4cm specimen visited our kitchen window last night. It was safer from the geckos than many of the smaller species that were putting themselves on the menu.

The tadpoles in the water pools are also turning into froglets/toadlets at an alarming rate. Hard to get photos of them now, but they are very entertaining to sit and watch, coming up from the mud to grab a bug and instantly disappearing again.

My other Show and Tell: Where I am at with the coming Lunarcy BOM…

I have now washed and ironed all my new fabrics. This is a novel sight for my sore eyes! Looking back at the picture just now, I am suddenly reminded somehow of “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert”! Incongruous, but doesn’t the Outback look good with a little bit of Island Batik magic?!

Disclaimer: Island Batik supplied these fabrics to me free of charge to create the prototype Lunarcy BOM available here soon at Clever Chameleon for the remainder of 2020.

So now, here’s the promised detail of the fabrics I chose for the Lunarcy BOM and that Island Batik very kindly sent. You can find all of these on the Island Batik website for your local quilt store to stock. Tell them a Chameleon sent you and you are going to make a Lunarcy quilt. Just as soon as the instructions come through. That should get their attention. bahaha! You have my permission to then try to explain that it’s me who’s crazy, not you. On second thoughts, perhaps you should just show them a picture. 🤣

Backing

For the backing I have chosen Marble Candy (BE24-C1). I think that should be “Marble Eye-Candy”! Mmmmmm! This will be a great backing… all I have to do is choose a red bobbin thread and all my mistakes and other quilting idiosyncrasies should disappear into this like snow in the Outback. It won’t show the dust either!

Main Fabrics

For the main appliqué blocks I have chosen Cat Scratch Watermelon (BE18 B1) for the background. This is a gorgeous fabric in reds and pinks and purples. I could use yards and yards of this for all sorts of things, even though I am not a “pink person”. Originally I had thought that I wanted a redder background for my quilt, but this design has so much movement and depth, and says “fireworks” rather than “cat scratch” to me. Which is perfect for a New Year’s quilt. So, Cat Scratch Watermelon for the background it is.

For the sashings between blocks, I have Leaf Vine Nasturtium (BE18-C1) and Dandelion Daffodil (BE22-C1). Unusually for me, this quilt will be nearly all warm colours. But reds, pinks and golds are what will best capture the feel of the Asian New Year, so I am very happy to be playing on the unfamiliar side of the colour wheel for a change.

Also, Leaf Vine – Nasturtium has many of the colours of the other fabrics within the leaf print…. gold, yellow, pink, purple – so I am hoping it will pull everything together. We will be the judges soon enough.

For the Chinese Zodiac Animal appliqués I have chosen Mustard BASICS. This is the same fabric that I used to create my Year of the Dog and Year of the Pig wall hangings, and I love its mottled gold look.

Support Act Fabrics

For the Spring flowers on the Lunarcy quilt I have a pretty collection of pink batiks: Bubbles Carnation (BE32-B1), Primrose BASICS, Mulberry BASICS and Petal BASICS. The flowers could also be made from your favourite scrap fabrics.

For the binding and dark red details I have chosen a favourite: Bubbles Cherry (BE31-C1)

I am also going to do the centres of my flowers in this red (with the caveat that I am prone to changes of mind!). My original designs for the pig and dog mini quilts had button flower centres, but I don’t have that many buttons on hand for a 12-block quilt. The red will also be used to detail the Chinese lanterns that I will make from Peach BASICS.

As soon as I have confirmed that everything goes together as expected, I will give you the required yardages for your own Lunarcy.

Your Show and Tell Time

Red was the colour of the week this week, with many linkups to the “Colour it Red” Blog Hop that was all the rage. I hope you had a chance to take a look at all the terrific participants – you can find the parent page here at Just let me Quilt. And a quick congrats to my friend Lynn for her first turn in a blog hop!

But this week’s party’s top honours must go to Joan of Moosestash Quilting, because one look at her link up confirmed yet again that we are kindred spirits! Joan understands that:

And has crazed caterpillars and a “late, late for a very important date!” critter in her post too!

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If you need a break from all the red, Susan the Farm Quilter can help. She has a beautiful teal and white sewing machine cover made in Island Batik fabrics to show this week.

And Rebecca Grace at Cheeky Cognoscenti is sending herself batty with many matching points of unwieldiness but still had this amazing construction finished. This is a clever mini quilt public display stand, but I’d also love one of these as a display/divider in my own home!

I should probably stop now, but for one last smile, check out this fun quilt shot at Daughters of Dorinda. The unrolled quilt is fun too, you’ll have to visit for a look.

Now, the Cheshiremeleon cordially invites you to Tea…..

Tell us – what are you working on, or have recently finished in your sewing room? We want to know so we can visit and be inspired. Link up a blog post, an IG post or simply a photo from your computer.  See if you can get the Chameleon to turn quilted with happiness. We’d love to see your quilting colours!

• Link up your latest or recent quilt/sewing excitement. All quilt construction stages welcome – finished quilts, quilt blocks – even fabric pulls! Or inspiration sources!
• You have 50 characters in the link description…. tell us who you are and what your fantastic project is.
• URL links are not necessary to link up…. non-bloggers 100% welcome! If you don’t have a URL, you can link up with just a photo.
• Take a moment to visit some friends who came to the party – leave a little love and make their day. And a link back to Clever Chameleon is always appreciated.
• Do it now……. before you forget!

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The Chameleon turns rainbow with pleasure when he hears from you. I am more reserved, so I will respond in gratitude by email instead. Now that it’s your turn…. Scroll right to the end, leave me a comment and tell me, what do you think? Thanks for connecting!

Would you like to keep in touch with Clever Chameleon and the fun quilty ideas I design as well as find all over the internet? You can follow directly for email updates, or through Bloglovin’, Pinterest, IG or FB. All your follow options can be found here. Don’t forget to link up all your current quilting projects on Tuesdays at our Colour & Inspiration Linky parties!