Lunarcy Pig: Colour & Inspiration Tuesday

Lunarcy Quilt: Year of the Pig Block Release Day

Another day, another dose of Lunarcy!

Ha! Ain’t that the truth?! Just for something different though, it’s the good kind of Lunarcy scheduled today – we are moving on to the next block of the Lunarcy quilt. Since we are working backwards through the Chinese zodiac (to arrive at the Ox on Chinese New Year 2021), our new block is the Pig. In the zodiac legend, the Pig finished last in the Emperor’s race. There are various versions, but one common story is that the Pig got hungry, had a feast – and the inevitable post-lunch nap – and barely made it to the finish line in time to be part of the zodiac calendar at all.

pig lantern

But for all that, the Pig is one of the most positive Zodiac animals – being seen as a figure of prosperity and good luck. People born in the Year of the Pig are said to be diligent, compassionate, generous, calm, happy, easygoing, honest, trusting, educated, sincere and brave. It seems there are much worse things you could be than a pig.

Especially a pig this happy!

Year of the Pig appliqué for the Lunarcy quilt

Delve into the blog today to grab your copy of the Lunarcy Pig appliqué pattern. I hope you enjoy it. I also have more Outback Spring photos and the first block of a new quilt project I am working on for Show and Tell. And of course, lots of fun in our weekly linky.

READ ON TO KEEP COLLECTING YOUR LUNARCY PATTERNS

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

It’s A Garden Party Row Along!

pigeon in a bird bath paper pieced quilt block designed by Dione Gardner-Stephen of Clever Chameleon

Welcome to Day 6 of the “It’s A Garden Party” row along!

Please excuse the pigeon. He says he’ll be with us in a moment.

Once a year Marian of Seams to be Sew hosts an amazing event – a huge row along where lots of designers come together on one project. This year we have each designed a garden themed block for you to collect – mix and match them into a project that you love!

Garden Party row along

If you follow along with this event, you will find lots of beautiful gardening blocks, flower blocks, garden produce blocks and fun critters to choose from – some of which you might even prefer on a quilt than in your actual garden! And there are prize draws too. Come join the party, try out your luck in the prize draws, and collect your free copy of my block pattern today: Garden Bath Joy.

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Grumpy Sunflowers: Colour & Inspiration Tuesday

Sunflower colour board

I was going to pass. No blogging this week….

The Chameleon was just not in the mood. Grumpy. Not enough sewing, for one. My laptop ate my homework for another (no joke, literally corrupted my assignment during the last save, between proofread and submit….(&*$%@!!!) and we are all suffering varying degrees of end-of-school-term-itis here, etc etc. Nothing serious. Just pecked to death by the gloom duck, even after hubby helped me retrieve *most* of my assignment from wherever it is that corrupted files go to die.

But then I read through the link ups at last week’s Colour & Inspiration Party and felt sooo much better. Little rays of sunshine everywhere, encouraging the Chameleon to lighten up.

From this…. (perhaps not really quite this bad!)…..

dead sunflower

To this….. (also maybe not quite this sunny, but you get the idea).

sunflower

And, I thought, if I needed a bit of eye-candy to help get things going in the right direction again, then maybe so does at least one of the Chameleon’s quilty friends. So, the Chameleon is showing up and getting on with it. I have actually finished the next block on the Lunarcy Quilt (Year of the Horse). Done in advance, as I knew this week wouldn’t likely be pretty, even before I naively underestimated the curve balls. Thankfully I worked really hard last week to get ahead. And of course, when all else fails we can always Party! 😀

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Yellow Butterfly Hijinks: Colour & Inspiration Tuesday

Yellow Butterfly Hijinks colour board at Clever Chameleon

The little blue flower that started a neighbourhood dispute…..

Or was it the yellow butterfly? Or someone else entirely…..?

Watching the local pollinators compete, you would be forgiven for thinking that flowers are scarce in Arkaroola right now. Which, I think you probably get the idea: they are not. The cooler weather, plus the months elapsed since our big rain, has resulted in a bloom of both flowers and insects. Wanted and otherwise.

But apparently some flower locales are more desirable than other blooming addresses. Even within the best Cattle Bush Restaurants there appears to be premium tables where the best-dressed socialites wish to be seen hanging. The freshest nectar. The showiest location….. or perhaps just a good old fear of missing out? Whatever the reason, the competition out there for specific dining experiences is fierce right now. And, for a butterfly of quiet disposition, eating out is not quite as simple a task as you might expect!

Come sit in a dry Arkaroola creek bed with me and watch the locals fight it out for a feed. Not everyone was as yellow as these guys either. Size and brawn both still count for something when you want your own way, apparently.

After the cheap amusement, we can quickly detour past my sewing room, although most of what I’ve done there this week has to stay secret for a bit longer. No Lunarcy this week, something entirely different- my very first paper-pieced pattern! Ha, you didn’t see that coming, did you? Actually, that makes two of us.

And then join me to find out where some of the best hangouts on the quilt-net were this week. Warning: humble brag forecast this week is for a high chance of self-promotion. 😀

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