Tag: lunar new year

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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
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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
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Take that 2020! Colour & Inspiration Tuesday

Take that 2020 colour board at Clever Chameleon

2020: What a Rodent of a Year!

Well, I think it is safe to say 2020, the Year of the Rat, has not gone to plan. I, for one, will be happy to draw a line under this year and recycle all my 2020 New Year’s hopes and plans for 2021. Easiest New Year’s resolutions ever and environmentally friendly too! 😀

But for now I’m hanging in there, and I hope you are too. There’s still some fight left in this Chameleon! And in a defiant act of self-defence I am finally releasing the Lunarcy Quilt pattern. Take that 2020!

Lunarcy BOM

This post includes the first installment of the Lunarcy pattern – a pdf for the Lunarcy Quilt fabric requirements and the basic quilt construction. The appliqué files will follow in fairly rapid succession. The reality is that Lunarcy will not be a block of the month anymore, as I would still like to wrap it up when I originally intended – around the beginning of the Year of the Ox (in mid February 2021). So the patterns will be released far more frequently than monthly to make up for lost time. Of course, they will still be free, and still available on the Clever Chameleon website until it is all over. Just now you don’t have to be quite as patient! How’s that for positive spin? 🙂

So, hold onto your hats, batten down your email hatches, and enjoy the lunatic Lunarcy Lunar Calendar ride. Welcome to the Chameleon’s 2020 BOM, truncated in time but not awesomeness. And here’s to the rest of the year that must surely be more fun than the first part!

Read on to start collecting your Lunarcy patterns
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Winter Solstice: Colour & Inspiration Tuesday

Moth at Arkaroola colour board at Clever Chameleon

Desert winters are nothing if not unpredictable

Winter is a funny thing in the desert. The nights are mostly bitterly cold, while the days are pleasantly warm. But very occasionally we get a wind blowing in with heat from somewhere, and the night can stay ‘balmy’ for many hours after sunset. We had one of those evenings on Friday night. While the freezing cold nights (think frozen water pipes) are bug-free, warmer evenings bring small collections of brave new winter visitor species we haven’t seen before. Mostly lazy moths decorated in interesting patterns, like this pretty little thing that reminds me of a seventies carpet rug.

On a tree or a bush, I reckon this little guy could teach the Chameleon a thing or two about camouflage. Instead he seemed to be taking lessons from the Chameleon on standing out. Why let all that wonderful patterning go to waste?

What a load of……

Ummmm….. Ox?

Year of the Ox that is. I’m halfway through the sewing of the Lunarcy quilt and still accelerating. You will have to forgive me if next week is a bust though, as the kids have an itinerant teacher visit for the next few days. All bets are off as to what will or won’t get done.

Lunarcy Quilt at Clever Chameleon

But, as promised, the top half of the Lunarcy quilt is done this week (except the flower centres). Also, another promise: I am not going to beguile you further with insect stories today. Ok, maybe one butterfly birth. But nothing scary or creepy. How about a short walk around the southern side of Griselda Hill into a slightly damp microclimate instead?

Continue reading “Winter Solstice: Colour & Inspiration Tuesday”
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Arkaroola Birds: Colour & Inspiration Tuesday

Mallee parrot colours at Clever Chameleon

Thirsty, Busy, Romantic Visitors

June seems to be nesting season at Arkaroola. There are lots of pairs of birds around, and I’ve even been seeing a few different species collecting nesting materials. A Little Crow went past my lounge room window on the weekend with several large sticks in its beak. The Mallee Ringneck Parrots seem to be collecting moss or lichen from my roof. And all the lads have started trying to impress their dinner dates by bringing them to the very exclusive Chameleon’s freshwater café and bar.

The nights here have become very cold recently, which causes water to condense on our roof and verandahs. It is also increasingly dry here again, so this condensation seems to be an important source of morning water for the local birds. So, when the conditions are just right, we get a queue of feathered visitors to drink from our gutters. Most are very camera shy, and flee at the first scent of paparazzi, so it has been challenging to get good photos. But I have managed to snap and identify a few of the different species.

The handsome fellow in our colour board is a Mallee Ringneck Parrot. He brought a lady friend, but she stayed on the roof out of sight until they were ready to leave. He posed for just long enough to get a couple of pics for the society pages. My other recently identified visitors include Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters, White-plumed Honeyeaters, and Purple-backed Fairywrens. The Crested Pigeons and Willie Wagtails continue to visit too.

Cat on quilt

In the sewing room, I’m still making good progress on the Lunarcy quilt. The cold nights that are watering the birds are also playing havoc with my bobbin tension though….. so sewing is off the menu until the ambient temperature rises each morning. Not that I am often allowed to touch the quilt until Mr Mew is warm anyway.

Continue reading “Arkaroola Birds: Colour & Inspiration Tuesday”
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