lunar new year Archives - Page 4 of 4 - Clever Chameleon Quilting

June 2, 2020January 19, 2024

Salvation Jane and Ruby Dock: Colour & Inspiration Tuesday

Salvation Jane colour board at Clever Chameleon

Happy Winter, from the Southern Hemisphere

Our winter officially started here yesterday. Although if you were here, you’d be forgiven for not noticing: 18C (64F) and sunny. Truly lovely weather during the day, although the nights are chilly now.

Arkaroola in June — Arkaroola at the beginning of June

The desert knows it’s not summer anymore though. The Salvation Jane weeds (also known as Paterson’s Curse) are growing their incredibly perfect rosettes of teal leaves in the creek bed. Hate the weed, but got to admire that growth habit in our colour board! Also, another weed that has been insipidly hanging around for months has suddenly just acquired breathtaking colour. I give you the latest in desert decoration: the Ruby Dock.

I can’t help but admire the colours, the intricate patterns and the marvellous textures of these amazing plants, even if it would be better if they weren’t here.

The beautiful weather has been good for my own intricate patterns too. I’ve had a productive week ….. I’ve finished my secret sewing I mentioned last week, and submitted the draft pattern. I’m increasingly finding that paper-piecing is pretty addictive…. But no squirrels just yet. I am being good and I’m back to working on the Lunarcy. I have even finished tweaking the Year of the Dog block. Another big step closer to starting to release the pattern.

April 28, 2020January 19, 2024

Cherry Blossom & Mulla Mulla: Colour & Inspiration Tuesday

Mulla Mulla flower colour board at Clever Chameleon

Flowers this week. Lots of flowers. No more creepy crawlies…

The Chameleon objects, naturally. But I am more sympathetic to the bug-not-lovers out there…… I’ve just realised that the size of the local insects dictates the size of the local spiders. I’m a bit off bugs this week.

So, luckily for me there is a new interesting array of flowers out to show you instead. We’ve been having yoyo weather…. it was up to the mid thirties (degrees C) the other day and now we are heading into the mid-teens, tops. And we’ve had a little rain. The plants seem to like the funny weather though, another wave of blooms has appeared.

A big wave of blooms has appeared on the Lunarcy New Year Zodiac quilt too. I believe I am ready to sew the appliqués down now…… The quilt is decidedly living up to its name, there are approximately 600 cherry blossoms on this thing….. Pure lunacy really!

Lunarcy quilt in progress at Clever Chameleon

March 10, 2020January 19, 2024

Weeds, Frogs and a little Lunarcy

Little Arkaroola Frog colour board at Clever Chameleon

Everything grows like weeds after summer rain!

Including the weeds. This week we have been madly helping out with weed control around the Arkaroola village. It’s a crucial few days where the weeds are big enough to easily identify amongst all the beneficial plants, but haven’t started dropping seed yet. The window of opportunity is short, and for the Bindii is almost shut already.

Between that, and schooling, I have still managed a little sightseeing and a little sewing. It helps that we had a public holiday yesterday to get a few things done. I’ve got all my Lunar New Year animal appliqués cut out. And a flimsy sewn, ready to put them on.

And apart from the one, lonely boatman bug next to the frog in our colour board, there are no creepy crawlies in this week’s post. You might not have guessed it from last week, but there is actually a bit more to the Outback than bugs and flies!

January 25, 2020January 19, 2024

Moving Times and New Beginnings

Lunar New Year quilt at Clever Chameleon

Happy Lunar New Year 2020!

As I write this, it is Chinese New Year today and Australia Day tomorrow. So I’m wishing everyone who celebrates either or both occasions a very splendid day.

I am celebrating today, albeit in the absence of the Chinese branch of my extended family, with the next step towards launching our next free BOM here at Clever Chameleon. I got word this morning that the Lunar New Year quilt BOM will be supported by Island Batik, who will very kindly supply the fabrics shown in the picture above so I can make the demo quilt. Auspicious timing! So stay tuned for the beginnings of that adventure very soon in February.

I will also be celebrating tomorrow with my first Australia Day in the Australian wilderness. Nothing more Australian than admiring macropods in the desert! We have made it safely to Arkaroola and moved into our new home. At least, the things we brought in our first load are moved in. Most of my sewing gear is awaiting a second trip, along with our bikes and the other fun things not crucial enough to be included in our initial move. I’ll be glad to have them in about a week’s time.

So far we have experienced our first dust storm, received our first shipment of School of the Air supplies, and made friends with the local wildlife. When I get some time I will show you around the place more. But here’s a snapshot of what we’ve been up to…..