Willowberry Designs ~ Alpaca Softies

It's not always about quilting

This is in response to all the emails asking for the muffin 'pattern' - you can substitute peaches or apricots for the orange

Lite orange and poppyseed muffins - remember these?

preheat oven to 180C

Peel and segment 1 lge orange (remove all of the white pithy stuff) and drain the little wedges on paper towel.  Put these aside, they're the decoration for the top

Beat 1/4 cup lite margarine with 1/4 cup brown sugar until it's creamy                

Add two eggs - one at a time making sure you beat well after each egg

Beat in 1/4 cup skim milk, 1/4 cup orange juice and a teapsoon of fine orange zest

Add a small tub (about 100g) of diet fruit yoghurt - I like to gently fold this through so the little bits of fruit don't break up.  At this point it looks like it's already been eaten and is in your stomach.  Keep going, it gets better..... 

Sift 2 cups wholemeal SR flour, a smidgeon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon poppy seeds and 1 teaspoon baking powder into the wet mix.  You can tip the husks into the bowl as well - or throw them out.  Fold the mixture gently - if you madly beat it at this stage the dough will become tough

Spoon the mix evenly into muffin papers placed in a 12 cup muffin tray.  Add a tumble of rolled oats  over each muffin and place an orange wedge on top of that.  Bake for about 18 - 22 minutes, depending on your oven, and leave them in the tray for a minute or so before you transfer them to a wire rack.

Not so lite muffins.... WHO PUT THAT GOOEY STUFF ON TOP??

When they're cool, add a dollop of chocolate ganache.  I found Blossy's secret freezer stash :-)  Of course, these are for Col......

have a fun weekend, see you on Feb 1st

Cheryl

 

Snippets

It's been a busy week

Busy doing lots of secret stitching....

 

 

   

Busy creating a few new friends - I thought Sharlene the sheep was more his type but no...  Norman fell in love with Bessie the cow...

   

Busy waiting for this to get big enough to pick....

and this afternoon, busy baking healthy wholemeal orange and poppyseed muffins.  Delish...  

I also finished a couple of customer quilts, that's always good fun!  Check back with me on February 1st when 'Verandah Views' Block 2 will be ready.

It's a bit cute...  :-) 

Thank you Joy

 

The meaning of this award:

This blog invests and believes in Proximity- nearness in space, time and relationships.
These blogs are exceedingly charming.
These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends .
They are not interested in prizes for self-aggrandizement!
Our hope is that when the ribbon of these prizes are cut ,even more friendships are propagated

If you'd like to see more of Joy's work, check out her blog at Joypatch.  She's just made the cutest cot quilt and is having a giveaway to celebrate.... 

Storms yesterday evening

After a really warm day, we had a thunderstorm last night.  It started rolling in at about 5.30

view from the front verandah

 

and the view from the back verandah - look how blue the sky is

 

Five minutes later

 

It looked really threatening and the wind blew like crazy but there wasn't much rain in it for us.  I'm sure someone got a bucketing though...

It cooled it down a bit but today is hot and muggy again - maybe another storm this afternoon.  I've ordered lots of rain but only a little bit of wind and no thunder or lightning.  We'll see if the weather gods get my order right this time :-)

what are you doing today?  I'm stitching, getting a quilt ready for quilting on Tuesday and making a cow.

have fun...  and

Cutting layout for your stitchery blocks

A few of you have asked how to place the stitchery blocks on the fabric in order to get them all out of one fat quarter.  All eight blocks can be cut from the one fat quarter, however.... if you're like me and need to complete each one and press and trim as you go, you'll need a bit more :-)

Fabric saving layout - trace each shape size, leaving about 1/2" to 1" between each block.  Keep in mind that your fabric will draw in just a little with the stitching... 

Remember, the trimming is done AFTER all of the blocks have been traced and stitched

   

I'll add this snippet to the main info link as well...

 

It's a bit cool today

Joann has finished her willow tree, AND tidied her thread boxes... (click here for my free BOM info) 

Another finished block - Carrie P - over here

I can't figure out this weather - really hot on Friday (needed the air conditioner on), yesterday was a beautiful Summer's day and today it's cold and windy.  Norm and Ratty are curled up on the bed in little balls of fluff and I'm wearing my woolly socks ....  MAD! 

have a fun day today

 

Under the willow... these girls have been busy

Check out these blogs for photos of finished 'Under the Willow' blocks, they're popping up all over the place!

Tudy, Jeanette, Perri  

If you post a photo to your blog, I'll add you to the list :-)

I've added a mudmap of the finished wallhanging here 

stay tuned for block 2 on February 1st!

Little green friends

When I was chatting on the phone to Moo today, I noticed that one of our residents had come out for a visit...

 

His water well was dry so Blossie sprayed him and we filled up his house with tank water.   

Apparently it was just what he wanted.....

 

There!  Much happier now...  Couldn't you just kiss that pudgy little face?

When we were little, my sister Shelley and I had a pet frog (I think his name was Charlie).  He lived under our house and much to our poor mother's horror (she HATES frogs - something to do with an old wringer washing machine and a frog caught up in the sheets), we carried him around and talked to him.  I don't think we had him long and he probably didn't know he was our pet, but we loved him anyway.  I think frogs are cute.....  :-) 

Finished already

My friend Gudrun has finished (how quick is that!) her Under the Willow block already and here it is....  Very pretty!

You can read all about 'Verandah Views' - my free BOM here

 

If you've finished yours and have posted photos, let me know - I'd LOVE to see it...

And just look at these photos of Gudrun's house - how beautiful!  

   

I think this one is in Autumn

and this one is Winter.... I think I'll call it  'Winter Dreams' .... 

because it's going to be a hot summer day here today so I'll just keep looking at this snow and dreaming of winter :-)

have a fun day today...and

Verandah Views - 10 month free stitchery BOM

It's been a bit like crazy patchwork so I've tidied it up to make it easier to follow... thanks for being patient!  Click on my sidebar button if you'd like to see more photos of finished blocks

A button for your sidebar

 

Important Information 

This free Block of the Month will run for 10 months

It will only be available until 31st December 2009 (I'll have a new project for 2010)

It is FREE, for personal use only - you may also give a copy to friends and tell them where to find me...

© Copyright applies

There's a separate page in my sidebar - Here is where you'll find each new pattern and other info

Each stitchery pattern in the series will be posted in the first week of each month with instructions for you to download

The finished project will be a small wallhanging approx 26" x 27" - you can add an extra border to make it bigger if you wish 

A fat 1/4 of background fabric will be enough to complete all of the stitcheries 

****** Extra info ******

Fat 1/4 stitchery fabric saving layout - trace each shape size, leaving about 1/2" to 1" between each block.  Keep in mind that your fabric will draw in just a little with the stitching... 

Remember, the trimming is done AFTER all of the blocks have been traced and stitched

The mini quilt includes some simple patchwork piecing and foundation piecing - instructions and photos will be provided

I used DMC stranded cottons, if you wish to use a different brand try one of the many online thread conversion sites  (Type 'DMC thread conversion chart' into your search engine)

There will be sneak peaks of the next month's pattern as we go, along with the 'real' photos that provide the inspiration for the stitcheries

I'd love to see photos of your finished blocks so post them on your blog or email them to me - let me know if you've posted them and I'll send some lurkers over :-)

I check my inbox several times a day, if you have any questions please email me

Under the Willow - Block 1

(it may take a minute or so to open - play Solitaire while you wait  :-) )

 Download Under the willow pdf pattern

Bathtime - Block 2 - sneaky peak... 

 

Layout diagram - finished mini quilt