Willowberry Designs ~ Alpaca Softies

The birthday quilt

Remember this bundle of secret stuff I showed you a few weeks ago?

The reason it was secret is because it was a bundle of candy flavoured fabric that Blossie bought to make her big sister a quilt for her birthday.  She fell in love with the fabrics when she spied them so enticingly displayed at Precious Time and said 'MUM!!  Can you please make me a quilt out of these?' 'hmmm' hummed the mother, 'considering I've made you a hundred quilts and your sister only one, maybe I should make the next quilt for Moo...'  So Bloss decided to make it for Moo herself.  She chose the pattern Le Jardin, simple but effective and a nice size

And so the apprentice quilter commenced - pressing... cutting... placing... sewing... pressing...

snipping... quilting... (yes, quilting on the longarm!) pressing... sewing...

surprise!!! not just a cushion... a whole new quilt to match...

two happy girls and a proud mum :-)

 

More quilts....

Here's the reason it's been a bit quiet on the blog for a week or so...

Two little flannel cot quilts for Marj's great grand twinnies - with bumblebees tumbling across

Myrna's beautiful Log Cabin Tulip quilt - custom quilted

Ina's quilt - just a scrolling feather border on this one... Ina had completed the ditch quilting

And currently on the machine is this one, custom quilted and almost finished, just two more borders to do... I think some of you will recognise Leanne's 'Journey of a Quilter'....

I've started the quilting on my Southern Comfort quilt (I have to say, a drop of the liquid form might be handy when it comes time to complete all of the tiny stippling).  Shaz is happy for me to play with the quilting on mine so that by the time I get to quilt hers I'll be an expert :-)  I really love quilting with feather designs.... a scrolling cable and feather for the borders....

and the main body of the quilt will be a combination of feather motifs and stippled background

Delicious!

have a lovely stitchy day, I'll be quilting....

This week's stuff....

Monday - try to finish 3 customer quilts (2 of them are cute flannel cot quilts)  -  I think I can, I think I can... I did!  Photos after I've delivered them to Marj who is one of the sweetest ladies you could ever meet :-)  The two cot quilts are for her soon to arrive little great grand twinnies.  How delightful!

Tuesday - attend the patchwork shop, stay for about 8 hours, make a baby quilt while there, and get paid to do it....  FUN!!

Wednesday - attend the patchwork shop, stay for about 8 hours, play with beautiful fabrics, maybe finish some binding while there, and get paid to do it....  FUN AGAIN!!

Wednesday night - Stitching with the mob at Deborah's place - yay! - Deborah is a FAB cook and always serves up a delicious supper

Thursday - go like the clappers to try and finish another 2 customer quilts because on

Friday - it's a sewing day at my place with mad Shaz and another friend

And I really need to start playing with the quilting on my Southern Comfort quilt...  Good heavens, I don't have time for the housework this week.  Shame about that.....

Today's furby antic - "but Grandma, what big ears you have..." 

Norman meets Chester for the first time....

thanks for visiting, I love reading through your comments :-)

have a great stitchy day,

Rain, wet washing and soggy chooks

I love the feathered girls.... cute and cuddly and they just go about their daily doings ploughing up the ground, eating bugs and paying us in eggs for the vegie scraps and grain we throw at them.  Gorgeous things...

 

But it's been raining over Easter... a lot!  It started right after I filled the clothes line with wet washing.  And it kept on coming....  the girls got soggy...  and a wet chook is not fun... 

They look like drowned rats and they smell even worse but I'll spare you the sight of the soggy girls

Why are we talking about chooks?  Because the next Verandah View is all about the chooks!  Here's a snippet....

There's also been a bit of holdup with the bugs because I can't decide on the style of frame to finish them.  But they are coming soon.... Today I cut out all the template shapes for Blackbird Pie.  Can't wait till May 15 :-)  and I probably won't...

cya

have a fun stitchy day

Cheryl xx

Be kind to our Earth.....

It's the only planet with chocolate  :-)

Meet 'Jaffa' the choc mud cupcake with rich choc ganache topped with orange buttercream frosting and a tumble of cracked jaffas.... mmmm  decadent..... Bloss created this taste sensation for a craft fair last year

There's an abundance of chocolate in our house... too much in fact!  Apart from the obligatory droppings left by the bunny, we also won an absolute glut of chocolate eggs in a raffle.  There's so much of it.... But we'll plough through it...  coffee and chocolate for breakfast maybe...

 The Easter weekend has been one of almost complete relaxation because it's been wet and rather cool - delicious! 

What else have I been doing?  Spent Saturday afternoon at Shaz' place sewing up a storm and sipping champagne.  Interesting combination.... 

 

Playing with 'Aviary', my (at the moment) favourite fabrics and making lots of basket blocks.  Look at these easter flavoured baskets - reminds me of raspberry and cream marshmallow swirl ice-cream... 

  I've also prepared another project from a layer cake of 'Objects of Desire' by Moda, ready to take to our stitching retreat in May... only 4 1/2 weeks to go.... 32 sleeps... before Shaz, the girls and I head up to the Bunya's for a mad weekend of fun.  We might find time for some stitching....

And there's another secret project under way but I can only show you a little bit of it because it's not for me..... but it looks like candy...

-        Hope everyone had a happy and safe Easter  -

 

 

"Spring Giggles" Winners......

 

I couldn't fit them all into the teacup - there were loads of comments .....

So I used the crystal bowl.  Ratty dived in head first to pick our 4 winners

because Norm was too busy....

thanks Ratty... you can let go now   :-)

He chose these....... 

1.  Sandy Miller

2.  Sue Cahill

3.  Cici

4.  Tina

Well done girls.... I'll contact you by email to get your parcel mail addresses  :-)  FUN!

Thanks for all the lovely comments, the more the merrier!

Lots happening

The lovelies have taken themselves off to the 'Relay for Life' (Cancer fundraiser) event.... 

Moo took her broom just in case she gets tired of walking and wants to go for a little fly around :-)  Look at them with their hair up in old lady buns....  how cute!

 

and it's just started raining....

I don't think they'll look as pretty when they get home after walking around in circles in the rain, on a muddy track for several hours.  But they'll feel great  :-)

Last night was another of those 'I can't sleep' nights.  So 'Rosebud', the bluebird of elegant song appeared

She will adorn another new pattern but this one might take a while...  I'll keep you posted with progress photos :-)  this photo doesn't do her justice, it's a bit dull.  She's much prettier when you meet her for real....

Still hearing the delicious hum of steady rain on the tin roof, I think I'll be able to sleep tonight..

don't forget, 'Spring Giggles' will be drawn on Monday

"Hey Chez, I dare ya....

to show that photo again. You know, the one where you're looking tall and slender...  It cracks me up..."

Ok Shaz, here it is... (are you chortling?)  The day after my quilting machine arrived - with my first big job ready to go.  Blossie took the photo and I was looking a little short and pudgy.  They say that the camera adds 10 pounds.  Can't have that....  So I stretched the truth a little  :-)

Much better - I lost about 10 kilos and gained 15cm in height using that photo editing program... 

Today is windy, drizzly and a little cool so I'm quilting this morning then stitching this afternoon.  I finished this one on Tuesday for Precious Time.  It's their newest 'Strip Club' quilt made from a 'Harvest Home' jelly roll, some cream and two borders.  Simply quilted with an allover tulip pattern

see ya later alligators, gotta go quilting

Cheryl xx 

Verandah Views

OOPS!  the Gremlins have been playing again....  If you have visited the Verandah Views list and printed the pattern for Block 4 - there is an error (thank you so much Perri for letting me know early in this episode... imagine the emails I'd be wading through otherwise...)  The corrected file is now available but if you don't want to print another copy, here is the amended information....

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carrot tops leaves - FK (1) with 1 wrap -- use 937 med avocado green

"Follow the stitchery guide to complete all emboidery, press your finished work and trim back to 4 1/2" x 6 1/2", centreing the design"

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Sorry everyone.... and to show my appreciation for your patience and forgiveness, I'm going to eat a small chocolate for each of you  :-)  I hope you enjoy it.....

Block 4 - The Buffet is now available for you to download from the link in my sidebar (the one that says "Verandah Views - blocks 1, 2, 3 & 4) - click on the link and scroll down to find the pattern download for block 4.  It will take a minute or two to open.  Look at that cute little puffy cotton tail...

 

this is our vegie patch in greener days... it's a bit bare now because the girls have been ploughing it up for us.  Look at Nisey showing off... and they know there are big fat juicy worms behind that fence...

and the boys... Norm can't get enough of his parsley pillow

and Ratty's flat out looking after the corn

 We're almost halfway through now...  Hope you're enjoying the views:-)

Next month it's all about the chooks

cya, have fun in your vegie patch...  cheryl xx

and to be in the draw for a 'Spring Giggles' pattern - check this out