Willowberry Designs ~ Alpaca Softies

Giveaway pattern winner.... is....

The pink bucket would have taken too long and I'm running late anyway... :-)  Big day today...

The giveaway for my Sampler Embroidery Folder patterns has finally been done

So, the random number generator chose Gerda & Karen aka Grammy Mac

Posted by: Gerda | June 21, 2009 at 09:19 AM

Posted by: Karen aka Grammy Mac | June 19, 2009 at 10:54 AM

Well done girls, all good fun!  I'll contact you by email shortly for your mailing addresses

and OOPS!  Accidentally printed two copies of my E-Pattern (available in my Etsy store :-) so I've hit the button again to find

Posted by: Jenny | June 20, 2009 at 10:19 AM

and again...

Posted by: Laine | June 20, 2009 at 11:26 AM

thanks for being good sports,

have a lovely stitchy day .... and do you like this?  Too bad if you don't because I love it!!!

 

I'm like the totally biased mum who thinks her children are the most talented and gorgeous in the whole world.  I love my babies and did you know they live in a little hamlet known as 'Foggy Willow Downs'?  Well, now you know...

seeya round like a rissole

Cheryl  xx

I zee a tall dark stranger.....

Mystic Marj called in on Friday night - she was recommended to me by a friend....

she looked into her crystal ball for a long time, she even had to have a lie down

She didn't say much but we fed her anyway :-)  The red sequin fabric is destined to become a pair of hot pants for Snow White.  Moo has an engagement next weekend and will become a very nancy pants Snow White - I just have to add a bit of red satin to the dress bodice so that it actually fits her!  There will be photos....

I've been adding stuff to the Etsy store - a couple of patterns and some sets of printed cotton quilt labels.  These labels are also available as 'custom' jobs with your own details printed on them - send me an email if you're interested...

And finalising the pattern for the next Verandah Views block.  The butterflies needed some company but you'll have to wait to see their new friend.  Ready on July 1st.............

If you'd like to keep up to date with what's happening in the 'donated flimsies' department, I'll update the link on the right with all the happenings.  The good news is that Karen from Mrs Martins Quilt Shop has kindly agreed to be our distribution depot in the area.  As I finish the quilts, I'll send them on.  Two are now quilted and ready for the binding - it's a slow process because I'm fitting them in around my regular work but we'll get there in the end!

Today is overcast, cold and drizzly.  I might sew.  Just for a change :-)

seeya

don't forget the pattern giveaway in the last post - drawn this Thursday my time 

sorry. too busy right now. Got a giveaway to do...

It's 7.20pm and I've just discovered something

 

yep, back to front all day long.  One of those days....

However, the other day when I wore all of my clothes the correct way around I promised a new pattern

 

 

The paper pattern version includes a gold scissor charm and a basic embroidery reference chart.  The inside front section is a 'sampler' of delicious stitches

Ok, technically it's not 'NEW' new, it's a revamp of an oldie but I think I like this one better anyway.  The revamp came about due to the original sample (on display at a patchwork shop) apparently finding it's way home with a cleptomaniacal crafty dodger.  I guess their need was greater :-)  I'm not cross though because now I have a new one and a reason for a giveaway... hmmm

Leave a message and I'll draw two winners from the pink bucket next week - maybe on Thursday 25th at my midday...  Good luck,

but if you can't wait for the draw and will simply DIE if you don't add this pattern to your stash, you can buy one in my Etsy shop - yay... read all about it in my previous post.

have a lovely stitchy day

Cheryl xx

 

Welcome to my ETSY shop

It's only taken me ALL DAY to set it up.... :-) !!  through no fault of etsy I can assure you.  So far it's taken me 10 hours to list four items but I know I'll get the hang of it eventually!  When I'm a bit more grown up I'll have a link to my shop in my sidebar over there  a

Take a look ........  some of my patterns are now available everywhere in the whole wide world... and a great big THANKS to the lovely Jenny over at Elefantz for all your great advice.  Check your emails, Jenny...

All day long I've felt as though everyone else everywhere knows every single thing there is to know about everything to do with Etsy - except for me

I probably know a little bit about Etsy now - and no Katrina, it's not called 'Sven'

There's lots of fun to be had today - I received my newest quilting pattern from Hermione... very pretty.  And another parcel by the mailbox - Yippee!  Hurry down the steps to the kerb and excitedly grab the box marked ---- Oh, BORING!!!  It's only a box of contact lenses for my man.  How rude, all of the parcels are supposed to be for me... 

Some of this weeks doings

Judith's quilt for her little grandson - how striking is that centre collection of blocks!

 

Patrina's GORGEOUS Flutterby - it's a free PDF pattern from Moda (the link is at the end of this post)

 

And the 'Ruffles' quilting pattern reminds me of 'ruffled butterfly wings' - perfect...

 

Jacqui's pretty 4 patch quilted with 'blossom'

 

gotta go... it's almost time for the caveman to return from his day of hunting and I must hoover the rug so he thinks I've been busy all day... :-)

have a fun stitchy day and if you haven't already seen it, check out Moda's site for loads of free patterns - hover over 'Fun Stuff' then click on the Free Patterns link

Watcha doin' today ma.....

Mind if I watch?  I'll try to be real quiet ...

 

Well Ratty.... I thought I'd share this photo sent to me by my friend Judy in Michigan.  Judy made my little block 3 of Verandah Views - Bed 'n' Breakfast - and finished it as a cushion for her friend.  And look, she must have kissed the frog because he turned into a handsome Prince Ratty!  We love this version  :-)  It looks like Norman and Ratty sitting around waiting for their little feathered friends to visit

 

and remember when I stitched these scraps of prettiness?

 

today I might turn them into one of these handy little things... perhaps it's a wing wong for a goose's bridle..... as my dad would say...

and I just feel like sewing so I might add a couple of extra things and they might look like this - but I can't show everything just yet... only little bits n pieces

 

 

Have to wait a few more weeks before I can show you the real thing :-)

And I read about this on somebody's blog.  It works really well - make your binding then wind it onto a short length of cylinder cardboard - like the middle of a paper towel roll  (I could call it an empty toilet paper roll but we don't talk about anything to do with bottoms on this blog....)  Hang it on a cord around your neck while you machine it to your quilt and gently feed it off as you go.  Clever!!

But... HANG ON A MINUTE, RATTY !!!!!!!!

Big excitement in the house right now because - _{^{TA DAAAA}} - Country Threads magazine is due to hit the stands and my copy arrived in the mail

Check it out - they have some great subscription specials at the moment

The Farmyard Friends - you'll find them on page 28 :-) - have had a very busy few weeks and today we caught them snoozing on my fluffled bed pillows

 

The gang have been away for their big adventure and their photo shoot in the country was so much fun.  They are a bit cute, this is their magazine shot.....

 It's just a tad exciting...

thank you for visiting - I love reading through your messages and I try to respond to all emails but sometimes life gets in the way.  So if I've missed answering your message, this is a big 'Thanks' from me to you!

I think there might be a new pattern giveaway next week

More doings

Sophie Chicken - you'll see her friends in Aust Country Threads in a few days time..  She's sleeping at the moment :-)

 

My humble 9 patch from the last post has morphed into a lovely quilt - it's 81" square, uses a layer cake and 2 border fabrics.  I love this quilt, you can easily make it in a day.  New quilt, new pattern, new giveaway in a few days time. But I'm not sure what to name this one... I'll tell you more about it next week.  (Perri, how much of your Aviary stash do you have left???)

 

Yum borders

 

And some more customer quilts from the last couple of weeks

Linda's 'Nest' quilted with luscious leaves - it's a free quilt pattern from the Moda website - click here and scroll down to find it

 

Robyn's gorgeous 'Verandah' quilted with a delightful open rose

 

Barb's snuggly flannel in rich burgundy and cream, quilted with a heraldic fleur des lys, very manly...

this one is by Nancy - her version of Natalie Ross's "Ladybirds on Patrol"

Kyleigh is a prolific quilt maker and does the most beautiful embroidery.  This is her flannel stars quilt - had a lot of fun quilting this one  :-)

Loads more quilt photos to show but it's late and I'm tired

The Bug-a-licious crowd are almost ready for their big debut... maybe next week??????  They've been hiding for so long I'd forgotten what they looked like

 

 

 

 

good night, sleep tight... don't let the bed bugs bite....

Block borders - Blocks 4, 5 & 6

 Ooooops.... sorry for the delay but there's been madness going on....  Here is the file for the borders for Verandah Views blocks 4, 5 & 6

Download Block borders 4,5&6

Where have I been and what have I been doing?  Take a look....

Chriss's quilt for her red hatter aunt - there's a running border of quilted red hats!

Jenny - Keyholes and Road to St Louis - with a closeup of the quilting

Shirley's hexagon quilt - a gift for her son (what a great Mum!!)

Amanda's Autumn leaves - I forgot to take a photo of the whole quilt...

Marg's gorgeous decorator quilt.  Lots of applique and pretty fabrics

Gotta go.... my Mum has a Dr appt so it's a good excuse to have a day in town.  Maybe I'll need to visit the patchwork shops to find some bits to finish this...

the humble 9 patch needs to morph into something not so humble  :-)

I have loads more photos of my quilting doings to share but they'll have to wait till next time...have a lovely day,

Verandah Views

I have a busy day planned for tomorrow so block 6 is here early - I hope you like it :-)

Block 6 - 'Flying Lessons' is now available for you to download from the link in my sidebar (the one that says "Verandah Views - blocks 1 to 6) - click on the link and scroll down to find the pattern download for block 6.  You'll need the free Adobe Reader and it will take a minute or two to open... 

Flying lessons are the order of every day in springtime and last year was no exception.  All day, every day for about 6 weeks from mid October this little Kingfisher dipped and dived and hobbled his way around the neighbourhood with his mum encouraging every frantic flap of his wings.  There's a small dam near our house and they would flit around the trees calling to each other then head up to the dam for a spot of 'king' fishing.... This photo was taken from about 100metres away so it's not too clear

and then he popped into the backyard to take a look at the arbor behind my quilting room

We live in a small town about 20 minutes from Toowoomba in S/E Queensland and there are loads of gum trees on a ridge just across the road from our house - so we gets LOTS of little feathered visitors to our very handy verandahs.  This peewee choir popped by to say hello... and the rubber snakes tied to the hand rails don't bother them in the slightest!

The kookaburras don't normally come this close but it was a hot summer's day

I hope you enjoy 'Flying Lessons', featuring my pudgy little kingfisher friend....

Next month is Block 7 and in the middle of my winter, I'll show you some lovely spring blossoms :-)

thanks for visiting and sharing my verandah views!