Willowberry Designs ~ Alpaca Softies

Remember Wayne's Quilt?

Wayne is my brother-in-law.... like a big brother really...  He loves fishing, boating, gardening (especially fruit and vegies) and he's a fun Granddad

Last year he made a quilt, you'll find all of the details here, I quilted it for him and it's now proudly displayed in the spare room.  Since then he's been fossicking and prowling, searching for 'the perfect thank you gift' for me

this is what he came up with...........

and I LOVE them!  Sebastian and Leopold, the tin cats

The furbies don't mind a bit, even when the tin faces start to wobble.... they're on a coiled spring neck, so are the tails.  Funny to watch though, because sometimes the real furbies stand in just the right spot to make it look like their faces are made of tin.  Scary!!

And from Sandra in Portugal, this is the beautiful bundle of sscs gifts (thank you so much), you can see another photo on chookyblue's blog - it's the 6th photo down

A gorgeous framed cross stitched cherub, a little hexy pincushion, some 'santa' tissues!, an embroidered linen scissor keeper, some DMC stranded cottons and yes.. there was chocolate once upon a time....  apparently....  The framed cherub is gorgeous and hangs on a wall that I look at all the time .... it's the inspiration for my kitchen makeover (more on that later)

Redwork on linen = tactile delight

Have a fun day today, and you'll meet Frances the Fish tomorrow :-)

Cheryl  xxx

ps... the Andrews sisters are coming.....
   

26th January 2010

happy australia day :-)

Weekend stitching

We had a busy weekend but I did find time to start two more projects

secret stuff happening in my house

For goodness sake Shaz... just because there's an 'S' on something doesn't mean it's for you....

Funny little man trimmed the hedges... I love the late afternoon sun on the lawn.  We've had a bit of rain and things are starting to green up again.  It's so fresh...

So, what's doing today?  Finishing a 'Beyond the Garden Gate' quilt for Marion then planning our Australia Day fun.  Not sure what we'll be doing just yet but the funny little man is doing some internet research today.........  I'll let you know :-)

have a great Australia Day tomorrow

Cheryl xx 

Je voudrais bien vécu en France

I really do.... I want to move to France.  That's my dream for today anyway.  Tomorrow I might want to move to Hobart and on Monday I'll probably decide that home is the most delightful place to be after all.... 

The funny little man has been making noises that include the words 'air fares'... 'castles'... 'mother england'... 'clans'... 'passports'... I added the words 'croissants'... 'baguette'... 'toulouse'... 'chocolat'...

I want to visit Flavigny-sur-Ozerain.... it all started when I saw an ad for these.  If we visit mother england it makes sense to pop across to france, don't you think?

Look what arrived

 
Oh my God... I love it (really.... I love it) I want to go and hide in the basement of the French General store and play with everything at night when the store's closed

 

...the colours, the layout, the projects, the hand drawn diagrams... simple pleasures...

How pretty is this...!  I'm having a 'no quilting studio' day today.  Playing with other fun stuff instead.  Like Blossie's pedestal of pretty cupcakes...

 
She made a batch of 24 for our little friend next door.  Sophie turned four yesterday and the occasion called for cupcakes 'fit for a fairy princess' no less.....  The look on her little face and exclamation of 'Oh they're BEEAAAUUUTIFUUUUL!' was pure joy to behold

another simple pleasure

I'm heading into the cave with my 'Home Sewn', a chai latte and a couple of cats for company

We'll talk again tomorrow

Cheryl xx

Some nice things to do

Take a visit here and spend some time with my favourite designer .... Kaari Meng from French General

You'll enjoy doing 'nice thing number one'

Everything about her stuff really appeals to the teeny little part of me that longs to live life like a gypsy... a vintage, eclectic gypsy with a french flavour.  The funny little man would look good in a beret....  Did I tell you he's 'turning into a horticulturalist'?  Well, I think he might be anyways....  There are things happening in his greenhouse.  And he's planning a new chook house.  I'll let you know how it all pans out

I wait patiently for this book.... it should arrive any day now :-)

and this one is on my list... there's a birthday coming up in March.  I'll be 23 :-)  Would you have guessed that?  No, I didn't think so....  and don't be so rude

Rouenneries IS my fave collection at the moment.  Probably will be until I have a bundle of Rural Jardin in my possession.  Not long to wait now, it will live in my special place

'nice thing number two' is the feeling you get when you glance around in your special place and your eyes settle on something that is precious.  Precious things live in my office ... it's the resting place for most of the handmade creations that have come my way.  Ilene's sweet little angel watches over them.  Ina's Rouenneries pin keeper sits in their midst.  There's a whole bundle of delights from the Gum Tree girls.  Carrie P's gorgeous hat pincushion hangs around with Rosie's scissor holder.  And the cute 'Christmas Goose' bag from Shaz demands to be on display all year long.  There are lots of treasures to behold in my office.  I wonder what will become of them in thirty or forty or fifty years when I'm gone?  The girls from the Bureau of Critical and Honest Advice (our Moo and Bloss) will know what to do...

so now you need to experience 'nice thing number two'.... find a little treasure that's been lovingly handmade by a friend - someone you know or someone you're yet to meet, doesn't matter :-) - and enjoy the memory of how it came about.  It will make you smile...

This made me smile today

He really is a basket case

and check this out... 'nice thing number three'... a plain jane vase showing off it's elegant and slender neck with a string of pearls or two.... sweet

add some foliage from your garden .... or your neighbour's.... or the local PARK even :-)

there... sweet AND fresh

Uh Oh.... !!  I almost forgot to brag!!  Gypsy Rose is showing off in this month's Creating Country Threads

She sleeps with Primrose and Passion in our guest bedroom.  Nisey, look how neat it is.... awaiting your visit :-)

Do you like these gum blossoms and gum nuts?  They live near my Mum's front door... pretty... and it's 'nice thing number four'.  Go outside and really look at something you normally take for granted.... like grass and clouds and shadows and the mail box and the rusty gate hinges and a tree trunk

'nice thing number five' is hanging in Perri's home.  She's finished her gorgeous Verandah Views and it's made from her Aviary stash.... too pretty!
 

Ok... that's enough for one night.  It's hot, the fan is whirling and it's time for bed.  sleep tight

Ina, if I'm not back in a few days, be a good friend and wake me up again.... thanks

Cheryl xx

Sharing Tea

If you'd like to Share Tea with me, you'll find the free pattern download Among the Gum Trees

 

have a lovely day

Cheryl xx

A new garden and some stitchy stuff

Boring... but not for long :-)

Pretty!

the funny little man's been playing in the garden and decided to make the path to my quilting studio a bit more girlie.... he added some pretty dwarf crepe myrtles and threw in a family of chooks

Not sure what the eggs are going to be like... I'll let you know

These guys keep watch for tresspassers

well......... two of them do anyway.  We'll just have to forgive the fraidyfrog in the middle :-)

How are you going with Josephine the Jellyfish?  She has an admirer you know.... You'll meet him on the 1st of February

Fansea stitchin'?  Me too!

Cheryl xx

2010 BOM - "Under the Sea"

I hope you enjoy making these cute blocks with me.... you'll find all of the information in the link to the right and you can click here to read the original post

Add the button to your sidebar if you wish  :-)

 

Pearls, patty cakes and other pretty things

Such fun!  Friends, a glass of bubbles (or two), some sweet gifts and a pretty table full of yummy deliciousness.........  what more could a girly girl wish for?  If only I was a girly girl :-)

Last Sunday, we met at Janie's for a spot of High Tea

At the pre party gathering, we have (from the left) Janie, Sue, Deborah, Anita, Me, Shaz and Shirl.... move your head Shaz, my face looks like your fascinator flower!

I wore a dress... and heels... enough said.  I whinged all afternoon about being uncomfortable and then Shaz said something like 'i must say, you look lovely in that dress' so I sighed and accepted that girls wear dresses to high teas.... apparently....

This one did

Shaz in her fascinating fascinator..... Looking gorgeously like a Stepford Wife, complete with the obligatory pearls 

There were gifts

Janie gave each of us a little extra something just because she's beautiful

Hurry up!!  I want yum food!!

Oh thank goodness....... here it is

A lovely afternoon with a gorgeous bunch of girls.  Altogether civilised.....

But what do you do when a hungry hubby (no, not the funny little man, it was Neat's hubby:) eats one of the savoury treats?  Well, let me tell you, this hubby is pretty quick off the mark.  He waited until the wife was in the shower, gobbled a savoury tart, photocopied the piccy from the recipe book, cut it out and popped it in the empty spot.  Tres clever!!  Can you guess which one is the fakey?

The only thing nicer than sharing time with people you love.......... is sharing stitching time with people you love

have a lovely day,

Cheryl xx

'Under the Sea' - block 1 PLUS the colour shading process

'Josephine the Jellyfish'

Is she not the cutest little pudgy jellyfish in the ocean?  She always wears a pretty pink polka dot bow in her hair :-)

Josephine is part 1 of my 2010 project - 'Under the Sea' - which will be available for you to download for free.  If you enjoyed 'Verandah Views' I think you're going to like this one too!

Each of the nine blocks measures 7.5" x 5.5" (40cm or 16" should be more than enough fabric for all 9 designs) and I'll give you a few different options for putting them together but that's right at the end.  The final plan will be simple I promise... I just haven't decided on that myself yet!!

In the meantime, you'll need about 40cm or 16" of background fabric.  I used a linen look in a pale blue which represents the sea

I enhanced my Josephine and friends with a colour shading technique using Derwent Watercolour (my personal preference) colouring pencils.  They're available from most art supply stores and also some chain stores.  You can read about Derwent Pencils here and use your search engine to locate an online supplier

The process I use is simple, I'll take you through the steps...

Colour shading can be completed before OR after the stitching but you'll need to experiment to determine what suits you best.  Colouring before stitching can result in too much colour so take care, don't be too heavy handed!  I like to colour before I stitch, however I usually only add gentle shading.  If the area requires more colour, I add it after the stitching is complete

Trace the design onto your fabric, I'll wait...  yawn....

Select pencil colours that suit the design and your thread colours - eg.  forest green for the seaweed, dark pink for the bow (you can use red with a light touch), mid blue for the fish etc... 

Starting in one corner make a few single strokes, lifting the pressure as you go... almost with a 'flick' at the end of the stroke - the heavier you press, the darker the colour will be.  Use the pointy end to get into the corners and the side of the pencil to smudge a bit

 

Build up colour by going over the same area a few times.  The Derwent Watercolour pencils have a soft lead and that makes it easy to control the depth of colour to where it disappears to no colour

If it's a larger area, try using a gentle circular motion holding the pencil on an angle

Cross hatching builds up colour but can create a 'stripey' look, we don't want that so you'll need to practice that one :-)

The pretty orange plants are a single line so I 'smudged' the colour using a circular motion.  You can do this with Josephine's very well manicured tentacles and the bubbles too... use a pale mauvey/blue colour and then a bit of rusty/brown for the rocky seabed

 

It looks bold but you'll be surprised at how much of the colour disappears when you start stitching.  Don't colour the whole area, it will look more realistic if you can show the direction of the light source... in this case it's from the front

 
 

If you like to use a stabiliser on the back of your stitcheries (I do), iron it on after you've completed the colour shading or the glue dots will stand out

And if the item is to be laundered, you'll need to paint the coloured area with a textile medium.  I use Jo Sonjas and if it's too gooey, I water it down but make sure the brush isn't overloaded with the liquid.  It can discolour your stitching fabric so take care to only paint the area that's been coloured

Are you happy with your trial?  Yay!!  Lets get going on the real thing... :-)

You will find the file (in pdf format) by clicking on the link in my sidebar under the Verandah Views heading... I haven't worked out how to get rid of that yet... it's so last year....  or you can just click here... Oh I just worked it out.... simple really, don't know what all the fuss was about...  It's now called 'free downloads and other stuff' 

This is my gift to you and is protected by copyright so please honour my rights as a designer and enjoy it for your personal use only.  I'm always available by email if you have any questions!  And please let me know if the gremlins have been playing and things just don't seem right....

So, 'Enjoy the Views' doesn't fit anymore therefore we'll need a new sign off for 2010... what shall it be?  Any ideas?

seeya

Cheryl xx

I forgot to ask if you like Mango and Ginger Chutney.... do you?  If you yelled out 'yes!!!' have a look here