Getting back in the swing of things

When we first arrived back in the U.K. the weather was very kind to us, and as we had to travel up to Yorkshire we were very grateful for the milder days.  I have not been feeling 'on top of the world' since arriving back, so it was wonderful to see the countryside looking so green and fresh.

View from just outside Grassington Nr Yorkshire

Our garden was looking very Spring like with the daffodils showing their sunny faces.

Nothing like these chaps to blow away the winter blues

and a friend brought me these 

What a welcome back.

There are always a couple of keepsakes that I like to bring back from holidays. From South Africa I love the tin animals, and have gathered Warthogs, Guinea Fowl, and even some people in the past.  So this year when I saw beautiful birds being sold by the side of the road I had to stop with a view to buy.  Now these birds were big, so how would I get them into the suitcase??........but where there's a will there's a way.  I chose one of the smaller ones, and the guy that sold them folded up the birds legs and assured me it would fit in the suitcase. Let me tell you it was a struggle to get that bird in, but he is now happily pecking the plastic insects,

Don't you think he's beautiful? His name is James, after the man that made him

The other animals I brought back were some beaded lizards. So please meet Lizzie and Minnie.

What big eyes they have....

I'd love to show and tell all the things I have made since being home, but sadly I have not been able to settle to doing very much at all, but my friend had a birthday so some mitts were made for her.

Hope she likes them

As many of you know I belong to Higham Piecemakers and each Christmas we get a challenge. This year we were given a fat quarter of red fabric, red DMC floss, and some beads, and the challenge was to make something to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the start of the First World War.  This was my attempt 

Cut and sewn... just the beginnings

Plans and poppies in the making

A field of crosses

One Poppy 

and some beaded flowers

 Idiot me forgot to take a photo of my finished mini quilt, so have had to borrow this photo from the piecemakers blog....

Complete

You should go over to here to see all of the other wonderful thought- provoking items that the ladies have produced.