A Slow Month

 As far as sewing is concerned.

I have been playing Florence Nightingale to the little ones, first one then the other was poorly, and then poor Mummy came down with a dreadful case of Tonsillitis so off we went to collect the little darlings to come to stay whilst she got over it.

The weather has been ...... changeable but a visit to Stanwick Lakes is always popular 

 And then off to Mini Meadows Farm  where Master L found a rabbit that was as big as he was!

 DD came with us and made some new ... friends 😂

 As I said, Spring is TRYING to show its head

 But it was damp and cold when we went to watch DD have an Archery Lesson (a birthday gift)

6 arrows in the yellow!!

She was rather good at this, so those pesky pigeons may need to move house !


 It was Higham Piecemakers Christmas Challenge Reveal this week.

We were given a Cotton Tea Towel, and the Challenge was to re-purpose this into something else.

the mini charms were a gift

I made a Châtelaine for my armchair

 Perfect for keeping sewing supplies and chocolate whilst watching TV


The Scrap Quilt is coming on, slowly

250 x 4'" blocks - but still more to make!

 I have set these HST's aside and have started on the second block, scrappy strips just for a change.

I "think" that I need 120 of these blocks

As the weather is STILL too cold and damp to get out on the garden,  I shall be staying inside and adding to this pile.

Here We Go Again !!!

 You know how it is when you have a few things that just want finishing off but you can't seem to settle to them. You browse through pictures that you have saved thinking "one day"


Well, that day came to pass. 😮

I spotted a quilt done in blues and creams and thought how good it would look in scrap colours - so off I went and cut some of the 800+ squares needed for the HST's. I haven't counted them yet but I may have done a few too many 🙄

 I then spent several hours marking the diagonal on the light sqaures

 Only to remember that I have a 'gadget' to save this step of the process 😧

 

Hey Ho!  I've started so I'll finish - more pressing is required and then I can start the construction of some of the blocks. 

And I won't tell you about the box of ready made HST's I came across when tidying up 🤦🤦 

I went off to my Crochet Class with a new project in mind and it may have taken me

 ALL MORNING to get this far, I am thrilled that it looks just as it should do so it seems that I may have learned something after all 😉

 We were due "down south' on Saturday to oversee childcare whilst Mummy and Daddy went off to London for a treat. However Little Miss O had been poorly all week with a raging temperature, so we went a couple of days early to cover whilst Mummy went to work.

Best way to get a temperature down?

Why a paddle in the sea of course!!

 It was such a beautiful day we spent several hours on the beach with a picnic lunch

Nourishing bag of Monster Munchies and a rest

And then of course the obligatory Ice Cream

 Before heading back home for tea

I told her not to get her trousers wet!!

 There is much discussion amongst my offspring regarding the merits of my Childcare .  DD says she does not question their safety but has doubts regarding their dignity 😲
 Anyway, we had a lovely day and all bugs have been banished.

 

It was a bit of a shock the following morning to wake to sub zero temperatures and some of THIS!! 

                                        

What a difference a day makes !!

 And talking weather.....  

Remember me telling you what fabulous weather we had on our January stay in Portugal?  

 

Well earlier this month, Little Miss E took her first flight to the same destination  

Well to say that their experience weather was not as favorable as we had experienced

They arrived just after a terrific storm which took the beach from this

to this

The sand has started to return slowly - hopefully this idyllic beach will return to its former glory before we return later in the year.

Rejuvination Required

 So we headed off to a little village in Portugal in the hopes of seeing a bit of blue sky instead of the awful grey that January usually brings

 But we certainly did not expect it to be so warm !!!

Many miles were walked

 and many hills climbed

 with maybe some indulgence at the end

 we did have one morning of rain, but that cleared by early afternoon so we decided to take a trip down the coast to Sagres (known as Sagres -The End of The World) to visit the fort there. This fort only has one wall, as the towering cliffs on three sides provide a very natural fortification. 

through the Fortress gates

 A fabulous walk of probably a mile and a half around the cliff edge 

Standing atop the Wall toward the rest of Portugal

to the west the waves came crashing against the cliffs, making so much noise it was hard to hear yourself speak.


There was a pretty little church perched upon the cliffs, built by Prince Henry the Navigator  in 1459

 There is not much else in Sagres, but it was well worth the visit to the Fort. And a really cheap afternoon at €4.50 entry fee for the two of us!

Because of the good weather I didn't get much of the planned knitting done

2 weeks worth!

But I did read 5 books

And after thinking about it for a few days

I decided to take the plunge and went swimming in the Atlantic!!

It was wonderful, and I'm sure it was just as warm as when we visited in September. 

Back home and a Birthday treat for a friends "Special"birthday

 These little beauties happened upon whilst out walking

 This beauty greeted our return. I had thought that it would have been and gone by the time we came home.

 And can you see the second spike peaking through?


 I did at last get on with my Mini Mania Challenge which was to be revealed at the end of February.

A Medallion quilt this time.

 The centre square measures ¾" and I admit is somewhat wonky, I found it was too small to hold onto as it fed under the machine foot!
But I carried on regardless and my finished mini masures 15¾" 

 I have made some samples reday for the workshop at my LQG in March

 24 of the Drainage bags made and delivered to my local Breast Cancer unit

 started and finished an Aran jacket for Little Miss E ready for her holiday this week (though I fear we may have used all the sunshine up 😦)

 The snow that has been coming in fits and starts (we may have missed the worst of this) didn't stop a (rather long) train journey down to Gatwick Airport to catch up with Sister 3 who was in transit from America to France. A short reunion but it was so nice to suprise her

waiting on the train at Blackfriars station with Tower Bridge in the distance.

 The snow has arrived so I MUST get on with something productive.