Cosy Winter

Winter is really here this week.....it's been sooo cold and the wind has been howling round our old house.....time to keep the heating on, get out the scarves and boots.......light the candles.........and have lots of hot drinks..........

..........and to do some cosy crochet too, inspired by a recent visit to the nearby botanical gardens we love to see, and a tree there filled with bright pinky red berries growing in huge lustrous clusters..............

 ..........i made this winterberry cushion to add some crochet cosiness to our sofa this winter................

 ...........i am now planning another crochet project.......i almost forgot how much i enjoy it with all the sewing i've been doing lately........it may be winter outside but in my studio it's spring.......i've been drawing, stitching, sewing and embroidering some cheery spring themes for magazine commissions this week.....it's birdies and blossom all the way........:)

........i have been doing some xmas shopping too....online and handmade........and some of my gift buying was from chipper nelly here..........the lovely fee made this adorable little box containing.............

.....this little treasure ( might have to get one of my own)......i also received some beautiful swap blocks too which i will show next time, and the presents for my dearies will have to be secret until after xmas.......you can also still enter fee's  gorgeous giveaway over one her chipper nelly blog here.............

........in my cosy winter sewing room this week i am using this delightful pincushion from my long time lovely blog friend debbie whose work has always been my cup of tea........i love her sense of colour and design.....you can find her pretty blog here and her etsy shop here..............

 .........this bright and colourful bookazine has just been published containing plenty of projects by lots of  international cross stitch designers........i have a project in it featuring two cross stitched linen bears ..........

...........and to keep me cosy in the evenings while watching some good dvds and sweet old festive movies, is my farmer's wife quilt steadily being hand quilted.........i am loving sewing it, and as each block is different it makes the quilting so varied and interesting........i wonder what i will do when it's finished, i've been working on it so long i think i'll miss it :0............

...........thank you for dropping in to my cosy bit of blogland today......it's a pleasure to see you and thank you for leaving me such sweet comments and for your emails too......(if i haven't got back to you yet, i will very soon)...........i hope you are enjoying this countdown to christmas and feeling the christmas spirit whether you are in chilly old blighty, somewhere even colder or somewhere much warmer..........enjoy your winter week to the full..................back soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx