January 2025

As I write this the sun is sinking fast and there is a pink glow lighting up little puffy white clouds low on the horizon. The pale blue sky above is clear; soon white crispness will enfold itself around every leaf and molehill, and we will put a big log on the fire. Early January is a mysterious time, when we peer forwards into a new year whilst still surrounded by the bits and pieces of Christmas, the stuff of the old year, now no longer with us.

This time the new calendars bring with them a shift in temperatures; a reminder that real winter weather is just beginning. When I was a young teenager, prompted by the sight of my parents hanging up a blank calendar, I wrote a poem which contained the words ‘all those un-lived days’ which expressed something I still feel even now. Every one of those days will be a big day for someone, a birth, a death, a birthday, an engagement, a wedding. As I stitch my cards I often think of the person who it is intended for and the special time in their life when they will open the envelope.

I hope 2025 will bring you many blessings and happy days.

December 2024

Advent is here, and the countdown to Christmas begins! The Christmas department is well-stocked (Tab on Home Page) and the small framed embroideries make a unique and lasting gift. Happy browsing!

Every year I try to remember that there are no rules for celebrating Christmas, and although I am a bit of a traditionalist at heart, change is fine too, as situations alter and I get older! With all the glitter and buzz everywhere it is easy to become distracted and miss the natural wonders that December brings as we dip deep into the darkest time of the year. This sunrise a couple of days ago stopped me in my tracks; the colours and brilliance behind the silhouetted trees just so beautiful. Teatime brings the sunsets across the fields behind the church, another glory to bookend the day. The old year is fading; a time for looking forward and looking back.

November 2024

The cycle of the seasons brings many changes to our feelings and how we live our lives, especially for those of us whose homes are in rural places away from the built environment. As the seasons turn, the colours of the garden here and the wider countryside slowly change. An annual cycle of dun browns and greys, then the vibrant greens of early spring, followed by brilliantly lit rainbows of the summer borders, before descending to monotones once more, after the final burst of Autumnal golds and reds of leaves, hips and berries. A couple of weeks ago I took this photo of the Lesser Reedmace Bulrushes around the pond, spotlighted in late afternoon rays of sunshine, striking in their brilliance.

I am very aware of how these colours evolve throughout the year; the changing palette seen through my windows suggesting new colour combinations. For instance I love the dark brown twigs against blue winter skies. Blues and browns in all their shades are interesting, having been seen together in nature ever since eyes evolved to see them.