The song of winter

Hello there,

I love this time of year....the colours....the chilling air, the early morning sparkle of frost, pulling out favourite sweaters and making soup, but most of all I love the promise of Christmas.    I think winter is the season that I love the most, although I don't believe this was always the case.   As a child I loved the seaside and summer, like most youngsters and it wasn't until later in life and a good deal of travelling that I came to see Winter in a different light.   When we went on a overseas posting to live in Russia in 2002 the idea of winter took on a whole new meaning and I don't think the magic of it has ever worn off.   The city of Moscow would settle to a hush as the first snow hung in the air, the streets would explode with a fashion parade of the most amazing coats and hats in colourful furs and leathers and the shops were full of autumn produce to hoard for the coming months.    I always thought that Russian people came alive in the winter with the challenge of plummeting temperatures and freezing air and the city looked pristine and fresh once it was covered with the heavy snows.

When we went to live in Stockholm in 2011, I saw winter once again as a season to be embraced.  Sweden was simply so beautiful in the winter that it dazzled.  Bright candlelit windows in coffee houses even in the early mornings offered the promise of warm cinnamon buns and hot chocolate. Shades of silvery grey swirled in the skies and seemed to merge with the water ways and paths of old Stockholm and yet it never felt cold or dull and people dressed in fabulous knitwear and crystal and silver jewellery and cosy boots and embraced all that the season had to offer.

In England it isn't quite the same.  Our more temperate climes mean that we have no need of such dramatic adjustments in our lives, but Christmas brings a chance to celebrate all things wintery...bring out the stars and the little trees and all things red and I am happy.   

So I have some new things coming in the shop....winter themed boxes of sewing goodness for a cold winter's eve.  The first one is up in the shop now -  'A Winter's song box'.   This is a carefully curated selection of fabric and threads to get your creative ideas flowing.  

There are 5 fat quarter prints, one of them with a musical print on and one piece of red vintage russian linen, of the finest quality - it is a joy to stitch on.   There are two skeins of DMC threads that have a metallic twist running through them to add a subtle sparkle to your project and also in the box are 4 vintage buttons (may vary between boxes) as a little surprise to the box.   A free pack of needles is included to make this pretty little box a real treat.  The possibilities are endless.....here is what I made:

These Hexie Placemats from a gorgeous pattern by 'A Spoonful of Sugar' are super quick to whip up and absolutely gorgeous for your christmas table.

The vintage linen is gorgeous to work with and I used some to stitch my favourite 'Ruby' pic to make a cute cushion for my sewing room.

These boxes make a lovely gift for someone who sews or for your own sewing room if you are busy making things for Christmas.   I only have a limited number available and you can find out more about them in my Etsy shop here

See you next time with a few more new things for the Christmas.

Ruby x