I rather like the idea of having a seasonal display of cross-stitch smalls. Now I’ve finally put the Christmas decorations away I decided it was a good time to start, hopefully this will become a regular monthly post.

We’ve been sorting out our ‘under the eaves’ storage, it’s a bit like a loft or an attic, i.e. a general dumping ground for things you haven’t quite decided whether they can go or stay! In amongst the old pictures, letters and baby clothes I found a lovely burr elm bowl, I love wooden things and burr elm is particularly beautiful. The bowl has two shallow ‘bowls’ and I thought I’d try it to display smalls on. It works pretty well!

So, for January I’ve of course got the Joyful world monthly small with it’s cute fox. I have included a Lizzie Kate three words pillow which seemed apt for New Year. A little blackwork sheep was added as the fields near us have lots of sheep in at the moment as they’ve all been brought down from higher pasture for lambing. Finally I have a snowdrop cross-stitch which is one I stitched years ago and finally made into a pretty pillow last year. The snowdrops are just pushing up their shoots, hopefully it won’t be long before we get some flowers.

I’m half way through another cross-stitch too, it’s a bit big to call a small but it’s my stitching on the go piece at the moment. It’s a nice simple design by Natalie Cichon of Jardin Privee called Jardin de Bobines  

I bought it at the Knitting & Stitching show, it nicely mixes my love of stitching and gardening and I like the strong colours too. I’ve stitched a few designs by Natalie over the years, including a sampler a few years ago called Samplers Bouquet, again it was the colours that first drew me to the design.

It’s stitching up pretty quickly, I’ve just to do the flower stems either side and a border along the bottom. I haven’t quite decided what to do with it yet, either frame it for my sewing room or make it into a cushion for the chair in my sewing room. I’ll see how I feel when I finish it.

I’m linking up with Kathy’s Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday, why not follow the link to see lots more hand-stitching.