January and February are often very slow months, at least for the gardeners amongst us but somehow, this year they seemed to merge together and disappear into the early spring mists.
These early months of the year are a busy continuation of the festive period, as people redeem gift vouchers and eagerly await their new stitching projects.
A Kind Winter
Bare hedgerows are suddenly peppered with golden hazel catkins catching the watery sun.
Farmers busy themselves with trimming hedges before the 1st March to avoid nesting birds.
From the damp, cold ground, spears of glaucus green are topped with the dainty white bells of snowdrops. They look down into the ground as though trying to charm the rest of the spring flowers forth.
Winter has been kind to Cumberland, unlike most of the UK, we have avoided the brutal winds, snow and torrential rain. Frosts have been infrequent, touching the ground with barely a whisper, easing into a warm and bright Imbolc.
New Embroidery Kits for 2026
We have been busy in the studio, creating some new embroidery kits.
Two floral heart designs; one featuring early spring flowers and the other inspired by our wild garden strawberries, which is paired with a little family of Agaric toadstools. Both created on luxurious off white Irish Linen.
Our popular blue poppy design is now created as an embroidery kit. Easy to stitch using a variegated teal blue fine perle thread and packaged in our unique kraft wallets which are letter box friendly and make great gifts.
Pink shades seem to be very popular with brides this year and we have added two new shades of pink and a dusky plum to our stock silk colours.
Spring Awakening
As I create new artwork, there is a gentle fluttering against the studio window.
A small Tortoishell butterfly awakens from winter slumber but it is still too cold for the delicate creature to take wing outside and releasing it will surely spell doom.
I head to the kitchen to place some honey in water on a jam jar lid and pop in some cotton pads to offer it some much needed nourishment.
Once it has fed, I will place the butterfly in a cooler place to sleep again until the weather is warm enough in a couple of weeks for it to head off on its adventures.
Maire x