I’ve got a lovely cross-stitch pillow in the current issue of Create n Decorate.

(Isn’t that a fat, cheerful bird?)

Here’s a close-up of the pillow.  Not nearly as nicely styled as they do it in the magazine but then they actually have decorating ability.  I limit any creative abilities I have to the sewing room! 🙂

I was inspired by traditional French monochromatic designs, like these ones at The French Needle, that combine elegance and simplicity so beautifully.

My pillow’s stitched on Weeks Dye Works linen, with their Emma’s Pink floss.  I love this floss – it’s like stitching with candy cotton.  The variations are subtle, from pale, pale pink to almost a bubblegum, and it really works with the deep chocolate of the linen.

I backed it with a coordinating houndstooth print in “Emma’s Pink” – WDW offers a lot of their colours right across their line of perle cottons, stranded cottons and wools, which I must say makes my life as a designer easier.  No hunting and jerrymandering to get a design to coordinate.

So take heart.  Spring is coming.  It won’t be grey and cold forever.