I am always looking for stitching projects that I can work on in the winter when the lighting is not as good. This needlepoint piece “Paisley” by The Coleshill Collection was just the right one last winter. I’ve had this piece languising in my stash for quite some time and was very happy to put it in my stitching rotation.

This piece stitched up beautifully – 18 count monocanvas and some beautiful Appleton Crewel Wool in beautiful pinks, greens and blues with just a touch of gold to give it just a little extra, extra. The lighter colours and large size canvas made it the perfect winter project. And, honestly, stitching with Appleton is always a treat. It’s a delight to work with.

And that’s how plan B happened. I couldn’t quite figure out how to wrap the corners of the paisley piece around the corners of the foam without there being too much bulk. In the end, instead of unpicking and restitching the corners, I decided to leave all of the stitching in place and finish as a pillow.

And the foot stool? I paid a visit to my fabric stash and found this lovely navy and gold peacock canvas. It was just the perfect fabric for the footstool!

So now I have two new lovely bespoke pieces in my house. The pillow as a lovely chair accent, and the footstool to prop up my feet as I stitch my next project!