Mulled Wine

A recipe chalked on a blackboard: a steaming glass of mulled wine, a cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise, a lemon, the bottle of red and a spoonful of sugar, with the method set out in hand lettering and a few snowflakes. The white sequins add a little sparkle against the dark ground.

The design is worked in counted cross stitch on black Aida, with back stitch outlining the lettering and French knots for the small details; the threads come already sorted by colour and the chart includes a clear stitch diagram. Good light and a hoop help when stitching on black. The frame is not included; once finished, the piece looks at home in a kitchen or makes a Christmas gift.