December

A detailed winter scene: a zinc watering can resting in the snow, terracotta pots of poinsettias, red apples, berries and two wrens watching over it all. The ice-blue fabric is left unstitched as the background and keeps the whole picture light and airy.

It is worked in counted cross stitch from the chart, with the DMC threads already selected and sorted by colour. The many shades and the generous size make it a demanding project, better suited to stitchers with a few pieces behind them. A hoop or frame is useful while stitching; the frame shown in the photo is not included, and the finished piece works well framed as a picture.