Handmade winter

New season, new projects

We all have our favourite season and mine is winter. Often our favourite season is the one we were born in. Winter is the time when I take some time out to create things with a more therapeutic approach by stepping out of my commercial head for a while. The lead up to Christmas is a busy time for me and I was delighted to make my 2800th sale on Etsy this week - that is a lot of handmade. January sees me in recovery so I naturally reach for creative projects that soothe the soul. I thought I might share some…..

Slow Stitching

If you love to stitch and haven’t read Clare Wellesley-Smith’s book Slow Stitch I highly recommend it. I didn’t realise I was engaging in slow stitching until I read this book and then it all fell into place. I began a stitching journal using Japaense linen as a result of this book and it is still going strong. My favourite slow stitching project is a snippet roll as it has an organic feel about it and it lets my needle meander. It is very good for the soul that needs to rest a while.

Art Journaling

I art journal throughout the year but I have more time in the winter and so I have more winter inspired pages than other seasons. Creating art journal pages inspired by the seasons is joyful as it places your creativity deep within the season you are inhabiting. I run a seasonal art journaling group on the island and we also engage in this exercise in my Patreon community. In 2026 I would like to offer a seasonal art journaling pop up online class so it is on my list to see if I can fit it in. Do let me know if you would be interested.

Digital Art

With more time and a rocking chair by the fire I often grab my ipad to create digital art using the app procreate. Creating digitally gives me the freedom to express without the mess that I usually make. Whole hours drift by as I create and colour my way through a day.

Painting

My art training was orginally in textile art and painting fabric was a fundamental part of that. In more recent years, I have been known to shift to painting on paper or canvas. I would quite like a go with wooden substrates so that is on my 2026 list as well. My paintings draw on landscape but quickly become very abstract allowing me a sense of freedom that fits well in my winter sanctuary. I don’t subscribe to the belief that we all have to be good at every creative project we tackle. Sometimes it is firmly about the creative process. In fact I can often be found cutting up some paintings to use in my mixed media work. It is my time to play. Play is often educated out of us and we have to invest in it to re-find it within us.

Book making for me

I make books for a living but in January I like to make some books for myself. This year will be slightly different as I have a handmade book portfolio project in my Patreon group and a brand new book project - Fragmented Stories - about to start in my paid Substack ‘Book Artist Studio’ so I will be leaning into those places for inspiration. Making books for yourself that you can spend the rest of the year filling is to be recommended. I do buy notebooks and sketchbooks but nothing quite touches my own books. My books have different purposes. Some are simple notebooks, some hold my stitching, some my art journal pages and some are just a place to explore new ideas. I have the luxury of time in January and February that I don’t have any other time of the year.

Winter creates time for me to meander and now that I have retired as an exhibiting artist (off island) I have more time than ever. It is important to have space for time to stretch ahead of me without deadlines and this is what winter gives me. I spend a little more time indoors at this time of year as well and I tend to have wee corners of the house that I only inhabit at this time of year. These shifting dynamics have served me well over the years and convinced me that creating by the season suits me well. Spring will come around soon enough with new projects underway.

This winter I am, once again, repairing a much loved blanket that my grandmother made in the 1950s. I use it all the time and, over time, the fabric has begun to disintegrate. I don’t want to lose all the fabric. Where I have to I patch but where I can I do some Kantha embroidery to secure the fabric for a few more years to some. The perfect winter project.

Until next time, Fiona xx

Thank you for all the support as always. Whether you are a paid subscriber, an Etsy customer, a Patreon or somone who has bought me a coffee, I am hugely grateful.