Some work in progress ........................

Although winter has finally arrived with some frosty nights, the weather is comparatively mild for this time of the year.  The trees are still dressed in their beautiful autumn shades ............

I have gathered all the geranium plants into the greenhouse for winter and hopefully they will not be affected by the frost.  Still have to wrap their pots to keep the soil from freezing but my bear order book is rather full so I have been busy stitching!

My little girl bears wearing dresses trimmed with vintage lace and hand embroidery are very popular with collectors.   These little items of clothing take many hours of careful stitching and my work table looks somewhat like a mini dressmaker's studio.  Just need a couple of tiny dress forms to display all the clothing.

Some pictures to share of work in progress, a selection of bears in various stages of completion.....

The pandas have been much in demand .........

These tiny scraps of fabric are the basis of a variety of jackets, dress and panda outfits.

which should end up looking rather like this ....

and one of the naked bears all dressed and ready for e-bay, think she suits the name 'Emily' .....

I have also been trying to complete some of my UFOs for our other Etsy store and hope to have some special  items added over the next few days.

I love books and possibly spend too much of my precious creative time reading.  Having read all three of my birthday present books and now waiting for books to arrive at the library, I have started taking crochet hook and thread to bed.   Knitting and embroidery just do not work sitting up in bed, I drop stitches or loose needles so crochet is ideal.  I have made a collection of pink flowers, still a few more to do then I can make them into something special.

 That is about all my creative news for the present, back to stitching so that I can take a day off next week!

Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead ~ Louisa May Alcott