It’s chilly and wet, the fire is blazing and the wind is rattling down the chimney. Yep, it’s still very much winter, here in New Zealand. Time to tell you a little bit more about Winter Matryoshka, I reckon.

Winter Matryoshka is inspired by a very different kind of winter than we ever experience here: A frozen winter of bare branches, the earliest spring blossoms peaking through and the odd scattered flower fallen on the snow. A winter of ice crystals and dancing cranes…

I created her from images of four pieces of vintage kimono fabric in my collection. The red piece with the crane comes from the first whole kimono I ever bought. It’s still one of my absolute favourites, and the few pieces I have left are very much treasured.

I think of the face of Winter Matryoshka as being Russian, with her pale skin, dark hair, blue eyes and cherry lips. (Autumn Matryoshka is Japanese and Summer is Irish, by the way!)

Like my Autumn Matryoshka, the back of Winter Matryoshka picks up the colours of the kimonos and mixes them together into a geometric diamond print.

You’ll find my matryoshka doll cushions, key rings, cards and magnets for sale in my Etsy store. Enjoy! And happy weather wherever you are.