A couple of years ago (I think), on our pre Christmas jaunt to the US, we spotted these cute cushions in Crate and Barrel and I stood for a while, seriously wondering if I could squeeze one of them into my suitcase and bring it home. I didn’t think so.

But around the corner on a small table was a small, square plate in similar vein

and a spatula for Christmas baking. They certainly found a place to come home with me and I’ve enjoyed using both in the run up to Christmas.

The plate is the perfect size for a couple of mince pies and is in almost constant use at this time of the year.

Each time I’ve used it, I remembered that I had thought about making a cushion of the design, inspired by those I had to leave behind.

I thought about it a lot.

This year, as I was looking through the boiled wool fabric on the Empress Mills website, I even thought about buying the fabric too. But I didn’t know what colour to choose. I spent a couple of weeks looking for a bobble trim to finish the ends of this imaginary cushion but did nothing for quite some time.

Then one day, noodling around in Photoshop, I found the photo of the plate I’d taken and created a pattern for it, printing the outline onto freezer paper and calculating how much fabric I’d need. Since the minimum purchase was a half metre, I’d have enough for two cushions - ok. I couldn’t find a trim for the ends, but never mind. A week may have gone by whilst I dithered over what colours to choose.

I made my decision and placed the order, feeling pleased with my choice when the package arrived a week or so later.

I had the pattern all ready to go and one might think that, in these days of being home, doing not very much, the cushion would have been done in no time. Except, there was further prevaricating to be done. How would I do the snowflake on his sweater? I was sure I had some creamy white felt snowflakes in a bag somewhere (bought at a pre-Christmas craft market in Paris organised by Marie-Claire magazine years ago) Another day went by in looking for them and, having found them, working out a way to use them, for they were incredibly thick and had an eyelet in one of the points for hanging on a tree. I cut off the eyelet - I didn’t need that bit anyway - and sliced the felt in half, making two from one.

And that was that. Finished in no time. Well, once I’d found the black felt and stitched the cushion together, that is. I had wondered about adding some white stripes to his scarf, but thought better of it and decided to leave well alone. I think he - they - look pretty cute as they are.

One will stay here, the other will live in London, eventually. The rate we’re going, it might be some time before the transfer can take place, though.