Stitches, Sparklers & Back to School: August in Review
August was one of those months that felt both jam-packed and slow at the same time — full of tiny moments, new projects, and a couple of milestones that made me pause and go, "Wait, how are we here already?" Between juggling shop updates, designing and stitching, celebrating a birthday & an anniversary, and getting the kids ready for back-to-school, I definitely had my hands full.
It was also a month where I leaned more heavily into the stitching side of things. I still published a handful of blog posts (and my regular FlossTube episodes!), but my needle definitely saw more action than my keyboard. Honestly, it was the balance I needed — and it reminded me why I love creating both in front of the screen and with fabric in hand.
So, let's take a look back at August: the finishes, the WIPs, the little everyday joys, and the moments that made last month feel special.
Jump to:
- Two Little Kits' Stuff:
- Finished Piece:
- Works-in-Progress:
- IRL:
- Conclusion
Leading image: Our kitties all together (which doesn't happen often).
New Collection
🩸 "True Crime"
This month I launched my True Crime collection, and I tried something new with it: opening pre-orders at a discounted price. The idea was to gather orders up front, place a bulk order, and then handle distribution myself. It sounded like a smart way to streamline things — but, as with most experiments, it didn't go quite as planned. I didn't push the marketing side hard enough and ended up with a grand total of… zero orders. Whomp whomp.
I'm definitely not discouraged, though! It was a learning curve, and I already know what I'll do differently next time: put more energy into the marketing build-up, and make sure I've got a sample in hand before launching.
Sometimes you just have to learn the hard way, right?
That said, I'm still really proud of this collection. The design is simple, fun, and (if you ask me) very relatable. The pieces are all still available -just without the pre-order discount- and include a t-shirt, hoodie, mug, and tote bag. I hope this one eventually finds its audience, because I really do believe in it.
New Patterns
August brought not one, but two fresh new pattern into the world — each with its own very different energy! One came as a spur-of-the-moment idea I just couldn't ignore, while the other continued my steady journey through my Zodiac series.
🕹 "The Game"
This pattern was a total surprise — "The Game" popped into my head out of nowhere, and I knew I had to stitch it into life right away. It's a cheeky throwback to that classic internet joke, dressed up with rainbow stripes and a pixel-style broken heart that's equal parts groan-worthy and fun.
You can read more about the design in this blog post.
♌ "Zodiac: Leo"
Balancing the silliness with something bold, Leo roared onto the scene as the fifth instalment of my Zodiac series. With a fiery palette of reds and golds, it perfectly captures the confidence and drama of this star sign.
Curious about the earlier signs? You can see the first four designs in this blog post.
Finished Piece
Stitch People Portrait
My one completed piece for August was a Stitch People portrait commission, which was such a joy to work on. My customer wanted a heartfelt birthday gift for her long-time boyfriend, featuring him and his two children together.
To make the portrait extra personal, I worked using individual photos of each person in outfits they normally wear. With my customer's blessing, I even replicated the clothing shown in the photos -especially the dad's graphic tee and the son's shirt- to capture those little details that make a piece feel truly unique.
This was a fun, quick little stitch, and also my first portrait order in quite some time. It felt so good to dive back into a commission again and stitch something that I knew would become a meaningful keepsake. I loved powering through this one!
Works-in-progress
August was definitely a month of juggling a variety of projects — some on the fabric, some on paper (or, well, the screen).
Stitched
I kicked off two new stitch-alongs this month: "Flower Dragon Meadow", which is running with monthly releases, and "Twigs and Tea", which is releasing weekly or biweekly. For the latter, I only have the frame stitched so far since the first part dropped in early September — but that's OK! I also powered through a lot of work on the "Extraordinary Birds" stitch-along, which is now fully released. That means I officially can't get any further behind (ha!). I'm also keeping myself more or less on track with my "Flower Meadow" by stitching the flowers in little bursts — tackling several at once when I can.
On top of that, I started a new personal WIP called
"Circular Logic".
This one comes with a funny little rule: I'm only letting myself stitch it while under the influence of some… "adult gummies." 😏 If you catch my drift.
So far, so good — no noticeable mistakes, and the piece is looking gorgeous thanks to a
Threadworx
variegated floss I picked out. I'm absolutely loving how it's turning out.
Design
On the design side, my head got a little scrambled. I accidentally jumped ahead and designed Scorpio first, forgetting that Libra actually comes before it in the zodiac lineup. Whoops!
Unfortunately, none of my Libra drafts by the end of the month were ones I was happy enough to share publicly. So, for now, Scorpio stands on its own while Libra sat quietly in the design folder, waiting for its glow-up (Don't worry - you'll see it soon!).
!["Zodiac: Scorpio" - [Future] Cross-Stitch Pattern by Two Little Kits](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0732/3733/2277/files/250926-wip-design-zodiac_scorpio.jpg?v=1759007781)
Haul
August came with a few new goodies that I couldn't resist adding to my collection. First up was the newly released cross-stitch book "Witchy Stitching". I shared about getting it over on Instagram and the response was massive — clearly I'm not the only one who was excited for a bit of spooky stitchy goodness!
I also treated myself to four new needleminders from Hawthorn Handmade. Since they're based in the UK, I decided to snap them up before the De Minimis changes kicked in, and I'm so glad I did. They're adorable and already getting plenty of use.
And, because I can never resist adding some flair to my everyday life, I picked up three new
toppers for my glasses.
Two of them are transparent, which makes them extra fun and versatile (since I have two base frame colours).
I absolutely love being able to swap out toppers daily — it's a small thing that genuinely makes me feel good inside. My collection is getting pretty extensive now… but honestly, I'm not even mad about it.
If you'd like a pair of my glasses where you can swap toppers of your own, you can check them out here.
New Blog Posts
It was a little quieter on the blog in August compared to some of my recent months, but I still managed to hit publish on four new posts (plus two FlossTube episodes!). I think the balance tipped more toward actually stitching this month, which honestly felt wonderful — sometimes the needle and fabric just call louder than the keyboard.
That said, the posts I did share covered a mix of thoughtful reflections, helpful guides, and a bit of light-hearted fun. From tackling burnout to navigating tricky patterns, there's something for everyone.
You'll find the links for each below if you'd like to catch up on any you missed.
View The Post
View The Post
View The Post
View The Post
See The Episode
IRL
Birthday & Anniversary Celebration
August was a milestone month in our household. My husband turned the big 4-0 — though he might not appreciate me broadcasting that fact! I tried to make his cake extra fun with sparklers on top, but instead nearly smoked out our kitchen. Thankfully, all we ended up with was a lingering burnt smell and a funny memory.
We also quietly celebrated our 23rd anniversary (of when we started dating — much more meaningful to us than our actual marriage date). He was under the weather, and with us trying to be mindful of money, we kept things low-key with a simple dinner at home followed by a cozy couch snuggle. Honestly, it was just the kind of celebration I love best.
Back to School
Both of my girls headed back to school at the end of the month, and I still can't quite believe my oldest is now in middle school..! How did that happen so fast?! Her new schedule means she's out the door by just after 7am for the bus — which is going to feel especially early once the mornings turn darker in a month or two. But for now, I'm enjoying seeing the sunrise.
My youngest was thrilled to discover how many friends ended up in her class this year. After "meet the teacher", she was absolutely buzzing with excitement and is 100% smitten with her 4th-grade teacher. Here's hoping the school year continues on this happy note!
Everything Else
I'm still absolutely loving my DIY gel nail kit from last month's birthday haul. It turns out I feel just a little bit fancy when I'm stitching with cute, shiny nails — like a glamorous twist on the usual needle-and-thread routine.
They're not making my nails feel any stronger when I take them off (boo), but they are protecting against those annoying breakages and keeping my cuticles much happier. Honestly, it feels like a win all around.
Another sweet highlight of the month was introducing my youngest daughter to the world of pen pals. Once I explained the idea, she was instantly on board, so I hopped into a Facebook group and found her two girls her age to connect with. She jumped right in and started writing her first letters — I have a feeling this is going to be such a magical little adventure for her. I remember loving receiving letters from pen pals when I was her age.
And rounding things out, I'm still going strong with the Finch app, which continues to be a quiet but steady anchor in my daily routine. I hit over 250 days of use in August and even "fully explored" London in the app, which felt like a fun little milestone. It's amazing how something so simple helps me stay grounded and on track. Penelope -my Finch- is the best!
Threading It All Together
Looking back, August had a bit of everything: some wins, some lessons learned (putting sparklers down in the kitchen = bad idea, who knew? 😂), and a whole lot of stitching joy. I didn't push out as much digital content as I sometimes do, but instead I sank deeper into my WIPs and personal projects — and I think that was exactly what I needed.
With new designs percolating, stitch-alongs keeping me busy, and family life falling back into schedule & rolling right along, I'm also excited to share what September has brought. If August taught me anything, it's that the balance between work, play, and life isn't always perfect — but there's always beauty to be found in the stitches along the way.
👋 Kate
