Needles, Notes & New Additions: May 2026 Wrap-Up
Welcome to another [belated] monthly wrap-up! We're diving right into everything that happened in May 2026—and honestly, looking back at the past four weeks, it turns out quite a lot was packed into these thirty-one days. Between keeping hoops rotating, getting a brand-new website tool off the ground, and navigating all the usual end-of-school-year buzz with the family, life has been delightfully full.
I've been stitching with extra purpose lately, chipping away at WIPs with upcoming milestones in mind and celebrating those deeply satisfying "final stitch" moments. Alongside the slow rhythm of the needle, there's also been a whirlwind of design ideas, some much-needed creative play, and plenty of real-life milestones that made May a truly memorable month.
Grab your current favourite WIP, pour yourself a fresh cuppa, and let's take a cozy wander through all the finishes, shop updates, and everyday moments that made up May!
Leading image: Pretty flowers in someone's yard after a bit of rainfall.
Jump to:
- Finished Piece
- Works-in-Progress
- Two Little Kits' Stuff:
- IRL
- Conclusion
Finished Piece
Ancient Tales
In May, I finished stitching one of the beautiful patterns from the book "Fantasy Cross-Stitch" by NeedleLot Designs. This particular design is called "Ancient Tales" and it was lovely to work on. I found the absolute perfect piece of 18ct Aida fabric to use for it. It had a graphic printed on it that made it look like old parchment, which really added to the magical feel of the pattern. You can see my finished piece, framed in a beechwood hoop, in the above photo.
If you've been following along, you'll know that I was lucky enough to receive a gift of this wonderful book from Iris herself. I had actually pre-ordered a copy for myself as well, which gave me the perfect opportunity to run a giveaway! It was so much fun to send that second copy off to a new home. In May, I completed the giveaway, and the winner was @theroethelegang. I was thrilled to hear how excited they were when their carefully packaged prize arrived!
Cross-Stitch Calculator
If you've ever stood over a piece of fabric in your stash wondering, "Is this actually big enough for this pattern?" — you're definitely not alone. I constantly find myself needing to double-check fabric dimensions, whether I'm cutting into a fresh piece or trying to see if a leftover scrap will fit a project. To save us all from doing repetitive mental math before starting a new stitch, I finally built a dedicated Cross-Stitch Calculator right here on the website!
I wanted it to be as useful and versatile as possible, so it works for both Aida and Evenweave/Linen counts. You can simply plug in your pattern's stitch count, select your fabric, and set your preferred border and framing allowance to get the exact fabric size you need. It takes all the guesswork out of the prep stage so you can get straight to the fun part — stitching!
New Pattern
May was a pretty quiet month on the shop release front, with just one brand-new design making its way onto the shelves — but it's a very relatable one!
"Indoor Cat"
I'll admit this pattern was a bit of a whirlwind from start to finish. I've had the wording tucked away in my notes for a while now, but the full design suddenly popped into my head one day and I just had to bring it to life immediately, from drafting to test-stitching and photographing.
It's created specifically for all my fellow introverted cat lovers out there: a cheeky design featuring a sleeping kitty and the text "Sorry I can't, I'm an Indoor Cat." Because honestly, who hasn't wanted to use that exact excuse when their social battery hits zero?
Works-in-progress
Between prepping for upcoming events and trying to keep my hands busy, May turned into a really active month for my WIP pile! I've been stitching with a very specific goal in mind lately: I'm strategically setting myself up to finish at least one project while I'm away at Stitch-Con in mid-June. Having that target in sight has given me a great little burst of motivation to keep several hoops moving along.
Are you stitching any of the same SALs or projects right now? Or do you have a personal favorite among my current WIPs that you're hoping to see finished first? I'd love to know!
Stitched
I touched a lot of different pieces this month, but a few have had some really exciting progress. I officially wrapped up all of the cross-stitching on my "Firefly" Sampler and have moved on to the backstitching — it's amazing how much that line work brings the whole thing to life! Over on "Femurs and Fungi", I finally hit the sections with color, and seeing those pops make their way onto the fabric has made the pattern so much fun to watch unfold.
I've also been staying up to date with a couple of SALs! I finished the entire outer frame for "Museum After Midnight" so I'm officially ready for Exhibit 1 to drop, and I'm completely caught up on the first three parts of "Life at the Cottage". On the flip side, some projects are pure grit — I've relegated "Flower Prairie" to a rough fortnightly schedule just to power through it. I'm not loving the stitch process right now, but I'm determined to have a finished sample to match my Flower Field and Flower Meadow pieces!
Designed
When I wasn't just pulling threads, I was spending some cosy time in Procreate. I fleshed out three potential new cross-stitch fonts — tentatively named Rose, Sally, and Trish (sticking with my tradition of giving all my alphabet fonts feminine names!).
I also worked on two pattern concepts that I am so excited about. One is called "Free Action", which features a giant D20 die and the text "Crying is a Free Action" (a little D&D humor for you!). The other is "Thoughtful Insult", which juxtaposes sweet, cheery florals with the delightfully passive-aggressive phrase "I hope you have the day you deserve".
New Blog Posts
Along with keeping up with my usual FlossTube updates, I managed to get two new blog posts written and published during May! The first was Stitching in the Final Hour: 2026 Teacher Appreciation Gifts, where I shared the last-minute scramble (and eventual success!) of getting appreciation gifts finished up for my daughters' teachers.
The second post was a bit of a love letter to a controversial technique: I Really Don't Mind Backstitching (And Neither Should You!). I know backstitching gets a bad rap in the needlework world, so I broke down why I actually enjoy it and how much power it has to transform a piece. Fun little behind-the-scenes fact: the imagery I used to demonstrate backstitching in that post actually came from working on the detailed frame of my Museum After Midnight SAL!
If you'd like to catch up on the chatty side of things, you can also check out FlossTube #126 for the latest video updates from the month.
Stitchy Talk Show - Update
Check out the episodes I released during May for my Stitchy Talk Show.
IRL
May was such a full month away from my desk! Between end-of-school-year milestones, family celebrations, a fun new obsession, and a bit of retail therapy, there was plenty going on alongside my stitching hours. Here's a peek at what life looked like behind the scenes this month.
Haul
I treated myself to a few little goodies from two awesome, independent shops recently: Thousand Skies and The Gray Muse. I picked up a handful of adorable stickers and some stunning new enamel pins to add to my collection. There's nothing quite like opening happy mail from fellow small businesses to brighten up a work week!
Of course, my stash wouldn’t be complete without a few new digital charts finding their way into my collection! I couldn’t resist casting on "Cat Dragon House" by FlossyFoxShop almost immediately, which explains why you’ve already spotted it sitting proudly in my active WIP rotation. I also finally snapped up "Girl Stitching" by MyBraveStitch after watching it on my wishlist for ages when it went on sale, as well as the wonderful "Eeveelutions Pokemon Cards" chart from SimminaStitchStudio, which will fit right into our Pokémon-loving household whenever I manage to squeeze it into the lineup. Finally, nathnolu released the adorable "Crocheting Mouse" in May, and since I already have all the other four designs in that sweet little craft series lined up to stitch, adding this one to the library was an absolute no-brainer.
Mother's Day
I had a truly wonderful Mother's Day this year and felt so spoilt by my family! They gifted me two whole LEGO sets, a gorgeous bouquet of fresh flowers, and a slice of my absolute favourite—red velvet cake. Spending a cozy day surrounded by flowers, cake, and LEGO was just about as perfect as it gets.
Miscellaneous
We also had a big milestone moment for my youngest daughter, who had her end-of-school-year orchestra concert! Watching her get up on stage and play her viola alongside the rest of the kids made me so incredibly proud. Both of my girls also got big haircuts this month to prep for summer, so everyone is looking fresh!
On a more random personal note, I managed to keep my nails at a nice, healthy length for long enough to document it — my nails are notoriously brittle, so having them all long and neatly shaped at the same time is a momentous occasion that deserves its own announcement!
And finally, I made a hilarious discovery on my hand this month: I've apparently been stitching so much that I've built up a brand-new needle callus on one of my fingers. I honestly don't even know how that happened, but I guess it's a true badge of honor!
Rolling Up the Fabric: Looking Ahead to Summer
And that is a wrap on May! It's always such a grounding exercise to sit down and gather all these pieces together. When life moves quickly from one school event, pattern draft, or household routine to the next, it can feel like not much is getting done—until you look back and realize just how many tiny, steady stitches have quietly added up.
Heading into June, I'm taking that forward momentum with me. With Stitch-Con just around the corner, my bags (and stitching project pouches!) are already starting to gather near the door, and I can't wait to share how all these current works-in-progress evolve over the coming weeks.
Thank you so much for following along with my little creative corner of the world. Whatever you're working on right now —whether you're powering through backstitching, tackling a big SAL, or simply taking a gentle pause— I hope your stitches are smooth and your thread stays knot-free. See you in the next update!
👋 Kate
P.S. I'm sorry I'm so far behind with this series! I have been dilligent with keeping notes each month, and I'm hoping to get June 2026's post out before the end of the month, at an absolute minimum. Thanks for your patience!
