Milestones, creativity, and a touch of calm before the holiday rush.
As November has wrapped up, I find myself reflecting on a month that felt a little like the calm before the festive storm of December. It was a quieter time in many ways, but still filled with milestones, creativity, and meaningful moments—both in my personal life and for Two Little Kits. From releasing a brand-new cross-stitch pattern to tackling holiday orders and even navigating a 36-hour power outage, November was anything but dull!
This month also brought some shifts in my Etsy shop, progress on both physical and digital projects, and a few special family highlights that made my heart full. As always, I’m so grateful to share these updates with you and give you a little peek into what’s been keeping me busy.
Leading image: The warm fireplace when we lost power for ~36 hours. 😊
Jump to:
New Pattern
November marked the release of a very special cross-stitch pattern of mine, “Be Yourself.” The design features the uplifting phrase: “In a world where you can be anything, be yourself,” surrounded by cheerful butterflies & florals that bring the message to life.
This pattern debuted as part of an exclusive Zine bundle, where I joined forces with 14 other talented pattern designers to create an inspiring collection. The Zine is packed with unique patterns -all revolving around the theme "Words & Phrases"- and will only be available until January 17th, 2025. After that, “Be Yourself” will become available as a standalone pattern on my website starting mid-May 2025.
The Power of Positive Self-Talk
I believe in the importance of surrounding ourselves with gentle reminders to treat ourselves kindly, especially in a world that often feels overwhelming. Positive self-talk can make such a difference in building self-confidence and mental well-being, and cross-stitching this piece is a wonderful way to internalise that message. Taking the time to create something with your own hands reinforces optimism and gives you a tangible reminder to appreciate yourself just as you are.
What’s Next?
If you’d like to be part of this limited-time Zine bundle and get your hands on “Be Yourself” (alongside so many other beautiful patterns), don’t wait! The Zine is the perfect way to find inspiration for your next project and support an amazing group of designers.
Finished Pieces
This holiday season, I completed six custom Stitch People ornaments—one was a rush order completed during September that I hadn’t shared yet! Each ornament was uniquely tailored to reflect the people (and pets!) they depicted, with beautifully hand-embroidered borders adding an extra layer of charm.
This year, I had fewer ornaments to stitch than usual, but that worked perfectly for me. After the busy and unpredictable year I’ve had, slowing down a bit allowed me to focus more on creativity and details. I trialled some new border designs this year, and I’m thrilled with how they turned out—one featured a dainty scalloped pattern, while another incorporated festive greenery that perfectly complemented the characters.
A standout project was my very first swaddled newborn baby ornament. He turned out so sweet, and it was such a joy to stitch this little one, snug and cosy in his wrap!
I also loved hearing how much the September rush-order ornament was appreciated. It had been gifted early, and knowing it was well-loved made the extra effort totally worth it.
Looking Ahead: A Belated 2024 Ornament Just for You!
If you didn’t get the chance to order a custom ornament in time for the holidays, it’s not too late to create something meaningful. These personalised ornaments make beautiful keepsakes for your own family or heartfelt gifts for loved ones. Whether it’s to commemorate a new baby, highlight a milestone, or simply capture your unique family spirit, let’s work together to design something truly special.
Reach out today, and we’ll create an ornament that will bring joy for years to come!
Works-in-progress
November wasn’t just about finishing projects—it was also about keeping my hands busy with a variety of ongoing works-in-progress. From stitching to designing to picking up an entirely new craft (hello, crochet!), I’ve been making steady progress and enjoying the process.
Cross-Stitching
My current cross-stitch projects are delightfully manageable at just three! Two of them are from Flossy Fox Shop (funny coincidence), and I’m loving how much progress I’ve made on each. I’m particularly proud of keeping up-to-date with my own Flower Field pattern—it’s so rewarding to see it come together month by month. Not many more flowers to go now!
Pattern Designs
This year, I continued my tradition of stitching small cross-stitches for my family for Christmas. I purchased three gorgeous patterns from the shop Colorfully Sarah and adapted them into personalised gifts. It'll be so fun stitching with my loved ones in mind, and I can’t wait to see their reactions when they open them!
Crochet
With winter settling in and the chill hitting a little harder than usual (thanks to my weight-loss surgery earlier this year), I decided it was time to pick up a hook and yarn again. It’s been years since I crocheted, but I’m loving the meditative rhythm of the craft. Plus, it’s a practical way to stay warm and cosy—win-win!
Whether it’s with needle and thread or yarn and hook, keeping creative has been such a joy this month. Every project brings its own little spark of happiness!
Etsy Update
Big changes are happening in my Etsy shop, all aimed at making it easier for you to find exactly what you’re looking for!
Previously, my Etsy store mirrored my website’s shop, offering both digital cross-stitch patterns and physical merchandise like t-shirts, mugs, and hoodies. While the patterns were doing well, the physical items weren’t moving as I’d hoped (Read: At all). After some reflection, I realised this setup wasn’t ideal for Etsy’s search algorithm—or for you, my customers.
So, I made a change. I’ve removed the physical merchandise from my Etsy shop and kept the digital patterns as the primary focus. By narrowing the shop’s offerings, I’m allowing Etsy’s algorithm to better match my patterns with searchers who are passionate about cross-stitch. The physical merchandise isn’t gone forever, though! It will be moving to a brand-new, separate Etsy store launching in early 2025, specifically dedicated to those fun print-on-demand items.
What This Means for You
If you’ve shopped my Etsy store for cross-stitch patterns, nothing will change. You’ll still find all your favourites, and the more focused product line will make it even easier to discover something new. For those who loved my merchandise and apparel, don’t worry—it’s just relocating to a new home, where it can shine in a shop tailored specifically to it.
Hopes for the Future
By making this shift, I’m hoping for better traffic and sales across both stores. With a clearer focus in each shop, my products can reach the right audience more effectively. Plus, it means I can continue to grow Two Little Kits in a way that feels sustainable and exciting for the future!
New Blog Posts
November was a busy month for content creation, and I’m so pleased with the variety of posts I’ve added to the website! I’ve been keeping an eye on what people are searching for on Google before landing on my site, and I’ve added posts to help answer those questions—like the guide to understanding cross-stitch symbols, which has already been super helpful for beginners.
On a more sombre note, I shared an important update about changes to EU regulations that will affect some of my shop’s operations. While it’s not the happiest news, I felt it was important to be transparent and keep everyone in the loop.
And don’t forget—there’s still time to snag a discount on "Flower Meadow" before the year ends! If you’re thinking about starting a floral cross-stitch project for 2025, now’s the perfect opportunity.
Here’s a quick list of the blog posts I shared in November:
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See The Episode
If you haven’t had a chance to check them out, I’d love for you to have a read. I hope they inspire you and answer some of your most pressing questions!
IRL
The month of November always feels like the calm before the storm that is December. It’s that in-between month where the year starts winding down, but the holiday chaos hasn’t fully set in yet. For me, November was relatively quiet—mostly spent enjoying simple moments at home, working on projects, and gearing up for the busy festive season ahead.
Let's go into a few fun things that happened, though.
Family Photos
We managed to sneak in our annual family photos, and I’m always so thankful that we make it happen! This year felt especially miraculous because, living in the Pacific Northwest, we’re no strangers to rain—and it definitely threatened—but somehow, it stayed away just long enough for our session. Phew!
These photos felt extra special for me, as they’re the first proper ones taken since my weight-loss surgery. Honestly, when I look at them, I can barely recognise myself—it’s such a surreal but exciting feeling.
Looking at the pictures also reminded me just how much my girls are growing up. They were so little when we started working with the same photographer back in 2020. Time truly flies, and I’m so glad we have these beautiful photos to freeze a few moments before it speeds on again.
I love my little family unit 😍
Lost Power
Midway through November, a bomb cyclone swept through the Pacific Northwest, leaving us without power for ~36 hours. It was quite the adventure! My kids had a bit of a love-hate relationship with the whole situation—they were thrilled to get a day off school but far less enthusiastic about the lack of internet. LOL! (Modern-day struggles, right?)
While it wasn’t exactly ideal, we made the best of it. There’s something about being unplugged that forces you to get creative with your time, and it gave us a chance to slow down and enjoy some family moments—though I think we were all very happy to see the lights come back on!
Other Things
The month also had its share of little victories and proud moments worth celebrating!
First up, I hit a milestone at martial arts by earning my brown stripe during a belt test. It’s been such a rewarding journey, and I’m excited to keep progressing toward the next level.
On the creative side, I made some homemade "Two Little Kits" stickers to include in my ornament orders this year. It was a fun little project, and I love the idea of adding a personal touch to each package—it feels like sending a tiny piece of my shop out into the world.
And one of the proudest moments of the month? Watching my youngest daughter participate in her school’s “Author’s Chair” event. She got to read a story she wrote about a monster character she created, and I couldn’t have been more impressed. Seeing her confidence and creativity on full display was such a special moment for me as a mum.
Haul
I treated myself to a new phone—a Google Pixel 9 Pro—and I am absolutely loving it! The upgrade in photo and video quality has been a game-changer, especially for capturing family moments and, of course, all the creative projects I’m working on.
What makes this feel extra special is that I didn’t need a new phone—my old one was still chugging along (though the battery life left a lot to be desired). Being able to upgrade “just because” is something I’m really grateful for, and I’m already making the most of this new tech.
Social Media
November wasn’t my most active month on social media. Once again, I’ve found myself struggling to really find my footing there—it still feels a bit like talking into the void sometimes. I held a Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale and shared plenty of posts about it, but unfortunately, the response wasn’t quite what I’d hoped for. Despite my efforts, traffic to my site didn’t pick up as much as I’d imagined.
That said, I know building connections online takes time, and I’m trying to give myself grace as I continue to figure out what feels authentic for me moving forward. To those of you who did engage with my posts or take part in the sale, thank you—you mean the world to me!
(5,738 followers).
Thank you so much for taking the time to catch up on everything that’s been going on this past month. Your support, encouragement, and comments never go unnoticed, and I’m so grateful to have you here as part of this journey. Here’s to embracing whatever the next month holds—see you in December!
Happy Stitching!
👋 Kate