What things did I work on in October and November?
I didn't write one of these posts at the beginning of November, as I needed to allow myself to focus on stitching all of my Christmas ornaments since compiling and writing these posts takes a lot of time..!
But during the past two months, I've worked on and completed quite a lot of things. So get ready for a big blog post..!
Finished Pieces
Christmas Ornaments
As I mentioned, I've been working on ornaments a tonne pretty much the entirety of both October and November. It's been so great to watch them all slowly evolve and progress. Taking these photos (and videos that I will share elsewhere!) was very cathartic for me, as well.
As you can see, there were two pieces that aren't as "Christmassy" themed as the others. Which was a great, brief break from all of the reds and greens, I'll be honest!
Scroll through this slider and check out all 10 of the ornaments.
Other Pieces
Multiple-Piece Order
I had a lovely customer earlier in this year chat with me about wanting a few pieces completed and she explicitly said her timeline to have them all completed before the end of November.
This order consisted of three separate pieces:
- A stitch people portrait,
- A house outline ornament, and
- A simple piece with initials.
Working out the non-stitch people pieces (regarding what to charge, time to expect for completion, a design concept, etc) was an excellent challenge and honestly? I totally knocked them out of the park.
But the stitch people piece was awesome! After placing the order itself, my customer notified me that she had adopted a second cat (just from excitement!) and I jumped on the opportunity to add it onto the piece for her, on the house, just for being an awesome human being.
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Small little house ornament. -
Three initials piece. -
And also a stitch people piece to round it all out! -
The three completed pieces all together.
Rush Portrait
A "rush order" you say, Kate? Yep! I am always open to discussing a quote and mulling over the logistics of completing a piece that has a tight turnaround deadline. And this was one of those..!
I received this order on a Wednesday and completed it the following Monday. It ate into my personal time and family time, which is why I always assess my upcoming days/weeks, talk to my husband about his thoughts and charge a 50% rush fee for orders like this. This was only the second time someone has taken me up on my offer (which is perfectly fine with me) which shows me that they understand the sacrifice I'm willing to make to fulfil their request.
But when all is said and done; I am still amazed and proud I was able to complete a six-character portrait completed in less than one week..! AND it was done on linen..!
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WIP: To help me line everything up correctly, I gridded the fabric with lines instead of just dots. -
WIP: Roughly halfway through the stitch itself. -
WIP: A close-up of one of the teensy little bees. -
The entire completed stitch people - I am amazed I was able to complete the entire piece so quickly!
Works in Progress
Although I haven't touched this WIP almost for the entirety of November, I still managed to get a lot done on it before the stitch-along itself ended.
The final chapter was released the Friday before Halloween, so I'm unable to get even more behind, but I just couldn't keep up. I hit a roadblock of exhaustion regarding this piece whilst stitching both chapters six and seven and I took the queue and put it away. In the end, it was for the best because what I did pick up was ornaments.
But the Haunted Library SAL isn't the only thing I worked on over the past 2 months..! Have a look 👇
New & Upcoming Products
New in the shop
Three new patterns were released over October and November, which is just awesome! And one of them just so happens to be the long-awaited release of my latest sampler: 'The Office'.
This sampler is a design I've worked on for over three years and I was extremely nervous about releasing it. It received a really warm welcome and approval, so I don't know what I was worried about in the end. I cannot wait to see WIPs and FOs of the piece pop up eventually. If you have purchased it/eventually do and you're willing, please tag me in any progress and finished photos of your stitch - I would LOVE to see it!
Upcoming Patterns
I also have a fair few patterns I've been working on (both cross-stitch and embroidery) and thought I might share an upcoming series that I've been fiddling with (and is in the process of being test stitched).
As you can see, two of the three are definitely in the early stages of design but the idea is there and all I've gotta do is just keep tinkering away and eventually, we'll find its final forms.
Let me know what you think so far in the comments below!
Haul
Shopping small is a bit of an addiction, especially when it comes to friends' shops. And the past two months have been no exception.
I didn't go wild, since December is upon us, but I did grab a few bits and bobs. Some things were necessary (linen for my rush order, new needles because I'm prone to snapping them, floss & hoops, etc) but I also got some things because they're… adorable. But useful!
Notable IRL Things
As you may be able to tell, it's been a crazy-busy October and November for 2022. So there's been a lot going on outside Two Little Kits that I'd also like to share with you!
Foot Surgery
Although at the time of writing this it feels like an age ago, at the very beginning of October I actually underwent a second surgery on my foot as I had serious complications after the first surgery which left me with a re-broken bone and major swelling.
Without going into gory details; I had one of the two screws removed from my foot (the one going horizontally through my toe) and it was replaced with 3 large pins to brace my toe-bone from the inside, which protruded out from my skin.
It was unpleasant and I'm very happy they've now been removed and I am on the mend..!
First Snowfall of the Season!
After a really long summer heat, we had our first snowfall quite early this year - just before the change over into December!
My kids loved having two snow days off from school and playing in our winter-wonderland backyard. I just love watching it fall and the silence that falls over the world (since the snow is so sound dampening). It truly is magical to watch fall, though.
We're now getting prepared for more snow in longer periods of time since winter is truly upon us. We, as a family, are still learning what living in a place that is snowy is truly like. It hardly ever snows in Australia and when it does, it barely sticks to the ground!
Social Media
This post is a really good example of my growth for my Instagram account since it's covering two different months..!
I added the figures to the captions, but as you can see my account only grew by 29 followers total. I -of course- gain and lose much more than simply that amount in a single month, but the overall can be easily seen.
And that's it!
So I've spent a much longer time having to sit around on my butt, healing than I anticipated I would have to these past two months (thanks to my surgeries). Milo; one of my cats (the one that adores me) has been a good companion to me during that time and now that the weather has dipped, he is loving snuggling to keep warm.
Thanks for reading!
This was a huge update and -as you can tell- took a lot longer for me to compile. But I hope it's been an interesting read!
If you made it this far through the post; thank you! For your time, use the code ON22SAVE until the end of January 2023 on any of my patterns to save some monies!
I kind of hope that my December update won't be as long and… crazy! Since all my ornaments have been sent off, there aren't as many pieces to share. But I'm always surprising myself, so we'll just have to wait and see!
Until next time,
👋 Kate
