It's been a while

Hello all,

Did I, or did I not tell you that I am useless at keeping up together with things like this? For someone who intended on doing weekly blogs, I have just realised that I've not posted anything here since April!! Where on earth has this year disappeared to? It has seriously flown by!

So anyway, here I am (finally), but I'm not even going to start trying to catch up on what I've missed blogging about since April. The year has been going so well. KLT Charting were very proud to take part in the Summer SAL with 6 other designers. It was the perfect opportunity to showcase our businesses, make new friends and of course, increase our wishlists! In fact, the SAL went so well that we came back to do it again, only this time there were 9 businesses involved, and we were showing off not only designers, but dyers got involved too. The Winter SAL is still on going, so if you haven't already taken a look, the Facebook group can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/428526377336417/ and you'll be able to see work not only from KLT Charting, but also Jodyri Designs, Charting Creations, Paine Free Crafts, Stitchers Anon Cross Stitch Designs, Eclectic Bloke Designs, Shannon Christine Designs, Thread Pickerz and Tilton Crafts. I know... what an amazing selection, right? There really is something for everyone!

As well as working with other designers, I have of course been working on KLT Charting's goodies. The hand dyed fabric side of things has taken off well. We now have a good selection of colours and choices available. I have set a target number and will soon be reaching that target. Once it is reached, I plan on going back and re-evaluating the collection. Those that don't sell, or are particularly difficult to dye will be discontinued and replaced with (hopefully) better colours and styles.

Charting time has been limited lately, but I've been trying to get myself organised so get back on top of things. As well as my own work, I have charts from Chele Cooke, Becky Sheehan and Amy Simmonds sitting in my inbox waiting to be sorted out into charts. As soon as I am back on top of my custom request list, I will get them all up on the website for you to drool over.

As I said, I can't fill you in on ALL the charts I have designed since April, but would like to show you this one which I have charted in memory of those who lost their lives in the terrible terrorist attacks in Paris. However, I was very aware that Paris isn't the only place we need to keep in our thoughts, and as such, I welcome you to change the colours of the candles to anything which suits your purposes. This is 'Pray for the World'

Pray for the World is a copyright free design, meaning you are welcome to stitch it and share it around free of charge. You can find your copy of the chart in the files section of the KLT Charting Facebook group.

For those who are in my facebook group, no doubt I haven't really told you anything you didn't already know, so I should rectify that... time for some exciting news!

The most recent order placed and fulfilled via my website was number 969, so I am super excited to be so close to reaching the 1000 mark! January will see KLT Charting's second birthday and I would absolute love it if we hit the 1000th order before then. I can tell you that the person who places the 1000th order will win a very special prize!

If I manage to organise myself to do another blog before the 1000th order, I will keep you updated as to what number we are at.

In the meantime, don't be afraid to hit the comments section with any thoughts, suggestions or questions - I love to know that people might be reading my ramblings ;)

Until next time (whenever that might be!!), happy stitching!

Kim x

Weekly Update 2

I've been busy busy this week, or rather this fortnight, with a few new charts to tell you about, as well as the release of the new fabric of the month. This fabric is Easter Bunny and is only available for the month of April 2015. It is shades of yellows and brown, and I do get so annoyed with the fact I just can't get an accurate picture to show the colours of these fabrics! The yellow is brighter than shown, 

As for charts, I've had a few new releases as I continue to work my way through my request list. All of the following were requested, but lack of personalisations mean they can go on the website for general sale in case anyone else is interested in them.

Blame

 Connected by the Heart

Dance Magic Dance

Women are Angels

In Words - Snowboarder

In Words - Tea

And then we have a few charts that come hand in hand with the first of the month....

April sees the release of a new Presley all dressed up ready for the chocolate hunting - Easter Presley Penguin

As part of the KLT Charting monthly club, members also receive a chart which no one has seen before. Once the month for the chart is over, it goes on general sale on the website for everyone else. March's club chart was the Tribal Skull

And, a new month brings a new charity to support. I always try to design a new chart if I can, and this month the chosen charity is the British Heart Foundation, so I created this... Heart Winged Butterfly

Phew, I think that's everything! I didn't realise how many new releases there had been since my last update until I just listed them like that haha.

I'm also planning on having a new start this week. I really did have all the best intentions of working on my WIP, but since starting it, my stitchy bug has been a bit hit or miss. I have utterly fallen in love with the April club chart. I know you probably think I'm biased since it's one of my charts, but I didn't actually design it... it's from the artwork of Chele Cooke, I just made it into a chart! I would love to be able to show it to you, but that wouldn't be fair on my club members, so I guess you're just going to have to wait to see what it is! But I have dyed the fabric I want to use (I've gone for 18 count 'Sea Mist'), the threads I'm missing are on order (DMC all the way on this one), but I have plenty I can be doing while I'm waiting for them to arrive. You never know, I might show a WIP update next time I'm on here! 

As always, if you're reading this, I'd love it if you hit the comments to let me know, and if you have any suggestions on what you'd like to see in future posts. Until then,

Happy stitching!

Kim x

Weekly Update 1

Hello all :)

Perhaps I should of mentioned in my last blog when I talked about the app on my phone that it's more of a guide than anything. Why do I mention this now? Well, I put 'blog' on in my app to appear once a week, and within the first week of it appearing, what happened? I ended up putting it off for two days! Typical! Ah well, I'm here now...

So what's been happening this week? Well there are a few new charts to tell you about...

The first is the chart I gave to SAL members who completed the Flutterby SAL by the finishing date. I was going to leave it a bit longer, but I loved it so much, I just had to release it. So here it is...

Tribal Hummingbird

I also had a request via the facebook group for a Tribal Duck, and always, a customer's wish is my command....

Tribal Duck

I also have two more charts that were customer requests but have now been put on general sale, and they are

I am Your Parent

and...

In Words Cocktail 

I have also been working my way through some custom charts this week, and thought I would give a sneak peak at some of what never makes it onto the website. 

 

I think that's most of what I've finished this week, but I still have a to-do list as long as my arm, which is obviously great for business! It just leaves little time for anything else haha. I plan to do some dyeing on Monday and hope to sort April's limited edition fabric out. Hopefully I'll have a picture to be able to show you next week. 

I have also just launched a new round of Bingo in my Facebook group, so if you want to join in, please swing by the group and get all the details. It can be found HERE

I also want to show you a few finishes that have been done this week. 

This is Dreamcatcher - a KLT Charting chart, stitched by Jade (who also happens to be my baby sister) using Jodyri Designs threads. It's her first big finish, and I think she did great!

The chart can be found here: Dreamcatcher

Alison has also been working hard, stitching up the In Words Border Terrier chart not once, but twice with her own personalisations, and they look brilliant!

The chart can be found here: In Words Border Terrier

Well I think that's everything for this week. I hope you find reading my ramblings mildly interesting, but if there's anything you'd like to ask, or know about, feel free to hit the comments and let me know! I'd love to know how many people are out there reading what I bang on about! haha ;)

So until next week (she hopes!), 

Happy stitching!

Kim x

There's an app for that!

I have just realised something... I am RUBBISH at keeping this blog up to date! I think about it from time to time, and then something else crops up and I don't get round to a new entry... and then a week has gone by, and soon a month. Can you believe we are already in March?!? This year is simply flying by! I still have a to-do list as long as my arm, but wanted to take time out today and write. So here we are! The question is always the same though... what to write about?

I'm an incredibly disorganised person, and by that I mean if it's not on my to-do list, it doesn't get done. I found a fab app for my phone a couple of months ago which I now use for organising EVERYTHING - from the kids, to the housework, to work - if it's not on my list, it doesn't get done! So I thought, Kim, you idiot, add the blog to your app! And I have, so I hope you'll be seeing me on here a bit more regularly - if the phone tells me to do it haha.

My last blog was in January where I outlined what I wanted to get done, and I have been successful with some of that. I have been continuing to update the website, and have done a few more of the In Words Dogs. The new product however, is still a non-starter. There is a very good reason for this, but at the moment I can't tell you what it is - if I tell you the reason, you might guess the new product, and we can't be having that, can we ;) haha.

I have however, had a different new product. After examining my options, I decided to start making my own fobs and froggers rather than using a third party. With a choice of beads and charms, there is now the option to 'build your own' on the website. All the details can be found HERE.

I've also been working my socks off on custom charts. People in my facebook group may think I've not been releasing much lately, but that's just because I've been doing other things that don't get released. Trust me, I've been very busy.

I have had these releases though which I thought you might want to see:

St Patrick's Day Presley Penguin, which is March's Presley instalment. I aim to release a new one using this guy each month. I'll let you into a secret... April's Presley is already done, and I can't wait for you all to see him!

Each month KLT Charting supports a charity which is selected by a member of our Facebook group. March's charity is for Alzheimer's Disease, so have done this chart. Half of all the money made from this chart will be donated, along with the sales of any of the other KLT Charting charity charts.

I also have 2 new Tribal charts which I am longing to show you, but can't just yet. One is the Monthly Club chart, so will not go on general release until April, and the other is the chart I have given to those who completed the Flutterby SAL. Although the SAL is over, I want to wait a little while before releasing the reward chart to make it more exclusive for those who earned it.

I think that's all for now. I'll try not to leave it so long, so make sure to check back with us soon. I may even run a little blog giveaway ;)

Happy stitching!

Kim x

Goals and Targets for 2015

If you regularly follow blogs, no doubt you have seen a lot of these in the last few days. A new year often leads people to re-examine what they want the coming 12 months to hold, and I am no exception. I posted in December about how pleased I was at all I had accomplished in 2014, and to put it quite simply, I want 2015 to be even better! Here are a few of my goals:

In Words Dogs - I don't think this set will ever be complete. Yes, I can do all the dogs that the Kennel Club recognises as breeds, but then there is the American Kennel Club which has more, and then there are all the cross breeds becoming more and more popular - sprockers, labradoodles and so on. But what I would like this set to become is one of the most comprehensive collections available on the web. It goes back to my desire to give customers the charts they can't find anywhere else. So this is one of my aims - more and more In Words Dogs. Even if I only sell one of each of the rarer breeds, that's fine by me if I've made someone happy who can't find their dog anywhere else.

The New Product - Nope, I'm still not going to tell you what this is just yet, but I do plan on spending the first few months of 2015 getting it made, tested and then on the website. And of course once it's up, I will expand it and look into other designs for it. I hope to have it on the site at least in its initial form by the end of March.

Custom Charts - I have a few custom charts that I need to get sorted for people who very kindly agreed to wait until the new year. So if it looks like I'm not doing as much, I really am, it will just be things that aren't going on general release.

Hand Dyed Fabric - I counted up my fabrics today, and I believe I have 46 regular colours available. I am going to come up with a few others and stop I think, for the time being, at 50. January has seen the first limited edition colour, and I will continue to do these each month. Then again, perhaps I'll get swept away by a wave of inspiration and keep going until I hit 75. I guess this one will be a case of wait and see.

Expand Customer Base - This one is obvious really. There are only so many charts the same group of people can stitch, so if I want to grow my business, I have to keep appealing to new people. Some of the cross stitch groups on Facebook have thousands of members in them, and those are the ones I want to reach out to. The likes of 'Crazy about Cross Stitch' group has Designer Tuesday each week, and I have posted a few times, but I want to try and remember to do it more regularly, showing a wider scope of my charts. I also have Instagram and Pinterest accounts. I'm wary of Pinterest because there are so many illegal charts on there, but regularly use Instagram to show chart finishes and fabrics. I am going to try keeping it up to date with my new releases too in the hope of reaching people who are not in my Facebook group.

KLT Monthly Club - I toyed with the idea of having a fabric club as well as the normal monthly club, but for the time being want to concentrate on the lovely club members that I have. I need to think of more ideas of things I can send as the mystery item, and of course should those members want some of the fabric a little cheaper than everyone else, they have their discount code that they can use.

SALs - or Stitch A Longs. I had a customer ask me the other day if there are any SALs planned for 2015, and the answer was quite simply, no, not at the moment, but there will be. There are four weeks left of the Flutterby SAL, and I need to have something else to launch when that is finished. I'm thinking of having a few shorter SALs based on themed quartet pieces. It's a work in progress, but if you like SALs, watch this space!

Website Updates - this is something that is taking quite a high spot on the priority list. I can't spend all year sorting the site out, so want it done as soon as possible really. But with over 400 charts on the site that each need editing one by one, its a very time consuming (and boring!) process. I have something else in my personal life to do which HAS to be done in January, so I think I'll set myself a target of end of February for getting this finished.

I'm sure as the months go by, I will think of more and more things that I want to do, but for now, the general aim is to work on what I've got and make that even better. That being said, I'm not ruling new stuff out. I'm always open to ideas and if there is something in particular that you want to see, then please do get in touch.

Problem is, if I don't get off here and do some work, nothing will get done ;)
Until next time, happy stitching!

Kim xx

Well that's just... odd!

During the giveaway blog, I wanted people to ask questions that I could answer, so that's what I'm doing now - answering another question. Nic wanted to know what was the strangest thing I've ever been asked to chart.

I thought about this for ages, and every time I think oh yeah - I'll put that, ten minutes later, I remember something else which was odd, The thing is, no matter how odd something might seem to me, if someone has gone to the trouble of asking for it, it obviously means something to them.

Chacmool, for example. I hardly even know if I'm pronouncing the name right! But someone asked for it, having never been able to find a chart anywhere of it before. A little research, and...

Then there was the day someone simply said "can you chart me a spoon please". I thought maybe an intricate love spoon or something. Oh no. Just a spoon. Turns out it was to do with Spoon Theory, which if you don't know what that is, google it. I did, and the information that comes up makes for some fascinating reading. My eyes were opened, and I felt the need to chart not one, but two spoons.

Of course let's not forget the Unicorn fiasco. I believe it started as a joke, or at least, I hope it did. But somehow, and to this day, I still don't know how, the idea gathered speed. I couldn't move without someone asking if I'd done the unicorn yet. In the end, charting a farting unicorn was easier than putting up with the nagging, and Unicorn Magic was created.

I also want to give the tribal charts a mention.... especially the manatee. I really was confused about this one when the request came in. I mean, a manatee is just a blob, right? Well, no, I know they are more than that, but never in my wildest dreams did I expect for someone to pay good money for a cross stitch chart of one, but mine is not to question. I just went ahead and fired up the software and...

If I'm honest, I love the unusual ideas. Unusual ideas provide two things.
1) A challenge. What's the point in creating easy charts that anyone can create in the blink of an eye? Every chart I create is a learning curve for me, and the more complicated the design, the more I learn.
2) My aim is to build a reputation in the cross stitch community for being the person who charts the designs that you can't find anywhere else. And I hope I'm getting there. I mean, if the above charts are anything to go by.... I've certainly had some odd requests!

Until next time,

Happy stitching,

Kim xx

Getting Into It.

My give away is now closed. I fired up a random number generator just now, and the winning question was number 3, which was asked by danielle louise burton. Congratulations Danielle! You have won a free standard PDF chart from my website. Please can you email me at KLTcharting@gmail.com with your request and I'll send it over.

Danielle's question was how did I get into charting, and what was my first ever chart. Here's the answer...

My friend Michelle runs Jodyri Designs which sells amazing hand dyed threads and fabric. She also sells cross stitch designs, but she was SO busy with the dyeing side of the business, she didn't really have time to sit and chart. I offered to try and come up with a few charts to help out. Even though I had offered, I was so nervous of what people would think of what I'd done, I started charting through Jodyri under a different name. For a while there, I was Laurel Wood. But Laurel didn't seem to last too long. It seemed like everyone liked what I was doing, so I came clean and owned up that it was me. My first chart was Penguins, and is still for sale on my website.

I began charting for Jodyri in the July, and in the following January, decided to branch out on my own, and started up KLT Charting. But even now, I enjoy a very close professional relationship with Michelle and Jodyri designs. I tend to avoid creating charts if I know Michelle already has a similar one, and have no issues with recommending her to my customers, because I know she does the same to me when the situation calls for it. Our second joint SAL is currently in progress, and I even now stock Jodyri fabrics and threads to sell as kits with my charts.

So there you go... how I got into it, and my first chart. I hope the answer wasn't too boring haha.

Until next time, when I'm sure I'll answer another question,
Happy stiching

Kim xx

The top of my wish list...

I'll announce the winner of the blog giveaway tomorrow, since I said it will run to the end of the week and we're not quite there yet, but in the meantime, I thought I'd answer one of the questions that has already been asked.

Crazystitchbitch wanted to know what's at the top of my wish list. Of all the questions asked, this was the easiest to answer! More time!! I just never seem to have enough of it. No matter what I do, I never seem to get everything done - something is always being neglected. I'm either charting, or cleaning the house, or helping a customer, or updating the website. Once in a blue moon, I get to do some stitching, but when I do, I still feel bad, because that's time when I could be charting....or cleaning the house... Or updating something on the website!! Charting is the life blood of KLT, without it, I have no business, and at any given time, I could probably reel off about 20 things I wish I could get charted NOW, but of course it doesn't happen like that. To get a chart right takes time. Even when I've got it pretty much perfect, I'll still wait and look at it again the next day to see if it still looks right to fresh eyes. Often I'll send a picture of a new chart to friends (previously referred to as persons B and C lol). Right now I could tell you I have at least 3 ideas for new SETS of charts, all of which will probably have to wait as I work on a custom chart for someone, a new SAL, freebie charts for the existing SALs, and of course not to mention expanding the sets I already have.

So there you go Crazystitchbitch...more time is at the top of my wish list! If you wanted to know which chart I would wish for, you should of been more specific haha ;)

I'll answer more questions soon!

Happy stitching,

Kim x

As the mood takes me... (Giveaway now closed!)

I've decided that the most difficult thing about writing a blog (for me at least), is deciding what to write about. I've thought about this quite a lot, and what I can use it for. I thought I could use it to get organised and write myself to do lists, but with running a house with three kids as well as KLT Charting, I rarely get to plan out what I do each day, let alone have each day be dictated by a blog list. I chart according to two main things... customer requests, and my mood at the time. Sometimes I have a long request list, and what I WANT to chart has to wait, and at other times, I might think I need to do some more 'In Words' charts, but I feel like doing a new tribal animal, for example. So working from a list probably wouldn't work either. I wondered if I could write a new blog each week, on a Monday for example, outlining what I'd done the week before, but as organised as I like to think I can be, I know after the first or maybe the second Monday, something would of come up that prevented me from doing what I intended. In the end, I've settled on blogging as I chart... I'll do it as and when I feel like, as that usually produces better results. Sometimes there might end up being 3 weeks between posts, and other times, you might get three in four days. I'm just going to wing it and see how it goes!

In the meantime, I'd like to do a little blog giveaway. To be in with a chance of winning a free standard PDF chart of your choice from my website, simply comment below with a question you would like me to answer. It can be anything you like, to do with KLT Charting or not (within reason!! lol), and I'll do my best to answer the questions in future blogs. Each question you pose will earn you 1 draw entry for the chart giveaway. Entries will close at the end of this week (Sunday 21st September), and I'll announce the winner next week, so make sure you follow my blog to see your answers and if you have won. Sound good? Ask away!

Starting Somewhere...

I've been told, the beginning is a good place to start. I've been told that lots of times. But no one ever says the beginning of what. I don't know why I decided to start a blog, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. But now I'm here... where do I begin? I'm sure no one is particularly interested in me going right back to the beginning. Unless... Well I was born to Gerald and Sandra on a rainy April day in 1970-something. Actually, I have no idea what the weather was like. You'd have to ask my mother, though I have no idea what the weather was like when I had my three children, so I don't see why mum would remember it when I graced the world with my presence. So no, you're probably not interested in me going that far back.

So do I go back to the beginning of my cross stitch journey? That actually wasn't that far back. I resisted to be drawn into the stitchy world for the longest time. Grandma tried repeatedly, but I wasn't having any of, and to this day, I have no idea why. But eventually, after a trip to Hobbycraft where I couldn't ignore the call of a tiny little parrot design, I decided to give it a go. The rest, as they say, is history. I was hooked. Well that's that sorted. Now what? The beginning of KLT Charting? Despite there being a reasonably good story behind it, if you're in to that sort of thing, it's a pretty long story which, if I'm being honest, and I might as well be, I can't be bothered to type it out. I'll give you the abridged version. Person A was mean to Person B, who happens to be very dear person to me. A group of strangers rallied together to support Person B, and the group of strangers became a group of friends - the very best kind of friends, who since everything happened with the person A, have relied on each other through thick and thin, through happy and sad, through sickness and health. God, it sounds like we all married each other! But seriously, I have met some of my now very best friends from this group. Person C was in the group, and that person gave me an opportunity which at the time, neither of us even realised what it was.

Bored yet?

I will always be grateful to Person C, but the day came when I realised I could step out from behind C's shadow and take a giant leap of my own. And it really was a giant leap. I was getting to the end of my maternity leave, and needing to decide about going back to work. I didn't want to leave my soon to be 9 month old baby with strangers, so thought I might be able to make a living out of this chart designing melarky. It was make or break. A couple of 'do you think I'm being stupid?' messages to persons B, C and a few others, and KLT Charting was born. The giant leap was back in January, and here we are in September. KLT is going strong, and I'm sat here... blogging for the first in my life.

I'm not really sure what I'm going to use this blog for... Teasing about upcoming chart releases? Knocking ideas around? Perhaps I can just use it to get more organised? I have no idea. Tell you what... if you've actually managed to read this far, (well done, by the way - you're still awake! yay), why don't you tell me what you'd like to read about from me? Feel free to leave me comments pointing me in the right direction! Don't let me down... I'll be refreshing the page every 2 minutes to see who has read and commented ;)

In the meantime, I'm going to go, maybe design some new charts, and if I get time, do some stitching of my own - the housework can wait another week or 2, right?!

Happy stitching,

Kim xx