As we near the end of 2021, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the past year, acknowledge each step on our journey and take the opportunity to thank so many of you who have made such a difference this year as Caterpillar Cross Stitch turned 6 years old!
After 2020, I thought 2021 would be so much easier but we have just learnt how to adapt and it definitely hasn't been without its challenges! As we approach January 2022 and the start of a new chapter (and re-brand to reveal) I feel excited, positive and uplifted by your support and the resilience my team has also shown.
Firstly I want to say a huge thank you to all of you - the stitchers worldwide who are so supportive, fun and loyal. For helping us improve, for the ideas, feedback and constant friendship albeit over the internet! I listen to others complain about their jobs yet feel truly thankful for all that the Caterpillar Cross Stitch 'army' has become.
I want to say a massive thanks to our team here, our suppliers and collaborators. Bethany, Ariane, Samm, Paige, Roksana and Tim who all worked tirelessly this past year to keep the wheels turning, help with customer service, create your kits and get them shipped on time. Thanks to our Facebook group admins, Carla, Charlie and Claire who help keep the group one of the most positive and drama-free online! Thanks also to Carla and Charlie for hosting Stitching Social events and all of our wonderful sample stitchers.
Thank you to those designers and brands with whom I've collaborated this year on quilt designs and subscription boxes! Congratulations also to all 12 of our fabulous Stitchers of the Month!
This year saw the launch and hosting of three mystery stitch-a-long projects; Made to Create in January, Hello Sunshine in May and Lucky Nutcracker in August. Pre-order also opened for the new January 2022 SAL, How Does Your Garden Grow! Thousands of you now join us for our stitch-a-longs from over 16 countries globally! With Hello Sunshine came the final piece of the seasons tree series now available as a full set with discount.
In total, we've donated over £7,500 to charities including the NHS Charities Together, Mind (the mental health charity), WIRES, Friends of the Earth and Cancer Research UK. We also donated bundles of starter cross stitch packs to two local primary schools, Coventry Haven Women's Aid and Myton Hospice in Warwick.
During 2021, we've hosted over 25 virtual Stitching Social events creating Mulberry Cottage and Gingerbread Cottage! In February and March 2022 we are hosting 9 more events in which we'll be stitching the woodland log cabin design, Cedar Lodge. I was also thrilled to work with The Craft Store (Hochanda) throughout 2021 featuring on their TV shopping channel. We also loved working with the National Trust who now stock our kits and needle minders in their shops and online.
We launched the Caterpillar Club subscription box service at the start of 2021 and it became very apparent, we couldn't continue in our 900 sq ft studio. Thank you for all of your box orders over the year, we have 6 new themed boxes planned for 2022 including Box 5 'Climb Every Mountain' nature themed which ships in February.
By July 2021 we moved into a 2,300 sq ft industrial unit on a local business park which fits the growing CCS team! We've also worked hard this year to reduce plastic where possible, creating new card packaging we are rolling out as we use up old stock.
Over 20,000 of you joined us over on Facebook with 13,000 in our group and over 34,000 on Instagram! This year we also reached 20,000 subscribers on our YouTube channel with over 90 video tutorials for you to enjoy. Thank you to everyone for engaging with us on these platforms and for our wonderful guest tutors on YouTube.
Over the last year, in addition to the stitch-a-long projects, I'm proud to have created many more needle minder designs, the 4 subscription boxes and to have added more free patterns to our eBook which now includes 7 designs.
I'm thrilled to announce that Love It Stitch It (our new cross stitch design platform and dedicated online marketplace) has finished its final testing period and will be available for you to use from January! You can upload and convert images/photos or create charts from scratch then shop or sell designs all in one place!
I'll be working hard on managing Love It Stitch It, creating video tutorials for to show you exactly how it works, creating content for our subscribers and making sure the marketplace runs smoothly.
We'll be producing many more YouTube videos (with the help of our new presenter, Sian) including helpful tutorials, chatty flosstubes and weekly updates.
My new book, 'Jump Into Cross Stitch' (6 brand new beginner-friendly designs) will be available from June 2022 on Amazon and in all large bookstores near you!
The Garden Grow SAL will launch in January, a typography Halloween/autumn SAL in May and a Christmas SAL in September 2022! We will reveal our new branding in January and you'll soon see our new packaging and subscription box design!
Here's wishing you a very merry Christmas and happy, healthy new year.
Brand NEW 'North American Adventure' SAL opens for pre-order on Friday 12th April at 5pm UK time and we're so excited to share the details with you.
Calling all cross stitchers! Come with us on a stitchy road trip around North America, where creativity meets adventure. Join a supportive community of crafters, celebrate milestones, and share the joy of creating a fun, travel-inspired masterpiece.
Maybe you're a crafting fanatic, or maybe you're a complete beginner looking for a new, creative hobby? Either way, you will adore the fuss-free Caterpillar Club subscription boxes!
The quirky design features decorative bookshelves where colourful novels, a plant, and a globe, are wearing adorable happy faces. The project is complete with easy-to-follow instructions, an A4 colour printed pattern, DMC stranded cotton, 1 DMC branded needle, white Zweigart 14 count aida fabric (recommended for beginners), and a pre-sorted Carlos the Caterpillar thread holder.
Caterpillar Cross Stitch are honoured to be the next crafty small business chosen to help raise money for Cats Protection! We have designed 3 unique, wooden, cat-shaped decorations for you to personalise with little cross stitches.
You'll have heaps of fun, learn a new, crafty skill, and have a beautiful, finished craft project to show off to your family and friends, all while raising vital funds for the UK's leading cat charity.