Little Wings is back

My plan tonight was to restart Little Wings on the 36 ct Morning Dew linen. But after four stitches, I realized this is not at all what I wanted to do. Two reasons really. The first is that I felt the stitches looked quite bulky on the linen and could only picture how clumped up that green velvet dress would look. I couldn't use one strand, as I had hoped I could, because two shades are blended needle. After looking at them, I saw no other alternative. One is one of the main greens of the dress, and the other is prominent in the mauve ribbons on her dress. The second reason I ditched the restart plan was because the Morning Dew linen is greener than I had thought it was - the Meadow Mist cashel I am already using compliments this design much better. OK, I am happy again with this project, and I managed to make a lot of progress on the little girl tonight.

I began thinking today about my Stitching Goals for 2006. Now, I am quite certain that this will not actually play out the way I would like it to - life will get in the way, and new charts will come along that will just have to be stitched, resulting in others getting pushed aside... but it is still fun to set the goals!! I will review how my 2005 goals actually went sometime before the year ends... So, here is what I am thinking of for 2006:

1. Continue to plug away on all the projects currently in my rotation - Little Wings, 17th Century Irish Garden, Angel of Love, Garden Spot Sampler, Celtic Winter, Medieval Town Mandala, An Open Heart, Houses of Hawk Run Hollow, Girl with Cat, Convent's Herbal Garden and Mermaid Heaven.
2. Since Girl with Cat is an old UFO that I resurrected this year, I am thinking that if I finish that one in 2006, I will replace it with another UFO... Bag Ladies, which is at least 3/4 done already.
3. I have several SAL's to start this year:
**Mirabilia SAL - Mermaids of the Deep Blue
**Long Dog Samplers SAL - Paradigm Lost
**Nature's Alphabet II with Katrina
**Egypt Garden with Anne
**Spring Ride with Karen B.
**Kingdom Sampler with Nicole
**Emerald Jeweled Garden with Karen V.
**Dawn, Fairy Spirit of Grace with Bea
*****other possible SAL pieces will be Fairy Idyll with Karen K. and Rose of Sharon with Bea... if time allows... either can easily just be incorporated into the Mirabilia SAL since both ladies are in that group too...
4. Some projects that really appeal to me right now, some of which have been in my stash forever, are:
**Just Nan - High Hopes
**Drawn Thread - The Sanctuary
**Little House Needleworks - Coffee Menu
**Fouroaks Designs - A Love Song
**Indigo Rose - Catherine Agnes (a re-start after messing it up this year!)
5. Mystery IX starts on January 1st....
6. I also am seriously considering The Forest Goddess as well....

Sounds like a really, really tall order now, doesn't it? If you want to do a SAL with me for any of these, please let me know! That always helps!!!

Mike moved our TV and many other items down to our now finished basement. Feels weird to be down here with a big house over our heads! It is really nice though! I do have better stitching lighting down here now!
I found this photo in my camera tonight when I uploaded the WIP of Little Wings. Mike said he was cleaning the kitchen today and put one of the cat towers across the kitchen table while he was cleaning. Our Lily seems to be wondering what has happened to her tower :-)

I am now on vacation from work for 11 days! Yay! I really don't know what I am going to do with myself for 11 days, though - well, other than stitching! I do have a few clients I will need to call and check in on during the break, especially some of my eating disordered clients. But for the most part, my time is my own - what should I do with it? Sleeping in late comes to mind...

Stitched on today: Little Wings (I can't believe this chart was published 16 years ago! It is copyright 1989. It feels like I only just bought it a couple of years ago - where did time go??)