The moon is at 99.96% full tonight - too bad there are clouds keeping it under wraps

It seems that every year I have such lofty goals for myself.  My Mom used to say my eyes were much bigger than my stomach, well I think that still holds true, only it's my mind thinking my fingers stitch a lot faster than they do.......I guess if I stitched a little bit more I would meet my lofty goals, so maybe that will be part of the 2017 goals to stitch one or two nights a week.

So here is was my wish list for 2016 and I'm hoping this blog will keep me on track:

Canvases/Counted Needlepoint

1. Emerald City 
2. Dorothy 
3. Glenda
4. Wicked Witch of the East (see picture
5. Flying Monkey
6. Ruby Slippers
7. The Wiz - NOT from Wizard of OZ - 

Well not much progress on the above - like little to none - I didn't even get the Wiz out to work on at all this year.  I did pull threads for Glenda and I got the sequins for the ruby slippers.  The rest are on stretcher bars, but that is about it except for I actually put needle and thread to the Emerald City.  I just couldn't resist doing the brick walk.  If I really worked on it, I could get it done in a day or two, it's not very big.  

I did work on some needlepoints this year.... the bear (new start) just needs some bead and then I'll sew him up into an ornament for my sister Linda - who loves teddy.  He was fun to stitch and stitched quickly.  He was purchased on a whim, OK most of my canvases are purchased on a whim.  What can I say, I'm an impulse buyer, how else can you build a SABLE???

I also have the two purse flaps which I'll post pictures of later in this post.

My Counted Cross Stitch list didn't fair much better :(  I still don't have the beads on the fairy, some not all, not sure why I'm procrastinating on this one so much.  She is so pretty and I know my daughter will love her.

The EarthDancer didn't see the light of day all year, and not on the list is Peace Angel for my youngest grandchild.  Both of those needs to be worked on and finished.  I did get Mermaid Letter D and In Memory of Jane done!!  Peter's Patch wasn't worked or at least I don't remember pulling it out and actually working on it.  However Angel's Song saw progress, doing the rows are fun and fast.   Inspire Others also got some time this year, but no picture at this time.  I've been working on the background and it is hard to see when you're stitching over one.  I find it relaxing actually.

Counted Cross Stitch

1. August Fairy-Peridot (just needs the beads)
2. EarthDancer
3. Mermaid Letter D (just needs the beads)
4. Mermaid Letter A
5. In Memory of Jane (aka Multiplication table)
6. Inspire Other (over one design)
7. Either Peter's Patch or Angel's song

As for the sewing - that has been a lost cause this year, I managed to complete nothing.  Not even my pillow cases are done yet.  I just don't have the space to spread out and sew the quilts - the Thimbleberry is a king size, so I really need room.

 Quilts

1. Thimbleberry 2009 quilt (just needs to be assembled)
2. Dr. Seuss Take 5 quilt ( just needs borders)

Things that got some loving from 2015:

Angel's Song end of 2016

Angel Song end of 2015

Mermaid Letter A end of 2016

Mermaid Letter A end of 2015

Then there were the unplanned starts for 2016...sometimes those are best.  There are few others that I haven't updated the pictures, so will save those perhaps for my 2017 list:

Nancy's Needle - Starry Night (I think)

SB Stocking - Jeffery's

Purse Flap

Purse Flap

Needlepoint Hippos

I think this is Remember Me -end of 2016

Remember Me - end of 2015

This was a 2015 starts that saw a little loving in 2016, but hadn't been on the original list.  Some times I just need to stitch with warm comfy colors. I think this one got put away because I may have used the wrong color, but at this point I'm not going back!!  Such is my life.

So what do I have planned for 2017?   I really want to pull out everything, take a picture of where I'm starting from and then keep better track.  I also really want to get organized and make a real dent in my UFO's and WIP's.  To be honest I really don't know how many I have started.  I'm thinking it up around 30???  However it could be higher than that because I'm sure there are few that I'm not thinking about anymore.  I need to have a good year of finishes and limit my starts.  I won't do the 17 starts in 2017, we all know it didn't work out too well for 15 starts in 2015 so instead I will strive for 17 finishes in 2017 :)  For ever the optimism.

See you all in the new year!!

Sandy