When I look back at my January post, I think “you plonker”. I was far too ambitious!

The rotation plans were loosely worked around the following:

• StitchMaynia’s monthly SAL e.g. Feb is “fandom” SOMETIMES
• StitchMaynia’s colour SAL (this is only on the 15^th of each month). SOMETIMES
• The Never Ending Band Sampler. NOPE
• The Magazine SAL. NOPE
• The Round Robin piece, whatever it is and whenever it arrives. YEP
• Focus on a Finish – whatever needs completing from the above or a current WIP that is nearly there. Mermaids of the Deep will be high on that list. UH HUH, REALLY? FOCUS?

Going into 2017, I had the following starts (listed in age!!):

• TW Tapestry Cat (Dec 2006!) WORKED ON IN 2017
• Semco Toy Story Sampler (October 2013) STILL RESTING
• Nora Corbett Arezzo (March 2014) WORKED ON, FROGGED, WORKED SOME MORE, IN TIME OUT
• Mirabilia Persephone (May 2015) BARELY WORKED ON – JUST A COLOUR DAY
• Nora Corbett Blitzen (as part of my reindeer parade, Rudolph started in July 2015) FINISHED Blitzen, started Prancer
• Mirabilia Mermaids of the Deep Blue (December 2015) FINISHED
• Mirabilia Raven Queen (January 2016) NOPE, RESTED ALL YEAR
• Tamara Blackwork (September 2016) I THINK I WANT TO FROG THIS ENTIRELY
• Never Ending Band Sampler NOPE
• Lavender & Lace Celtic Winter (December 2016) A FEW STITCHES ONLY

While I got some new starts & finishes in 2017, most excitedly the Mirabilia Andromeda, I think that I will work on focus pieces for 2018, and dribble in the odd new start that I have kitted. I’ll ignore the SM & SFS themed SALs except where my focus piece matches the theme e.g. in the FB Teresa Wentzler group (also run by Mel!) January is animals, April is nature & both of those would match Tapestry Cat. I’m taking the two-monthly Jane Austen SAL and I’m going to mix & match different pieces to make a unique sampler of quotes & icons. More on this in the next update!

So my focus pieces for 2018 (given that I want to end in the black for SFS also) are in order of attention:

• Mirabilia Ashley’s Roses RR section (Dec 2018)
• Semco Toy Story Sampler (October 2013) – Zac will be 15 soon, & this needs to be done before then! But first I have to hunt it down…
• Mirabilia Fairy Idyll (September 2017) – Gail has loaned me the chart, & I want to return it in 2018
• TW Tapestry Cat (Dec 2006!) – because it deserves progress
• Mirabilia Persephone (May 2015) –because I want to get thru that skirt!
• Jane Austen SAL (December 2017) –because I want to keep up with the readings

I’m going to throw in a few Small & Medium pieces, along with the Mill Hill Santa kits that I already have (Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Barbados, Trinidad, Venice & Genoa, remembering that I do two of each of these)

• Lizzie*Kate Don’t Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle
• Lizzie*Kate Wise Men Still Seek Him
• Lizzie*Kate Coffee Time – Today’s Good Mood (already started)
• Fancy letter P (I forget the designer)
• Little House Needlework’s Bethlehem
• Plum St Sampler’s Patriotic Freebie

I’m going to try to limit my purchases also. Any planned stuff must come from a local supplier, no more overseas blitzes! I’m also pulling out of an international sales group (most participants wouldn’t post to NZ in any case) & removing myself from mailing lists. Wish me luck!