2017 Goals

I did better this year on my goals than in 2015 as I tried to keep them small and manageable. So let's see how I did:

• TUSAL posts will now be wordless unless I post an update of a WIP --- this didn't work out at all :P so I ended up just keeping the posts very small
• Keep up with WIPocalypse, I'm picking easy goals for this:
• Finish the beading on Mirabilia's Tree of Hope --- DONE
• Finish at least one page of Ink Circles' Bramble and the Rose --- DONE
• Try to put in some sort of stitching on Teresa Wentzler's Tracery Dragons --- DONE
• Finish all the eyelets on Donna M. Olson's Fantasy Lace --- DONE
• Stitch up and finish the Creative Festival class kits by Gingerbread Girl Designs --- I finished one but really should work on the second one
• Start Hazel Blomkamp's Midnight Meander --- I took it out once, then got too nervous and packed it back up :| I really should overcome that and just get started on it

Keeping with the same theme as last year:

• TUSAL posts same as usual
• Keep up with WIPocalypse, I'm picking easy goals again for this:
• Complete at least one page of Ink Circles' Bramble and the Rose
• Stitch the stonework on Teresa Wentzler's Tracery Dragons
• Stitch the hemstitch border on Donna M. Olson's Fantasy Lace
• Finish Katherine Drummond's Romantic Rosebuds
• Finish Annie Penin's Fleur de Sakura
• Stitch Gingerbread Girl Designs Hearts and Flowers - Already started

I'm not going to make the mistake of saying which other kit I will pick up from my stash. Let it be spontaneous ;)

I've planned a big year for 2017. I signed up for a goldwork class with Alison Cole. Yes, a goldwork class! I wasn't expecting to learn it so soon. The plan was to do whitework then beadwork and eventually try goldwork. But I really fell in love with the design. That and my sister offered it for me as a birthday present =D. It's called Pearl Butterfly and will start on January 27 and ending March 24. One of my goals for this year will be to keep up with this class.

Right on time for my trip to Washington D.C.. In April (right after my birthday), I'm going down to visit with the ladies I met at the French Needle Paris Tour. This should be great fun :) It will be my first time in D.C., so if anyone has suggestions of places to visit please feel free to comment below. I'm hoping I can convince Lisa to give me a tour of her shop the French Needle.

From D.C. I'm flying out to Atlanta with Carolyn who was part of the tour. We are going to the JEC to take the phase 1 Japanese Bead Embroidery class. Everything was all payed up months ago: classes, hotel, flights. We're picking up our kits there so we don't have to bring anything. I'm going to try and post some stuff on Instagram but I heard cameras are not allowed in class so we'll see.

For phase 1, I decided on the eyeglasses case since I will get more use out of it (if I actually dare use it!)

In May, I'm going to the EAC seminar again. This year it's held in St-John's, Newfoundland.

I could have applied for a grant with EAC (I have to wait 2 years before re-applying for Virtual Thread's seminar grant), but I decided in the end not to. Once of their conditions you'd have to fulfill is to finish the class project within 6 months and I wasn't sure I'd be able to do that with the class I selected. I'm still waiting to get confirmation on what class I'll be getting, so I will share that with you later. This year I had a first and second choice, so we have no way of knowing what will happen.

That's it for the exciting stuff. The rest of the time it will be business as usual, but I hope I can pick up some interesting classes along the way not to mention those tempting projects from Inspirations ;)