Year end review and 2016 plans

Can you believe it will be 2016 in a week and a half? 2015 went so fast. It feels like it should only be July, right? I am still getting used to using my laptop. I am so used to using my phone to do everything Internet-related, it's not easy to switch back. I am trying more.

My stitching year in review . . . it was an OK year. I did not get as many finishes this year, but I was working on some bigger projects all year. I haven't worked on a Dimensions kit in ages, but I spent the better part of three months on Soul Music.  That's a long time on one project. I did get my Sleepy Hollow finished, which is a major thing for me. Major . . . And I managed to participate in the ornament exchange, which, with my hectic schedule, was not easy. We'll see about next year.

Which brings me to my 2016 plans. I did start discussing this on Facebook, but I have so neglected my blog and didn't post about it.  After gathering my UFOs and WIPs, and realizing I have over 70 of them and seem hell-bent on starting more, I realized enough is enough. I pulled one of my large totes, christened it the Bin of Good Intentions, and put all my UFOs in it. All except the Hummingbird Trellis afghan, Summer Ball, and my Miribilias. Because 2016 is the year to work on reducing the number of my UFOs. I decided including those last projects in the mix would be too stressful--Hummingbird and Summer Ball alone could take a year and, in the end, I would have one project completed, where I could have 10 or 11 done, or more. So those are out for now. But the mix I have is some big ones, some smalls, and a couple that need to be restarted because they got messed up while they were UFOs.

It's going to be a challenging project. I know that. There is a reason I put these projects aside. But it may just be a temporary thing, maybe now I'll love them again and get them finished. I've already finished two projects out of the bin, and I'm happy with them. Who knows what I can accomplish if I set my mind to it? I did join a . . . stitch-a-long is not the right word, but it's a no-stash, no-start support group. They are set to only work on existing WIPs and UFOs from January 16th to July 16th. I think a few are starting things the first two weeks of the year, but I am trying to refrain from that. A great many of my UFOs started out as challenge projects where challenges didn't get completed. I am allowing myself a January 1 start, though. That is a tradition, but I am not going to make that a focus. I will focus on the other January 1st starts I didn't finish.

I do know I'll be posting here more in the new year. I really fell behind in posting finishes and that that is not good. I will try to post at least once a week. Hopefully more.  Blogger does have a mobile app. Not so easy to blog on a cellphone . . .

Until then, Merry Christmas from our house to yours!