Still sailing

I have spent a good bit of time this weekend working on Sail Away.  I finished the the landscape part of it and am working on the picket fence. There are just two more rows after that. I love this piece but am ready to be done. This was part of a SAL and I am definitely bringing up the rear. I found that Stitches N things in Michigan is having a sale and I think the mats for this are included. I am going to check and see. The owner, Deb, is a pleasure to work with and I appreciate her sales on frames and things. May is the shop anniversary month and she always offers great sales.
After I finish Sail Away it will be back to CHS alphabets that I have worked on a little this week as I had several hours waiting this week and it is more portable than Sail Away. I still have a ton to do but it is coming along and I enjoy it as well. I will add Mary Wigham and FAS when these two are scratched off the WIP list. They are waiting patiently in the wings for some attention.
I belong to several Yahoo groups and one of them is for Blackbird designs. They are having a summer SAL that I decided to join. After all I have tons of their charts and love all the ones I have. I deserve a new start since I have been working steadily on WIP's for a while now. I think I am going to do one of the Loose Feathers Beneath the Sunlit sky. I love the beach and that particular design calls to me. Can you tell I am so ready for warmer weather?  I know I won't keep up, there is no need to kid myself, but it will be fun to get a much loved design started.
 Every holiday there are discussions among many of the blogs I read and groups I belong to about starting something new on the holidays. It occurred to me that I should start something new on my birthday this summer. I wanted to join the latest class from the Essamplaire but decided not to as it was such a lovely big project that would just overwhelm me.I am struggling with Mary Wigham  on 45 ct and not sure I could handle it on design that big with so much whitework and cutwork much less the recommended 50, 55 count. Yikes, I am not sure I could see that at all.  On the other hand I decided I would get the newest reproduction from The Essamplaire and use that as my new start for my birthday. The design is Victorine Delacroix sampler. It has the most beautiful colors. The website doesn't do it justice. That will be my birthday present this year and will celebrate with a new start. That is the plan right now anyway, my birthday isn't until July so plans can change. It is nice to plan though.